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Tantalising tastebuds with succulent greens from desert farms
The secret behind the fresh vegetables lies in Wemart’s own farms
- PUBLISHED: Fri 26 Jun 2026, 7:45 AM
- By:
- CUI HAIPEI
It was nearly 10 pm on a Thursday, but the Wemart store in the southern DIP District of Dubai was still buzzing with energy. In front of a malatang stall near the entrance, a long line snaked all the way to the end of the checkout counters.
The bubbling soup base emitted an inviting aroma, fresh leafy greens glistened in baskets, and diverse diners sat closely together. This bowl of street food has long transcended its origins as a Chinese favourite to become a hit in Dubai’s multicultural community, offering people more delicious options with Chinese flavours.
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For Chinese expats this is the taste of home. “Eating authentic malatang in Dubai is such a comfort,” says Xie Jingyi, a hunan native working in Dubai.
For her friend Timothy Simeon, malatang has sparked a deeper interest in China. They both love leafy greens. “The leafy greens here are incredibly sweet and fresh,” Xie says.
The secret behind the fresh vegetables lies in Wemart’s own farms. “When someone asks why the vegetables are so fresh, I just tell them they’re from our own desert farms, picked that day,” says Chandan Khadka, a shop assistant.
Liu Qin, manager of the DIP store, said it can sell 300 kilogrammes of various fresh Chinese vegetables a day. “More than a decade ago it was unthinkable to have such authentic Chinese leafy greens in Dubai,” he says.
In the Nazwa Desert Wemart operates two organic farms covering more than 8.7 hectares. These farms grow more than 30 types of Chinese vegetables and yield nearly 5,000 kg of fresh produce a day, supplying locals and the UAE’s almost 400,000 Chinese expats.
Sun Wenbin, who manages both farms, says the most popular vegetable is bok choy, with a daily output of 600 kg. Other vegetables include romaine lettuce, white radish, chives and coriander.
This achievement stems from a 20-year journey of desert farming, a venture once seen by many others as a pipe dream.
In 2006 Sun Jiansheng, a businessman from Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, arrived in Dubai and opened a small food store. He soon noticed a gap: Imported Chinese cabbage cost more than 100 dirhams a kg and lost freshness after long-haul transport.
In 2012, as his business thrived, he bet his entire fortune on growing Chinese organic leafy greens in the deserts — a bold attempt with enormous challenges. For more than half the year temperatures soared to over 40 C, sometimes even reaching 60 C. The land was also infertile due to extremely scarce rainfall.
To solve irrigation issues, Sun Jiansheng and his colleagues drilled six 180-metre-deep wells to extract groundwater. To enrich the soil, they transport cow and camel manure from pastures 50 kilometres away to make organic fertiliser, adopting this primitive ecological approach to nourish the soil and crops. Workers also remove weeds manually, squatting in the fields with small knives.
Unpredictable weather can pose another threat. “Sandstorms can strike anytime,” Sun Wenbin says. To mitigate this, numerous trees were planted around the farms to reduce wind and sand damage.
The farm has also created local jobs. Sun Jiansheng invited experienced farmers from his hometown to train foreign employees, and the farm now has 45 overseas workers.
Shakeeb Khan, from Pakistan, has worked there for 14 years, and he has been joined by his two brothers.