UAE: How Beeah is empowering students, communities to help shape a green future

The Sharjah-headquartered Beeah Group, the region’s leading sustainability pioneer, is taking several initiatives to raise awareness and engage community members and institutions, including schools, in shaping a sustainable future.

At the recently concluded World Future Energy Summit held during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the group launched a new business vertical — Beeah Education.

Khaled Al Huraimel, group CEO of Beeah, said the new initiative consolidates and enhances its efforts to recognise and empower individuals, schools, institutions, corporations and government entities in the field of sustainability.

“Beeah Education consolidates several programmes that are raising awareness and engaging people and institutions in shaping a sustainable future. These programmes will include the Academy of Sustainability and the Future Pioneers Awards by Beeah,” Al Huraimel told Khaleej Times.

“Beeah Education will lead the Institute of Environmental Management and Sustainability (IEMS) Academy, a training and certification institution for professional and vocational courses that prepare individuals for careers in sustainability. Our vision for Beeah Education is to further empower individuals, organisations, and students at schools and universities to make a sustainable impact now and in the future.”

Later this year, Beeah Education will host the fourth edition of 'The Great Battery Challenge' as an initiative of the Academy of Sustainability.

“The Great Battery Challenge, in partnership with Duracell, engages schools and students in collecting used batteries. The competition inculcates the habit of proper disposal of batteries while encouraging contributions to the circular economy. The schools that collect the most used batteries receive an award and last year’s competition saw the collection of 2,000kg used batteries.”

Al Huraimel pointed out that 2022 was an “exceptional” year with several milestones, including the launch of a new brand identity as an international holding group.

“We launched several projects and formed partnerships that are contributing to sustainability and innovation in the UAE and the wider region.”

Last year, Beeah Group opened the doors to a new group headquarters, the Office of the Future, which is one of the most sustainable and smartest buildings in the world and is setting a new benchmark for future workplaces.

Powered by solar energy, and integrated with next-generation technologies, the office was built to realise net-zero emissions.

“As we pursue our ambitions to accelerate sustainable impact globally, the new headquarters will also serve as a blueprint to shape tomorrow’s smart, sustainable cities.”

Another key achievement was the inauguration of the Sharjah waste-to-energy plant, the first commercial-scale plant of its kind in the Middle East and the first project of the Emirates Waste to Energy company, a joint venture with Masdar.

Beeah Recycling, the group’s waste processing and material recovery business, added a new solid recovered fuel (SRF) facility to the integrated waste management complex in Al Sajaa. Additionally, Beeah Digital’s joint venture with Khazna Data Centers launched in Sharjah and is the first tier 3 data centre.

“We also expanded our presence in Egypt in 2022. Beeah Tandeef, our waste collection and city cleaning business, signed a landmark 10-year agreement in partnership with Green Planet to advance sustainable waste management in Sharm El Sheikh. The contract, which commenced shortly before COP27, saw us implement future-ready waste management strategies aligned with Egypt’s sustainability agenda,” he said about the group’s participation at COP27 in Egypt.

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