Gulf Waste Management Market to Reach $104 Billion by 2031
A report by the Gulf Statistical Center and Mordor Intelligence predicts the Gulf waste management market will grow to $104 billion by 2031, with detailed statistics for Kuwait and the UAE.
Translated by Alqyas from Al-Rai — Original source
- Total waste collected in Gulf countries reaches 283.5 million tons
- Kuwait’s household waste reaches 2.1 million tons by the end of 2024
The waste management market in Gulf countries is projected to reach $104.06 billion by 2031, up from approximately $68.3 billion in 2025, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.29 percent, according to estimates by Mordor Intelligence cited in a report by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Statistical Center on waste in the Cooperation countries.
These projections reflect the expanding economic activity related to waste collection, treatment, recycling, and resource recovery. In 2024, total waste collected in the GCC reached 283.5 million tons, representing a 2.6 percent annual increase, while processed waste volumes rose to 69 million tons.
The report also revealed an increase in the nominal value of gross domestic product (GDP) at current prices for the group of activities comprising electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply; water supply; sewerage; waste management; and remediation activities across the Gulf region. This value grew from $24.6 billion in 2020 to $27.8 billion in 2021, then to $30.2 billion in 2022, reaching $34.2 billion in 2023, and finally $36.1 billion in 2024, marking a 46.7 percent increase.
Regarding Kuwait, the report stated that household waste collected in the country reached 2.1 million tons in 2024, with the per capita average rising to 1.2 kilograms. Household waste accounted for 52.4 percent of Kuwait’s municipal waste composition, compared to 14.8 percent from agriculture, forestry, and fishing; 6.5 percent from manufacturing; and 26.3 percent from other economic activities.
In terms of collected agricultural waste, Kuwait recorded 0.6 million tons, placing it second among the countries covered by the Center’s data for this indicator, after the United Arab Emirates, which recorded 2.4 million tons.
Organic waste constituted 47 percent of Kuwait’s municipal waste composition in 2022, 2023, and 2024, representing one of the highest percentages recorded in the Gulf region. Regarding hazardous waste, Kuwait relied on landfilling for 82.4 percent of processed quantities, with incineration accounting for 17.6 percent. Kuwait’s share represented 6.5 percent of the total hazardous waste exported from GCC countries.
Concerning collected agricultural waste in the Gulf, the report noted an increase in volume from 2.1 million tons in 2019 to 2.4 million tons in 2021, then to 2.8 million tons in 2022, and 3.5 million tons in 2023, before declining to 3.3 million tons in 2024.
As for waste collected from other economic activities, volumes decreased from 5 million tons in 2019 to 4.1 million tons in 2020, then to 4.2 million tons in 2021 and 2022, reaching 3.7 million tons in both 2023 and 2024.
Collected construction and demolition waste in GCC countries rose from 109.9 million tons in 2021 to 136.7 million tons in 2022, then to 179.1 million tons in 2023, reaching 226.6 million tons in 2024, representing a 26.5 percent annual increase.
