Sustainable Waste Management in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: An Investigation of Opportunities and Practical Challenges

Abstract

Currently, Saudi Arabia is pursuing its 100% renewable energy and sustainability goal while still in a transitional phase as the country continues with traditional ways of obtaining energy and relying heavily on fossil fuels. One of these goals to achieve the vision is sustainable waste management, where the main purpose of this thesis lies in studying the scientific opportunities and challenges associated with implementing sustainable waste management in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and drawing lessons from best practices in other countries. The role of resources and waste management in enabling communities to become more sustainable was explored and discussed through a literature review. In addition to studying the concept of sustainable waste management, addressing the waste hierarchy, and discussing the optimal solutions for the various available techniques that help in sustainability instead of the landfill currently used in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A historical overview was also provided by reviewing the literature on waste management policy and practices in Saudi Arabia, evaluating the current policy, and addressing future plans that in turn aim at the Saudi Green Initiative (which is an initiative that follows Vision 2030 by making it more sustainable in the future). Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with people with high experience in the field of waste management in Saudi Arabia, and the argument was made about the strengths and weaknesses and the role of the Saudi government in achieving sustainable waste management with the most appropriate techniques. Moreover, extracting case studies in different locations from international cases and evaluating the applicability of its practices and policies in Saudi Arabia. In conclusion, the recommendations are that this study may contribute to bridging the gap by changing the current plans and practices in converting from landfilling to the best techniques that can be used such as anaerobic digestion, recycling, and waste-to-energy conversion. Therefore, we find that Saudi Arabia has all the potential to become sustainable in managing its waste by filling the gaps and moving towards a sustainable future.