The CWC Group, a London-based events company focused on energy and infrastructure issues, will host its inaugural Sustainable Waste Management: Middle East Summit from Nov.26-28, 2012 in Dubai. Key experts invited to the Summit will discuss critical topics such as new waste policy, waste regulation, feedstock supply, project finance, commercial models and advanced waste-to-energy technologies. The summit is held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum.

Tracy Clark, CWC Group’s managing director, said, “By next year, nearly 50 million people will live in the GCC’s six member states. As many cities across the region see populations rapidly grow, effective waste management solutions are becoming an increasingly vital concern. It is essential for regional governments to implement sustainable waste management practices in order to safeguard economic development and protect the environment.

“Our goal with the summit is to develop new models for effectively managing waste across the region, in a way that is both commercially viable and environmentally sustainable,” added Clark.

“The UAE is a pioneer in this field and we are honoured to welcome some of the country’s key decision makers in this field to participate in the Summit. Dubai, for example, will see its population double over the next ten years, and the Dubai Municipality is preparing to launch its Integrated Waste Management Master Plan — an innovative waste management system set to eliminate land filling over the next 20 years by promoting recycling and using waste to generate power,” continued Clark.

The summit will feature speakers including Dr Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad, the UAE’s Minister of Environment and Water, along with Eng Hussain Nasser Lootah, director-general of the Dubai Municipality. Day two of the summit will focus on developing policy frameworks for using waste to produce energy, and the viability of new technologies, such as plasma arc gasification and anaerobic digestion.

Representatives from municipality governments across the region will learn how to use these methods for monetising waste while investors explore opportunities for establishing public-private partnerships to develop waste management infrastructure. Summit delegates will also hear case studies of energy-producing waste facilities across the region, while assessing potential revenue streams to make waste management commercially viable.

“For the first time in Dubai, we are bringing together stakeholders from across the waste management industry, from regional policy-makers and international waste management companies to technology developers and private investors,” concluded Clark. “The Summit will explore commercial and project finance models while highlighting the latest waste management technologies.”

The CWC Group is organising this event with the support of the Ministry of Environment and Water, Dubai Municipality, and Rethink Events.

Sustainable Waste Management: Middle East Summit speakers include Dr Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad, Eng Hussain Nasser Lootah, Vincent Chornet, president and CEO, Enerkem, Canada; Rolf Stein, CEO, Advanced Plasma Power, UK; Geoffrey Piggott, project director, Keppel Seghers, Qatar; Dolan Hinch, head of Energy and Infrastructure, Middle East and Africa, Deutsche Bank, UAE; Masamitsu Takahashi, deputy general manager, Technical Research Centre, Kobelco Eco-Solutions, Japan.