At IFAT Saudi Arabia, ISWA organised and contributed to three expert-led sessions that addressed the evolving role of waste and resource management in the MENA region. Together, the sessions explored how policy, technology, and regional cooperation are shaping more resilient and circular waste management systems. The programme included participation and contributions from ISWA President James Law, Board Member Rafael Sanjurjo, past president Antonis Mavropoulos as well as National Member representatives from MWAN (Saudi Arabia) and Be’ah (Oman). They were joined on the stage and supported by the GS including Aditi Ramola and Jose Uribe making this quite an ISWA gathering. This was the largest inaugural IFAT exhibition with 4 halls filled with exhibitors and over 20,000 pre-registrations for the event. The great success of the exhibition is a testament to the growing commitment within the Gulf region for developing waste management as part of their future plans for sustainability, resilience and security.
Fireside Chat: Emerging Technologies for Waste and Resource Management Transformation
The ISWA fireside chat between Jose Uribe and Antonis Mavropoulos framed waste management as a sector that has gone through several transformations. The latest incarnation of the industry is now becoming a strategic economic function that is increasingly linked to resource security, climate objectives, and long-term resilience. During the chat they also reflected on the persistent gap between investment and environmental outcomes, highlighting the challenge of achieving real decoupling between economic growth and waste-related impacts which seems to still elude us – Decoupling, Decontamination and Defossilisation (the Three D’s) will remain the biggest challenges in the foreseeable future.
The discussion then further examined how digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and advanced treatment technologies are reshaping the waste management sector. A clear distinction was made between digitalisation, which improves efficiency within existing systems, and artificial intelligence, which has the potential to fundamentally change how waste management systems are designed and governed, but bring fresh new challenges in the way we govern data use it to create information for decisions that affect systems that are not always easy to capture in numbers.
The session concluded that technological progress must be accompanied by a shift in mindset, with greater focus on systemic thinking and integration of waste management into the wider economic and industrial value chains as partner rather than a clean up service.
Panel Discussion: Launch of the World Bank Report on Solid Waste Management in MENA
In collaboration with the World Bank, ISWA hosted the launch of a new World Bank report on solid waste management in the MENA region. The session presented key findings and policy recommendations from the new flagship report, and positioned the analysis as a critical resource for policymakers, investors, and practitioners working to strengthen waste systems and advance circular economy solutions across MENA.
Panellists underscored the urgency of the issue: the region generates more waste per person than the global average, with over 155 million tonnes of waste produced annually and volumes projected to nearly double by 2050 if current trends continue. Mismanaged waste already causes an estimated US $7.2 billion in environmental damage each year, undermining public health, biodiversity, and the economic potential of sectors such as tourism, which relies on clean and resilient environments. The speakers also emphasised the report’s call for tailored strategies across diverse country contexts. Priority actions include increasing financing through user fees, public-private partnerships, and extended producer responsibility; reducing food and packaging waste through policy and behavioural interventions; and strengthening data systems and institutional coordination between national and municipal stakeholders.
The panel discussion underlined the importance of integrated planning, reliable data, and policy certainty to attract long-term investment and deliver environmental and social benefits. Improving waste management was framed not only as an environmental priority, but also as an opportunity to support economic development, job creation, and climate mitigation.
The full report “Waste Management in the Middle East and North Africa” from the World Bank can be downloaded here.
Regional Outlook Panel Session: Developments and Innovations in the Gulf Region
The Regional Outlook Session focused on recent advances in waste and resource management across the Gulf region and the conditions needed to scale innovation. Key developments of the past five years were highlighted such as stronger policy frameworks, growing investment, and increased attention to circular economy.
The panellists, including representatives from the regional chapter members from Oman (Essam al-Sharji | Be’ah), Saudi Arabia (Adah Alfayez | MWAN) and UAE (Rafael Sanjurjo | Beeah) highlighted a clear shift in how waste is perceived and managed. Over the past decade, and particularly in the last five years, waste has increasingly been recognised as a resource rather than a burden. This change in perception has been accompanied by stronger legislation, clearer policy direction, and the integration of waste management into national decarbonisation and climate strategies. Diversion from landfill was repeatedly framed not only as an environmental objective, but as a climate imperative, given the significant greenhouse gas emissions associated with landfilling in the region.
From a material perspective, construction and demolition waste and municipal solid waste, particularly food waste, were identified as priority streams offering the most immediate opportunities. Rapid urbanisation and large-scale infrastructure projects have increased construction waste volumes, while food waste remains a major challenge across the region. Speakers highlighted active regulatory efforts to mandate minimum reuse and recycling rates for construction materials and the growing role of composting, using both open and enclosed systems, to manage organic waste more effectively.
Waste-to-energy was discussed in detail as part of an integrated waste management system. Panellists stressed that waste-to-energy is not a substitute for recycling or circularity, but a complementary solution for residual waste that cannot be recycled or treated through other means. When aligned with the waste hierarchy and supported by strong source separation and recycling infrastructure, waste-to-energy can play a critical role in landfill diversion, emissions reduction, and energy generation. Practical examples from the region demonstrated how this approach has contributed to high diversion rates while maintaining a strong focus on recycling and material recovery.
The session also addressed the challenge of scaling innovation. While pilot projects are increasingly common, moving from pilots to full-scale implementation remains difficult. Speakers emphasised the importance of predictable regulation, reliable data, and outcome-based regulatory frameworks to reduce risk for investors and technology providers. Regulatory sandboxes were highlighted as a promising tool to safely test new technologies, digital solutions, and business models while informing future regulation. Standardised data collection and disclosure were identified as essential to support investment decisions, respond to increasing ESG requirements, and build confidence in emerging solutions.
Overall, the Regional Outlook Session underscored that the Gulf region is becoming a catalyst for change in waste and resource management. Progress to date reflects a combination of political commitment, regulatory reform, technological innovation, and growing recognition of waste management as a core component of sustainable development and climate action.
Facility Visits
With the kind support from MWAN our delegation was also able to visit some of the local facilities demonstrating the current state of waste management and sustainable production in Riyadh. At the steelcase production plan we saw first hand how operational practices can be linked to circular economy and waste minimization, with a focus on how automated production monitoring supports efficiency, material control, and improved compliance across the production process. Of course any left over waste materials are then carefully separated and prepared for transport for treatment and recycling. At the Aljomaih Can Manufacturing Plant we got to see their advanced sustainable manufacturing practices and waste reduction in metal packaging production, including energy efficiency measures and on-site solar panel utilization as part of the facility’s environmental performance and resource optimization approach. At the very impressive Obeikan facility we saw the circular economy in action within the paper sector, with new paper based packaging being produced almost solely out of recycled materials, but also optmisations in the systems for produtcion and processing operations.
The experience at IFAT Saudi Arabia 2026 was unforgettable. From ISWA we are very much looking forward to seeing how this dynamic region will continue to develop and transform their economies and waste managment sectors into sustainable materials management models that fit their specific contexts. Perhapsat the next IFAT Saudi Arabia in 2027?
