Performance and top achievements of 2021

In 2020, Veolia Middle East generated a turnover of USD580 million and maintains a workforce of over 4,000 employees across the UAE, KSA, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.

“In order to further our overarching goal of supporting ecological transformation in the region, we have signed several contracts with leading organisations to provide our sustainable solutions and services – including sustainable waste management – across a larger number of areas and people,” said Sébastien Chauvin, CEO, Veolia Middle East.

This year, the company signed an alliance with Saudi Aramco to partner for the treatment of industrial waste in the Kingdom.

Moreover, Veolia is paving the way for sustainable industrial growth in the Kingdom by treating industrial wastewater for the petrochemical industry in Jubail in Saudi Arabia, said Chauvin. In partnership with the Royal Commission of Jubail and Yanbu, they are developing one of the largest hazardous waste incineration lines, called Tahwil, that will treat industrial waste streams from the Plaschem Park.

Designed on a Design-Build-Own-Operate model, the plant will be operational in 2022. It will feature an incineration capacity of 60,000 tonnes per year, along with state-of-the-art technology and environmental compliance, based on the company’s extensive international experience as a resource management specialist.

This project is one of many that Veolia is working on around the Middle East. In the UAE, they have partnered with Dubai Municipality on a plant that treats wastewater that is polluted by industrial wastewater, oils, heavy metals, and acidic and alkaline waste. The plant has a daily capacity to treat 600 cu/m of hazardous fluids, a volume equivalent to 8,000 full household bathtubs.

“Thanks to our innovative approach, we can also tackle highly specialised challenges, such as those posed by low-radioactive materials. In Kuwait, we were awarded the contract to build and operate a low-level radioactive waste storage and treatment plant. Under the agreement, we will also be responsible for detecting and monitoring radioactivity in the drilling facilities, as well as for transporting, confining and storing the waste prior to decontamination,” noted Chauvin.

Veolia also launched several educational initiatives this year in order to raise environmental awareness among members of society. RECAPP – the door-to-door recycling service launched by the company in Abu Dhabi – signed a memorandum of understanding with the Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination aiming to support environmental awareness programmes for people of determination, and joint work to care for and preserve the environment for the safety of society. In 2021, Veolia Middle East also hosted knowledge sessions in Dubai about ecological transformation and the circular economy; hosted students from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman at the 2021 Veolia Summer School; and held the region’s first PlankThon Challenge (ecological hackathon) in partnership with the Tara Ocean Foundation.

The biggest highlight of this year

In November, Veolia Middle East marked the first anniversary of the launch of RECAPP, the UAE’s first free-of-charge door-to-door recycling service, said Chauvin. Since its launch in November 2020, RECAPP has built a community of 10,000 registered users and collected 85 tonnes of recyclables, including transparent and opaque plastic bottles and metal cans. On average, 500 kg of recyclables have been collected every day through the app, with an average of 130 collections conducted per day. “RECAPP is helping to build the local circular economy by supporting residents as they strive to live less wasteful lifestyles, as well as by collaborating with innovative local businesses that provide eco-friendly products,” he stated.

What makes you a leading service provider?      

“When it comes to managing utilities and resources, Veolia is the only company in the Middle East that works across the whole spectrum of environmental services – a unique offering that we are proud of being able to provide. For 40 years, Veolia Middle East has supported the public sector and industry to meet their biggest challenges in terms of resource efficiency, growth, compliance, workforce safety and digitisation. As the benchmark company for ecological transformation, we are committed to delivering innovative, cost-effective and sustainable solutions to our clients,” said Chauvin.

“Veolia’s promise is that “We Are Resourcers” and our mission is to enhance the performance of our clients whilst contributing to “Resourcing the World.” To make the switch from a resource consumption rationale to a use-and-recover approach in today’s circular economy, Veolia designs and implements solutions aimed at improving access to resources while at the same time protecting and renewing those same resources,” he remarked.

In 2020, the Veolia group supplied 95 million people with drinking water and 62 million people with wastewater service, produced nearly 43 million megawatt hours of energy and treated 47 million metric tonnes of waste.

Strategy for 2022

Their strategy for 2022 is in line with their goals of supporting  ecological transformation and helping to build a circular economy in the region, said Chauvin. In 2022, the company will continue investing in cutting-edge technologies in order to create innovative solutions to develop access to resources, preserve and replenish them. “We will also continue to build strategic partnerships with leading industrial organisations in the region, as well as strengthening our relationships with existing partners, to further bolster our position as a leader in the market. Additionally, we will persist with our efforts to build awareness for sustainability and environmental issues within communities, particularly through the RECAPP app, which will soon be made available to residents in Dubai,” he concluded.