More than 100 business leaders will make keynote presentations, participate in panel debates or moderate round table sessions at an upcoming summit on recycling industries and waste management in Dubai.

Supported by Dubai Municipality, the second edition of Middle East Waste Summit will take place at The Palladium in Dubai Media City May 18 to 20.

“Dubai today creates more than 10,000 tonnes of general waste a day, one of the highest quantities in the region,” said Salah Amiri, assistant director general for public health and environmental services sector of Dubai Municipality.

“Sustainability is at the heart of future development and this event will bring best practices and leaders under one roof to support Dubai’s leadership vision,” he added.

“Recycling can make good environmental and economic sense given the right conditions. But there are other options like landfill and incineration which must and will be studied to ensure we are applying the best solution suitable to our country,” Amiri continued.

“We hope that participants during the summit will not only help in finding the right solutions through exchange of knowledge, but also contribute to the future success of Dubai by ensuring a more sustainable environment.”

Rapid urbanisation, high population growth rates, diversified cultures, floating populations and high consumption have brought about significant waste management challenges to many cities in the GCC region – these countries now collectively produce more than 120 million tonnes of waste every year, a statement said.

The Middle East Waste Summit will call on the international community to recognise their responsibilities and emphasize the importance of protecting the environment for future generations.

Chris Fountain, managing director of Turret Middle East, organiser of the event, said: “Through an international exhibition, keynote conference sessions and round table debates, municipalities from across the region are being brought face-to-face with thousands of waste management experts and environmental organisations to share strategies, explore best practice and develop partnerships.”

The conference will tackle topics such as waste avoidance and resource management; policy, regulation and enforcement; waste to energy; strategies for municipal waste and recycling; the role of landfill; waste procurement strategies; managing industrial and construction waste, the statement added. – TradeArabia News Service