Sharjah-based waste management firm Bee’ah expects to expand its operations in Saudi Arabia by 2018, Khaled Eisa al-Huraimel, the firm’s CEO, tells MEED on the sidelines of the Sharjah FDI Forum on 19 September.

The firm has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to form a joint venture that will operate in the kingdom.

There are also plans to expand in Oman, among other GCC states, according to Al-Huraimel.

Earlier this year, Bee’ah formed a joint venture with Masdar to develop waste-to-energy (WTE) plants across the Middle East.

The first of such plants, which will be located in Sharjah, will have capacity to treat more than 300,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste a year and with a power generation capacity of 30MW.

The joint venture developer power purchase agreement (PPA) with state utility Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority (Sewa) was signed on 25 May.

The developer has awarded a contract to France’s CNIM to design, build and operate the new plant, which will be located within Bee’ah’s existing waste management centre in Sharjah.

The project is in line with Bee’ah’s objective to achieve zero waste in the emirate within three years.

Currently, Bee’ah recycles 70 per cent of waste produced in the emirate, with the remaining 30 per cent being treated in landfill.