Etihad Marriott Mangrove Forest: United for a Sustainable Future
Recently, Etihad Airways and Marriott International worked together to plant 12,000 mangrove trees in Abu Dhabi. This is a huge step forward for the environment. This project, called the Etihad Marriott Mangrove Forest, shows that both companies are committed to sustainability, reducing their carbon footprints, and supporting the UAE's many environmental efforts.
The project's success was beautifully shown in a heartwarming film and our music agency, WithFeeling, wrote the music for the film, which was made to capture the project's spirit. We onboarded our friend, Safia Al Shehi, who is the voice of Expo, to tell the story.
The Emotional Impact of Music: WithFeeling's Distinctive Role
Music has a powerful ability to make people feel things and bring them together. Our music agency, WithFeeling, knew how important it was to make a unique and inspiring score that went well with the film's visuals and message. To do this, we recorded live oud—an ancient stringed instrument—to give the music a sense of place and cultural identity.
The music started with these upbeat, building strings that were skillfully mixed with layers of sound design to make a really cool soundscape that set the scene for the story. As the oud melodies joined in with Safia Al Shehi's voiceover, there was this awesome call-and-response vibe that really made the emotional connection to the story of the film stronger. Using Pro Tools, our team put together a lot of tracks and layers of sound design in a way that made the whole thing even better.
As the music built up to an inspiring end, it showed how important it is to protect the environment and the impact of the initiative. The result was a powerful, moving, and visually striking piece that spoke to people and helped get the message of the project across. This amazing piece by WithFeeling showed not only how good they are as musicians, but also how music can really change a story and make a big connection with viewers.
Etihad Marriott Mangrove Forest: A Sustainable Victory
The Sustainable Mangrove Forest is a joint project between Etihad Airways and Marriott International. It is located along the coast of Jubail Island and covers more than 150 square kilometres. It is part of the only evergreen forest in the GCC region. This unique ecosystem gives marine and land animals a natural place to live and helps the environment in important ways.
Mangrove forests are very important for stopping climate change because they store almost four times as much carbon dioxide as other forests. A typical mangrove can take in more than 300 kilogrammes of carbon dioxide over the course of its 25-year life. This helps reduce the effects of climate change like coral bleaching and coastal erosion.
A Collective Pledge for a Greener Tomorrow
The Sustainable Mangrove Forest initiative is a great example of how committed Etihad Airways and Marriott International are to being green. As part of the Etihad Forest initiative, the partnership wants to plant 182,000 mangrove trees by 2023. After that, the programme will be expanded to help grow forests in other countries where the airline flies.
Marriott International employees in the UAE will keep volunteering and helping to protect the forest. They will also use a special app to keep track of how the mangroves are doing.
The Etihad Marriott Mangrove Forest initiative shows how strong it is to work together to make a change that lasts. With the help of ThinkMe, Tim Derry, WithFeeling, and Safia Al Shehi, the project's story has been vividly and memorable, inspiring others to join the fight against climate change and protect the world's ecosystems.
