Blue Phoenix in the Middle East

The Middle East is rapidly scaling up waste-to-energy (WtE) projects to cut landfill dependency and achieve ambitious sustainability goals. Countries across the GCC such as UAE are frontrunners in developing new recycling standards and aiming for zero waste to landfill. Dubai has already built the largest Waste to Energy facility in the world, and the entire Middle East region is set to embrace Waste to Energy to reduce waste to landfill. 
At Blue Phoenix, we are proud to support this transformation. With decades of global expertise, we help governments, municipalities, and industry partners set regulatory framework, define safe applications, and establish IBA processing capacity that ensures waste is not the end — but the beginning of valuable new resources. 

Our role in the Middle East

Regulatory compliance 

Blue Phoenix brings its expertise and experience from other regions into a new market to support local government with the definition of safe pathways for use of products derived from waste-to-energy residues. Blue Phoenix services combine review of existing regulations and guidelines and work with governments to provide a circular gap analysis, resulting in a set of standards and control mechanisms that assures the responsible and sustainable reuse of recovered raw materials from WtE residues, aligning with the highest environmental and safety standards. 

IBA Processing & materials recovery

Our expertise in Incinerator Bottom Ash (IBA) processing allows us to recover high-quality IBA aggregates by removal of contaminants, including the recovery of heavy metals. The recycled aggregates can replace natural resources in construction projects — from road foundations to civil engineering works — offering a safe, cost-effective, and low-carbon alternative. By extracting valuable ferrous and non-ferrous metals from the IBA, we return critical raw materials to industry, reducing reliance on virgin mining and contributing to global circularity. 
For the design of an IBA processing facility, we first look at the possible application areas of the recycled aggregates and offer dry processing and IBA washing solutions. Our in-house engineering department creates installations that are optimised for the Environmental, Civil, and Economic objectives of our clients. 

In the Middle East, where the scale of future construction and infrastructure projects is significant, our solutions are vital to building a sustainable foundation for growth. With growing populations, expanding cities, and large-scale construction projects, traditional landfilling is neither environmentally nor economically sustainable. Every tonne of waste diverted through IBA processing reduces the pressure on landfills, reduces the need for extracting virgin materials and long-distance transports, it lowers CO₂ emissions, and unlocks valuable resources that can be reintroduced into the market. This is where Blue Phoenix makes a real difference. By working closely with regulators, municipalities and investors, we help shape the framework that defines safe, effective, and sustainable uses of materials derived from incinerator bottom ash.