WASTE NOT WANT NOT
Be'ah is committing the Sultanate to a sustainable future, one plastic bottle at a time.
BIOGRAPHY
Tariq Ali Al-Amri became CEO of be'ah in 2011, bringing more than 26 years of experience spanning over many industries. He started his career as a project engineer working for Petroleum Development of Oman (PDO) and later joined a government pension fund as head of investment. He then moved to Oman LNG as head of strategic finance, where he was responsible for the economics of Qalhat LNG project. In 2004, he joined Omantel as head of finance before he was assigned the role of vice president responsible for the commercial, finance, HR, and corporate affairs. Al-Amri holds an MBA and BSc in electrical engineering, both from the US.
How has your strategy to expand and cover the whole country evolved over the last year, and what have been the major highlights?
We have come a long way since we embarked on our journey to provide sustainable waste management practices in the country. We have closed down over 300 traditional dumpsites across the Sultanate. Our strategy for developing municipal solid waste (MSW) involved setting up the required infrastructure of engineered landfills and transfer stations in all governorates and outsourcing 10 service contracts to cover the collection and disposal of municipal waste across the country. We have established 10 engineered landfills and 14 transfer stations so far and all are operational. For healthcare waste, we are using a network of three healthcare waste treatment facilities treating waste generated from all governmental and private hospitals and clinics. We are also handling industrial hazardous waste at our established facilities in North Al Batinah and in Duqm. These facilities are part of our integrated hazardous waste treatment facilities. The second phase of this project will witness the establishment of an incineration unit, a physical and chemical treatment unit, and a solidification unit. The completion of the integrated hazardous waste treatment facilities shall bring a sustainable solution for the treatment of industrial hazardous waste and provide the required support for our industrial sector. In reference to our strategic goal of reducing the amount of waste disposed at landfills, our diversion strategy paves the way for the initiatives and projects that are in the pipeline to achieve that goal. To highlight a few, we signed a memorandum of understanding with PDO for the development of a waste-to-steam project for the application of enhanced oil recovery. We are also cooperating and facilitating the operations of two lead acid battery recycling facilities. In addition, we have allocated 20 sites across the Sultanate to receive, handle, and recycle construction and demolition (C&D) waste. Similarly, there are investment opportunities to utilize end of life tires (ELT). Another major highlight is the new private-sector investment to establish a paper recycling plant at Sohar Industrial Estate. In addition, be'ah will supply around 30,000 tons per annum of tire-derived fuel, providing Oman Cement Company a fuel alternative to help reduce the consumption of valuable natural gas. Biogas projects are also key components of be'ah's diversion strategy. These projects combined will provide the Omani market with jobs and increase in-country value, offering various investment opportunities. They will also contribute to Oman's renewable energy target (renewable sources covering 30% of energy demands by 2030) and offset the environmental impact caused by increased waste generation.
What is the key to getting the banking sector involved in the process of developing a circular economy?
Financial institutions are key enablers to move to a circular economy, so we need to have different key factors in place. One is the government, by enabling and facilitating the proper legal framework. Then there are the financial instruments such as fees. There is also the extended producer responsibility scheme (EPR). These are mainly applied on other waste streams such as electronics, tires, and packaging materials. A nominal fee is to be charged on such products, then that EPR fee will go to a fund that will finance the activities related to the recycling and treatment of such waste streams. This framework will provide incentives for producers to change product designs and adopt innovative ways that are environmentally friendly and a great opportunity for financial institutions to foster innovation among SMEs by providing some incentives for these projects.
What technological upgrades are you expecting to have the greatest impact in meeting your targets?
There are a great deal of tried-and-tested technologies used in the waste management sector, with most focus being directed recently on enhancements to increase efficiency. Most importantly, what we are working on now is the control tower, which connects all our operations under one system by integrating different data sources such as sensors, CRMs, IVMS, and smart devices across various touch points and operational units. This system will enable us to monitor operations, capture and analyze data, and generate reports. The artificial intelligence to be applied on this wealth of information will help us streamline our current operations, making them more efficient.
WASTE NOT WANT NOT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Focus: Future foreign policy
Friends to all, enemy to none
In championing the late Sultan Qaboos' non-interference foreign policy, the new ruler of Oman, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, is determined to work for friendship and peace, justice and harmony, and coexistence and positive constructive dialogue.
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David Kalife, CEO, Oman Oil Marketing Company (OOMCO)
Despite Oman's fuel market slowing down, OOMCO increased its sales volume of lubricants by 36% in 2019 and is constructing a greenfield bunker terminal at the Port of Duqm. The company has transformed while growing its expertise in Marketing and Digital.
read articleInterview
Azzan Al Busaidi, CEO, Ithraa
Azzan Al Busaidi is an expert in competitiveness and economic growth. He was appointed CEO of Ithraa in 2019 after 17 years spent covering managerial roles in the organization. Al Busaidi was previously Ithraa's director general of planning and studies and is a strong advocate of the potential of digitization. He holds an MBA from the University of Strathclyde and a BSc in Economics from Sultan Qaboos University.
read articleInterview
Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry & Investment Promotion & Former Chairman, Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Private Omani companies will be able to benefit greatly from the Fourth Industrial Revolution by enhancing their local value-added strategies and upskilling the workforce.
read articleInterview
Tahir Bin Salim Bin Abdullah Al Amri, Executive President, Central Bank of Oman (CBO)
The Central Bank of Oman's job is to ensure there is adequate liquidity in the system and that banks remain robust and resilient to meet the credit requirements of all segments without undermining financial stability.
read articleB2B
Capital markets
CMA and MSM are supporting Vision 2040 by providing financing to government companies that intend to go public, financing expansion of existing and new IPOs, and widening the investors base in Oman by enhancing and developing the investment funds and insurance industries.
read articleInterview
Khalid Al Balushi, CEO, Khazaen Economic City
International investors and business owners can benefit from Khazaen Economic City's strategic location and its close proximity to the main gateways of the country to import, process, manufacture, distribute locally, and export their goods and services.
read articleFocus: Port 4.0
Destined for greatness
Investments in world-class infrastructure have generated huge rewards for Oman. The goal now is to leverage technology as a disruptive enabler, build human capacity across the public and private logistics sectors, and drive operational efficiencies to build an integrated logistics business environment that is benchmarked against the world's best.
read articleFocus: Gap in tourism services
All bases covered
An amalgamation of local companies and unique experiences in Oman has created an original flavor that is further differentiating Oman's tourism offering from other countries and in the process attracting scores of tourists from all across the world.
read articleB2B
Engineering design
Renardet Engineering Consultants and Design Unit Engineering are recognized experts in their fields. While the former is an international company strongly committed to excellent engineering consultancy services and environmental practices, the latter is an Oman-based team of architects and engineers that incorporates local culture and traditions.
read articleB2B
Construction materials
Oman's construction sector is facing a host of challenges, but Hempel Paints and Al Maha Ceramics are confident that a mix of forward-thinking business models, unique products, and strong government initiatives will help them through turbulent times and generate positive returns in the long run.
read articleInterview
Salim Razvi, CEO, Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA)
Focusing on higher education institutional accreditation, program accreditation, and the updating and maintaining of the Oman Qualifications Framework, OAAA is helping further advance higher education in the Sultanate.
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