In 2007, BEEAH was born out of the need to address local environmental concerns, beginning with waste management. Formed as a public-private partnership in Sharjah, UAE, the organisation extensively operated in the waste management sector, developing solutions for landfill diversion and city cleaning operations.
Today, BEEAH has grown into a regional leader in end-to-end waste management and is pioneering sustainability and innovation across five focus areas: environment, energy, technology, healthcare, and real estate.
BEEAH’s Zero-Waste Journey For A Net-Zero Future
Since its inception, the organisation has been meticulously laying down the foundation for a true circular economy. In Sharjah alone, BEEAH has achieved a landmark 93 per cent waste diversion rate—one of the highest among the world’s cities. From implementing zero-waste strategies to unlocking new pathways in waste-to-energy, the sustainability expert is actively drawing a blueprint for the cities of the future.
Under the focus area of environment, BEEAH’s waste collection and city cleaning service integrates advanced technologies to optimise its fleet. These include bins tagged with RFID (radio frequency identification) technology to maximise pickups per trip, a route optimisation platform to conserve resources, and artificial intelligence cameras to enhance on-ground visibility. Recycling is carried out in its specialised Waste Management Complex, which houses over ten state-of-the-art facilities. It processes virtually all types of waste, from recovering recyclable plastics from Municipal Solid Waste to recovering valuable material from commercial and industrial waste for introduction into the circular economy. For hard-to-recycle waste, BEEAH’s innovations are centred on producing alternative fuels and products, effectively reducing dependency on landfills.
Leveraging nearly two decades of expertise in sustainability, BEEAH also empowers government and corporate entities to have a similar positive impact, from ecological surveys and environmental studies to consulting on short and long-term operational safety and sustainability.
BEEAH’s vision for zero waste goes beyond the borders of the UAE as it continues to expand operations and forge strategic partnerships across the MENA region. In 2020, BEEAH received its first international contract from the city of Madinah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The organisation serves the city’s millions of residents and visitors through a comprehensive waste management system implemented in support of Saudi Vision 2030. Similarly, BEEAH has partnered with the Administrative Capital for Urban Development to facilitate waste management and city cleaning services in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital, with the ambitious goal of diverting 80 per cent of the waste from landfills in line with Egypt Vision 2030.
Diversification Into Future-Critical Sectors
As a sustainability and innovation pioneer, the organisation has been building on its core expertise in waste management to pursue holistic, long-term answers to some of the most pressing challenges facing societies. This all-encompassing approach to sustainability is the driving force behind its expansion into the critical sectors of energy, technology, healthcare, and real estate.
Pioneering Waste-To-Energy Solutions
BEEAH has been championing green alternatives through keystone projects in the energy sector. Under its joint venture, the Emirates Waste to Energy company, it built the region’s first commercial-scale waste-to-energy plant. The Sharjah Waste to Energy facility generates 30 megawatts of low-carbon electricity from hard-to-recycle waste, enough to power nearly 30,000 homes. Building on its current successes, the facility is expanding its waste processing and power generation capabilities to double the plant’s annual output to nearly 60 megawatts.
In parallel, BEEAH is also exploring innovations in hydrogen-from-waste and solar energy solutions. For instance, the organisation is developing the region’s first commercial-scale Hydrogen from Waste facility, which will process municipal solid waste into readily available fuel cell-grade hydrogen, which could be used for industrial applications as well as hydrogen vehicles.
These groundbreaking initiatives are in direct pursuit of the organisation’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions within its operations by 2040, aligning with the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategy. By driving circularity, BEEAH is reducing emissions associated with landfills and the production of virgin materials. In the future, it intends to successfully replicate its waste-to-energy projects in more cities, spurring the shift to net zero in the UAE and the world.
Disrupting Industries With Emerging Technologies
When it comes to technology, BEEAH is driving digital transformation through several key ventures. EVOTEQ is a track-and-trace venture that is facilitating supply chain integrity across critical industries, from combating counterfeits in pharmaceuticals to ensuring the security of high-value commodities.
Other innovative ventures include re.life, introducing disruptive platforms such as re.life market for the online trade of recyclables, and re.life collect to transform the logistics and moving industry. ION is a joint venture with Crescent Enterprises that is transforming the green mobility sector, launching a platform for the end-to-end deployment, maintenance, ownership, and use of EV chargers across the UAE.
BEEAH is also building Sharjah’s first Tier 3 data centre through its joint venture with Khazna Data Centres and in collaboration with the Sharjah Communications and Telecommunications Authority. In addition to enhancing the emirate’s digital infrastructure and safeguarding business operations, the data centre will achieve groundbreaking standards for sustainability, minimising resource consumption, and prioritising the use of clean energy.
Improving Lives With Future-Ready Healthcare
In the healthcare industry, BEEAH is developing the Jawaher Boston Medical District in partnership with renowned medical institutions from Boston, United States. Envisioned as a hospital of the future in Sharjah, the ambitious project will enhance patient recovery through world-class medical care and sustainable design rooted in nature by the award-winning architectural firm Renzo Piano Building Workshop. The 266-bed hospital is set to offer a wide range of medical specialities, including lifestyle medicine and prevention, oncology, women’s health and paediatrics, cardiovascular and neurosciences, behavioural health, and rehabilitation medicine.
This ambitious project is driven by BEEAH’s long-term focus on elevating the quality of life and its historical efforts to support the healthcare industry. For example, BEEAH’s venture Wekaya delivers innovative circular solutions for medical waste management, while traqpharma, a technology built by its digital venture EVOTEQ, fosters pharmaceutical supply chain integrity from warehouse to consumer across the UAE.
Shaping Resilient Urban Environments
Under the real estate focus area, the organisation’s flagship LEED Platinum-certified BEEAH Headquarters is a testament to its efforts to set a new benchmark for smart, green architecture. Designed by the world-renowned Zaha Hadid Architects, the headquarters is powered mainly by renewable energy and is the region’s first fully AI-integrated building, offering a model for the offices of the future.
Drawing from the legacy of BEEAH Headquarters, the organisation’s real estate focus area delivers end-to-end development and management solutions that promote sustainable infrastructure. The Sharjah Government has appointed BEEAH as the strategic lead and project manager of the Sharjah Creative Quarter, a highly anticipated cultural centre in the emirate.
More recently, the organisation announced its expansion into real estate development with Khalid Bin Sultan City, a climate-smart sustainable city of the future located in Sharjah. Developed by BEEAH and master-planned by Zaha Hadid Architects, the city will embed sustainability in every aspect of design and operation, from seamlessly integrating net-zero-ready infrastructure to harnessing renewable energy sources. Grounded in four core pillars of sustainability, smart technology, culture, and people-first design, the mixed-use development envisions lush greenery, walkable neighbourhoods, and wide, open spaces, complemented by vibrant cultural venues that will foster engagement, community-building, and belonging in residents and visitors alike.
Elsewhere, BEEAH continues to ensure that this carefully woven environmental legacy is carried forward by generations to come. Through education initiatives and international reward programmes, such as the Future Pioneers Award, BEEAH is empowering the next generation of changemakers to meet the world’s unique challenges while encouraging a culture of environmental responsibility and innovation in young minds.
From shaping a zero-waste future for businesses, cities, and economies to elevating the quality of life for all people, BEEAH unites individuals and communities with a shared purpose to build a resilient, sustainable tomorrow for all.