A grass growth test using a Moisture Absorbent Textile (MAT) has been carried out in the United Arab Emirates (U. A. E.) since 1996 to confirm the suitability of MAT for greening in arid regions. Meteorological data and subsurface data were collected of a grass-covered site to provide information on the differences in heat and moisture regimes for applications in an arid region. It was found that the grass growth rate and vegetation density were increased because of the improved moisture retentivity of the resulting from presence of the MAT. As an additional benefit, air temperature over the grass surface was found to be lower, while relative humidity was higher than for the bare soil surface.
Additional tests carried out in the city of Dubai, U. A. E. to confirmed this effect.