Sharjah-based environmental management company Beeah is bullish about growth as it continues to expand across the region with new projects.
The company, which is owned equally by the government of Sharjah and by private investors, has registered strong growth in its business over the past five years, group chief executive Khaled Al Huraimel told The National in an interview in Abu Dhabi.
“Our growth in the last five years has been double-digit growth every year and we are still growing [at that rate],” Mr Al Huraimel said.
Companies such as Beeah are expected to benefit from the UAE's strategy to treat waste sustainably.
The Gulf country aims to treat 75 per cent of solid municipal waste by 2025 and 85 per cent by 2035, as well as reduce solid municipal waste generation to 1.4 kilograms per person a day by 2025, according to figures provided by the organisers of the Ecowaste forum at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
Beeah, which is active in the waste management, energy, healthcare and technology sectors in the UAE, is also charting an expansion in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
“In Saudi, we entered Madinah and in Egypt, we have won a 15-year contract for the new administrative capital in waste management,” he said.
“We will continue growing in these two countries but we [are] also exploring geographic expansion elsewhere. But the focus in the short term will be these two countries because they are the biggest two markets in our region and we already have a presence.”
Earlier this month, Beeah unified its operations across the region to become an international holding group with various business verticals and a new brand identity.
Beeah Group is now the parent company to several key businesses, including waste collection and city cleaning services unit Bee’ah Tandeef, waste processing and materials recovery subsidiary Beeah Recycling and clean and renewable power division Beeah Energy.
It also owns consulting, research and innovation business Beeah Environment Services, future technology and digital ventures unit Beeah Digital and Beeah Transport, which is into green mobility and self-driving transport.
In the UAE, the company will commission its waste-to-energy plant in the coming months. The plant will process 300,000 tonnes of waste every year to produce 30 megawatts of power, Mr Al Huraimal said.
The project, which is being developed in partnership with Abu Dhabi’s Masdar, will “help us reach zero waste in the emirate. We also have [a] waste-to-hydrogen plant, which is [at] the development stage and construction will start next year”, he said.
The waste-to-hydrogen plant is being built in partnership with UK-based Chinook Sciences and is expected to cater to the green version of the alternative fuel in the region.
The development of the green hydrogen plant comes at a time when the UAE is planning to capture a quarter of the global hydrogen market. Hydrogen is touted for its importance to the energy transition campaign.
“We are now exploring waste to energy projects across the region. There are a lot of opportunities and we are competing for new projects,” Mr Al Huraimel said.
The strategy of the company “fits in” with the UAE's goal to become carbon neutral by 2050 by developing more renewable energy projects, he said.
The UAE plans to invest $160 billion over the next three decades to hasten the development of its renewable energy sector and reduce emissions.
The company is also building a hospital in Sharjah in partnership with a Boston-based consortium as it continues to diversify its business.
“We will have a much stronger presence regionally in all our verticals. Only in 10 years, we were able to grow to become leaders in waste management and we see that growth continuing.”
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
