Tadweer Group partners with Urbaser for Abu Dhabi’s first greenfield MRF with AI sorting technology

UAE – Tadweer Group has awarded a contract to Spanish environmental services company Urbaser to build and operate Abu Dhabi’s first greenfield Material Recovery Facility, with the 400,000-tonne plant set to process municipal and commercial waste while supporting the emirate’s 80 percent landfill diversion target by 2031.

The state-of-the-art facility, scheduled to become operational in 2028, will process 200,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste and 200,000 tonnes of commercial and industrial waste annually. 

The plant will employ automated sorting and recovery systems integrated with optical technologies and artificial intelligence to improve material separation accuracy and recovery efficiency, with recovered materials prepared for reuse or further processing at Abu Dhabi’s Waste-to-Energy facility currently under development.

AI-Driven Sorting and Five-Year JV Structure Define Landmark Project

The agreement covers both construction and operation, with Urbaser leading the construction phase and managing the facility for five years through a joint venture in which it holds a 60 percent stake, while Tadweer Group retains 40 percent. 

The contract marks Urbaser’s entry into the UAE waste treatment market, expanding its Middle East presence where it already operates in Bahrain and Oman. 

Etienne Petit, Chief Executive Officer of Tadweer Group, stated that the milestone marks a strategic step in transforming waste management at scale, with the partnership combining international operational expertise with advanced sorting and recovery technologies to support the group’s 2031 landfill diversion target.

Circular Economy Infrastructure Strengthens Abu Dhabi’s 2031 Diversion Targets

The facility strengthens Tadweer Group’s efforts to divert 80 percent of Abu Dhabi’s waste away from landfill by 2031, reducing landfill dependence while advancing the emirate’s circular economy objectives. 

The development follows Tadweer Group’s broader expansion of recovery infrastructure, including the Al Ain Material Recovery Facility upgrade designed to process 400,000 tonnes of municipal waste with operations expected to begin by early 2027. 

Rafael Guinea, Urbaser’s General Manager of Treatment, noted that the application of artificial intelligence and automated sorting technologies will optimise material recovery and ensure fuel supply to the new WtE plant, representing the first milestone of future collaborations with Tadweer to transform the region towards a circular economy.

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