Waste-to-Energy in the GCC: Where Does the Real Decarbonisation Value Lie?

Zahraa Al-Dawood is an Environmental and Waste Management Consultant at Egis. With experience in waste management advisory across the GCC region, Zahraa works on the development of waste management infrastructure, including Waste-to-Energy projects, PPPs, regulatory frameworks and environmental assessments, supporting clients in developing solutions to some of the region’s most pressing waste and environmental challenges.

Irena Relić is a Senior Waste Management and Institutional Expert at Egis UAE, with more than 20 years of experience in waste management, waste-to-energy and environmental infrastructure across Europe and the GCC. She serves as Technical Advisor on Qatar’s National Integrated Solid Waste Management Programme, a PPP programme that includes a waste-to-energy facility and a material recovery facility, supporting market sounding, PPP due diligence, tendering and bid evaluation. In Croatia, she provided technical advisory on the basic design of an integrated waste treatment complex that includes a 130,000 t/a waste-to-energy recovery facility, and worked on RDF off-take and recovery routes from MBT plants. As Chief of Cabinet to Croatia’s Minister of Environment and Energy, she coordinated the national waste management system, including 11 regional waste management centres. She also worked with the World Bank on circular economy and climate programmes. She holds a Master’s degree in Mining Engineering from the University of Zagreb.

Sameer Vhora leads the Energy practice at Egis across the MESA region. He has over 13 years of experience in energy strategy, project development, and transaction advisory across the GCC and wider MENA, including nearly four years as a Manager with a global management consulting firm. His work spans power generation, transmission and distribution, renewables, and energy storage. He brings a power-sector lens to Waste-to-Energy: grid integration, power offtake and tariff structures, and project bankability. He has advised utilities, procuring entities, and developers on market and opportunity assessment, business case and financial model development, procurement strategy and IPP/ PPP bid support.

Mehmet Volga Süren is a waste management specialist with over 25 years of international experience in waste management, environmental infrastructure, and PPP projects. His expertise covers the development and delivery of integrated waste management systems, including Waste-to-Energy (WtE) facilities, material recovery facilities (MRFs), sanitary landfills, transfer stations, composting plants, and other municipal infrastructure projects. He has advised public and private sector clients throughout the project lifecycle, from feasibility studies and business case development to procurement, implementation, and operational readiness.