SAUDI ARABIA – The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has signed a contract worth 30 million Saudi riyals (US$8M) with Saudi-based waste management company Reviva for a recycling waste complex in Jeddah.
The project will cover an area of 10,000 square meters.
The agreement was signed by Mawani’s President, Omar bin Talal Hariri, and the CEO of the Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC), Engineer Ziad bin Mohammed al-Shiha, in the presence of other officials.
Mawani stated that this initiative is part of its efforts to promote environmental sustainability, ensure marine safety, and develop a sustainable maritime sector.
“This initiative aligns with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy and the Green Ports Initiative, aiming to boost Saudi Arabia’s position as a global logistics center and a hub connecting three continents,” the authority added.
The new plant will enhance waste utilization by converting it into valuable resources, promoting a thriving circular economy in the kingdom.
It will offer comprehensive waste management and recycling solutions, industrial maintenance services, by-product recycling, and transportation services, which will minimize waste generation and improve waste management operations while preserving the environment.
The collaboration between Mawani and Reviva is expected to boost the kingdom’s waste management efforts as part of Saudi Vision 2030 and increase the private sector’s role in supporting economic growth.
Additionally, Mawani said the initiative aims to position Jeddah Islamic Port among the top ten ports globally.
Aston University to help Saudi Arabia turn waste into energy
In related news, Aston University researchers have revealed plans to help turn waste into energy to power new cities in the desert.
The University has started talks with experts from Saudi Arabia, including those building two sustainable cities in the desert, NEOM and The Line.
Aston University and its Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI) will collaborate with Saudi experts to explore how waste products can be converted into vital energy.
The scientists and engineers aim to create technology that converts discarded matter into energy and other innovations, such as using date palm waste to transform desert sand to retain water and grow crops.
Aston University hosted a two-day conference in March to discuss the development and application of this technology.
The event is a key element of the UK-KSA Waste2Energy project, supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office under the Gulf Strategy Fund (GSF) program. It is led by Dr. Muhammad Imran, a mechanical, biomedical, and design engineering lecturer.
More than 70 delegates attended the conference, including representatives from King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), King AbdulAziz University, The National Research and Development Center for Sustainable Agriculture, and the Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC).
Professor Patricia Thornley, director of EBRI, said, “The delegation chose to collaborate with and visit EBRI because we have common research goals but some complementary facilities and skills. We are looking forward to working together to develop some of the shared priorities we have identified.”
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