ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA AND AGMC HONOUR WORLD BEE DAY WITH ‘THE APIARY’ INITIATIVE

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Middle East & Africa and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai (AGMC) launch new Rolls-Royce Apiary initiative in Dubai 
• The Apiary comprising six beehives specially built to withstand Dubai’s climate, each containing about 60,000 honeybees 
• Launched to mark World Bee Day on 20^th May 2021
• Project replicates and extends vital conservation and awareness work of the original Goodwood Apiary, established at the Home of Rolls-Royce in 2017

“Together with our partner, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai (AGMC), we are delighted to introduce our new Apiary – an initiative close to the hearts of everyone in the Rolls-Royce family. Translating the amazing work done over the past four years at the Home of Rolls-Royce to our region is the perfect way to mark World Bee Day. We are committed to continuously raising awareness of the real, present threats facing all types of bees, on whom we all depend to produce much of our food, and safeguard and enhance the biodiversity of our planet.

"We would like to thank the Beekeepers Foundation in Dubai for their invaluable supervision and support, and a special thank you to Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority for supplying the six ‘Emirati Queen’ bees who will be at the heart of our new population.”

César Habib, Regional Director Middle East & Africa, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Middle East & Africa and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai (AGMC) have announced the launch of ‘The Rolls-Royce Apiary’ in Dubai to mark World Bee Day, 20^th May 2021.

The project is modelled on the highly successful Apiary established at the Home of Rolls‑Royce at Goodwood in 2017. The Apiary comprises six beehives, made from cedar and painted white to withstand Dubai’s high temperatures and humidity levels. Five of the beehives are named after current Rolls-Royce models – ‘Phantom’, ‘Wraith’, ‘Ghost’, ‘Dawn’ and ‘Cullinan’ – while the sixth, ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’, celebrates the marque’s illustrious mascot.

Each hive is home to some 60,000 honeybees, headed by an ‘Emirati Queen’ bee provided by the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) and carefully tended by experts from The Beekeepers Foundation, UAE.

The ADAFSA Honeybee R&D Programme seeks to improve the management and sustainability of honeybees in the UAE. Its ‘Emirati Bee’ breeding programme has produced a line of honeybees, developed from the indigenous Apis mellifera jemenitica bee, that is perfectly adapted to the harsh local environment.

The launch has been timed to coincide with World Bee Day on 20^th May 2021. This United Nations initiative aims to strengthen measures to protect bees, which are vital pollinators for almost 90% of the world’s wild flowering plants and more than 75% of global food crops. Bees are under significant threat worldwide from intensive and monocultural farming practices, land‑use change, habitat loss, pesticides and rising temperatures linked to climate change.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has been actively involved in helping to safeguard these essential, remarkable and highly vulnerable creatures since 2017.

Ayhan Olcer, CEO, Arabian Gulf Mechanical Centre (AGMC), said, “At AGMC, we are committed to enhancing our community and protecting our ecosystem. We are delighted to welcome this initiative to Dubai and continue our efforts to promote sustainability in our business practices."

Mr. Habib added: “With the Rolls-Royce Apiary, we will create a ‘buzz’ of activity in support of bee conservation. Our Rolls-Royce bees and their Emirati Queens illustrate our commitment and contribution to maintaining the UAE’s vital bee population. This project is about highlighting the importance and heritage of the bees in the region and raising public awareness about the role of these exceptional insects in our lives.”