How would you describe the current state of Kuwait's recycling market, compared to five to ten years ago? Please comment on metals recycling specifically.

Kuwait's recycling sector has matured considerably. A decade ago, waste management was largely about collection and disposal. Today it's about recovery and value creation, and regulators, industry, and the public increasingly treat waste as a resource. The shift has been sharpest in metals. MRC has been part of that journey since 1987, and what was an informal, fragmented scrap trade is now a structured industry with proper processing infrastructure, quality standards, and export relationships with regional and international mills. We have grown our shredding and processing capacity substantially, and our ability to handle everything from heavy melting steel to non-ferrous fractions has risen with regional demand.

What are the key drivers shaping the metals recycling market in Kuwait today?

Several forces are converging. Kuwait's industrial growth in oil and gas, petrochemicals, and construction is generating more scrap than ever. New Kuwait Vision 2035 is pushing government and industry toward circular thinking. Commercially, recycled metal is cheaper and less carbon-intensive than primary metal, so demand for quality scrap keeps rising as regional mills modernize. And multinational partners and financiers increasingly expect companies to demonstrate responsible waste management.

How is MRC staying ahead of the curve in Kuwait's metals sector?

Since taking this role in 2009, my focus has been turning MRC from a commodity scrap trader into an integrated eco-industrial group. The clearest expression is the Mina Abdallah Eco-Industrial Park, the first of its kind in Kuwait. Spanning 550,000 square meters, it combines metals processing, plastics conversion, and industrial fabrication with centralized waste treatment and closed-loop waste-to-energy systems. We've also standardized project delivery through a five-phase methodology and digitized operations with the Transfora automation platform. Together with our ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001 certifications, that mix of infrastructure and discipline lets us grow with the market rather than behind it.

How do you see demand for HMS 1&2, shredded steel, and non-ferrous metals evolving regionally?

We expect steady, structural growth in both streams. HMS 1&2 and shredded steel remain the backbone of regional mill feedstock, and as more Gulf mills invest in electric arc furnace capacity, which relies heavily on scrap, demand should keep climbing. Our shredding plant processes an average of 8,000 tonnes a month, conforming to ISRI codes 210 and 212, and our 700-tonne shear and baler handles difficult material like rebar and heavy demolition scrap. On the non-ferrous side, interest in aluminium and copper is particularly strong, driven by regional manufacturing growth and the global premium on lower-carbon aluminium. Our UBC baling line reflects our view that non-ferrous is becoming a core part of the mix, not a byproduct of ferrous processing.

What are the biggest challenges facing metals recycling in Kuwait today?

Mainly collection infrastructure and market economics. Kuwait doesn't yet have the formalized collection systems of more mature markets, so a meaningful share of recoverable scrap never reaches the formal supply chain efficiently. That's an opportunity as much as a challenge, since there's real headroom to improve collection rates. Scrap pricing is also tied to volatile global commodity markets, which makes long-term investment planning harder. Regulation is moving in the right direction, but consistent enforcement and clearer incentives would accelerate private investment.

How can better policy alignment or incentives unlock higher recycling rates and investment?

I would point to three priorities. First, streamlined permitting for recycling facilities, because lengthy approval cycles discourage investment in a fast-moving industry. Second, incentives that reward formal, certified recyclers over informal scrap trading, improving both safety and material quality. Third, closer public-private collaboration on collection infrastructure, since municipalities and private operators each hold pieces of the puzzle. We've seen the value of this through our work with the Ministry of Health and KNPC, and that model can be extended.

Where can MRC expand its footprint, and how will it enhance Kuwait's recycling infrastructure?

The clearest opportunity is one we're already building: the Mina Abdallah Eco-Industrial Park, which consolidates multiple manufacturing and environmental services into a single sustainable hub. Alongside it, we've been instrumental in advancing a spent catalyst metal reclamation facility, awarded by KNPC. It will use a zero-waste hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical process to reclaim vanadium, molybdenum, and zinc domestically. Spent catalysts from refining are hazardous to ship internationally, so local capacity lets us recover valuable metals, cut the carbon footprint of exporting hazardous waste, and keep that value in Kuwait's economy. Through projects like these, we're shifting from commodity vendor to long-term strategic infrastructure partner for Kuwait's industrial base.

How will the EU's CBAM play out for Kuwait and its metals recycling sector?

CBAM signals that carbon intensity is becoming a genuine trade variable, not just a compliance checkbox, and over time that favors recyclers. Recycled metal has a materially lower carbon footprint than primary production, so well-documented, lower-carbon scrap and processed metal from operators like MRC should become more attractive to global buyers. The near-term challenge is making sure Kuwaiti producers and exporters have the data and certification infrastructure to prove it, because CBAM rewards documented performance, not just genuine improvement. The wider industry, ourselves included, should invest more deliberately there.

How important is local metal recycling in reducing reliance on imports and insulating the market from price volatility?

It's fundamental. Every tonne of scrap processed domestically is a tonne of raw material Kuwait's industries don't need to import, with real implications for cost and supply security. Global metal markets can swing on geopolitical and macroeconomic events outside our control, and a strong domestic recycling base gives local manufacturers a buffer. It also supports economic diversification by building a resilient, circular materials economy that reduces dependence on any single external supply chain.

What is MRC's long-term vision for scaling its impact in Kuwait and the region?

Our vision is to be the cornerstone of Kuwait's sustainable future, a Kuwait where waste is never wasted. The Mina Abdallah Eco-Industrial Park is that vision taking physical shape. But scaling impact isn't only about infrastructure. It's also about how we operate. We have digitized the business, from Transfora for process automation to our Digital Paper Reduction Initiative, which uses Oracle APEX to move invoicing, inventory, and waste collection records online and eliminates roughly 80,000 printed pages a year. That discipline extends to our people, with every operational team member trained in PPE and safe handling under our ISO 45001 certification. Longer term, I'd like MRC to be recognized not just as Kuwait's largest recycler, but as a regional model for an integrated, technically sophisticated, and genuinely circular waste management company.