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Soils in arid regions are not favourable for agricultural purposes because of intrinsic characteristics; mainly low water retention and poor fertility. We report initial results from on an on-going study into the effects biochar application on characteristics of a soil typically found in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Biochar was produced from fronds of date palm by carbonization at 400 degrees C in an oven and applied at 0, 10, 50 or 100 g kg(-1) soil. Treatment with biochar increased soil water retention up to 20%, increased Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) slightly from 2.5 up to 6.7 meq 100g(-1) and lowered the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) of soil to below sodic levels (<13). Biochar application at 50 g kg(-1) soil appears to be the rate at which changes in soil quality become apparent. The data presented indicate that treatment of soil with biochar induces changes in soil that are favorable but long term studies are required to monitor the longevity of these effects. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.