Tadweer Group’s 400,000T Al Ain recycling facility targets 60% waste diversion with 20-year infrastructure investment

UAE – Tadweer Group has awarded a contract to Bou Chalhoub Metrix General Contracting to upgrade Al Ain’s material recovery facility to process 400,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, targeting 60 percent waste diversion from landfill and supporting Abu Dhabi’s 80 percent diversion goal by 2031.

The facility, built for a 20-year operational lifespan, will serve as a primary waste recovery destination for communities across Al Ain and surrounding areas. 

Bou Chalhoub Metrix General Contracting will deliver all civil, mechanical and electrical works, from design and construction through to commissioning and performance verification. Commissioning is targeted for late 2026, with operations expected to begin by early 2027.

The upgraded facility will incorporate advanced mechanical sorting technologies to maximize extraction of recyclables including paper, cardboard, plastics, metals and other recyclable fractions. 

How Advanced Mechanical Sorting and 20-Year Infrastructure Support Abu Dhabi’s 80% Diversion Target

The facility will divert approximately 60 percent of Al Ain’s municipal solid waste from landfill annually, directly supporting Abu Dhabi’s mandate to achieve 80 percent waste diversion from landfill by 2031. 

Etienne Petit, Chief Executive Officer of Tadweer Group, stated that Al Ain is Abu Dhabi’s second largest city in population and a critical node in the emirate’s waste management network, and ensuring its resources are recovered at scale is as central to Abu Dhabi’s 2031 diversion targets. 

He added that every facility built moves Abu Dhabi further from landfill dependency and closer to a fully operational circular economy. 

The project forms part of Tadweer Group’s broader strategy to expand waste recovery infrastructure across the emirate and accelerate the transition from traditional waste management practices to a resource management model.

What the 400,000-Tonne Recovery Hub Means for Abu Dhabi’s Circular Economy Transition

The Al Ain Material Recovery Facility is a strategic addition to Tadweer Group’s growing network of recovery infrastructure, designed to support Abu Dhabi’s transition from waste management to resource management. 

Tadweer Group currently manages 8.864 million tonnes of waste annually, with an overall diversion rate of 34 percent, aiming to reach 80 percent waste diversion and 38 percent recycling by 2031. 

The group is also developing a waste-to-energy facility expected to process 900,000 tonnes annually and generate 80 MW of clean energy starting in 2027. 

By increasing material recovery capacity in one of the emirate’s most important urban centres, the project is designed to deliver Abu Dhabi’s 2031 landfill diversion target, advance the UAE’s circular economy agenda and strengthen local and regional supply chains for recovered materials. 

The investment will create jobs during both the construction and operational phases while supporting the development of specialists in modern waste recycling technologies.

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