The Institute holds the tenth meeting of the “Cities in Action” webinar series on the investment for sustainable treatment solutions and pollution mitigation in Sulaymaniyah in Iraq model.

The Arab Urban Development Institute organized its tenth session of the Cities in Action webinar series on Tuesday evening, 28 Rajab 1446 AH, corresponding to 28 Jan 2025, in the presence of several specialists and professionals interested in urban development affairs.

Dr. Abdulla Difalla, moderator of the webinar and Professor of Urban Planning, began the session with an overview of the webinar series and highlighted its importance in enriching the discussion on urban development across all Arab cities. He also stressed that the benefit of these sessions lies in identifying pioneering urban development projects and exchanging ideas on mechanisms and the elements of success. The meeting was initiated with a presentation by Eng. Mohammed Farid Al-Saadi, General Manager of Asia Renewable Energy Company. He has more than 45 years of experience in industrial project management and manages the municipal solid waste treatment project in Sulaymaniyah.

He reviewed the challenges and solutions available in treating solid waste in cities of the Arab world, especially in Sulaymaniyah, which suffers from environmental and health issues due to pollution resulting from waste. Eng. Mohammed clarified that with the urbanization of Sulaymaniyah, landfills that were located 10 to 12 kilometers from the city have become closer to residential areas. This proximity has exacerbated the problem of air and water pollution, negatively affecting citizens’ health.

He went on to discuss the importance of adopting new technologies to treat solid waste, such as recycling, energy conversion, or the use of sanitary landfill systems and waste treatment using modern technologies that ensure no harmful effects, as part of the city’s future plans to achieve environmental sustainability. As a result, Farouk Investment Group, led by Eng. Mohammed has developed environmental and economic solutions by converting solid waste into alternative fuel used in cement plants. This solution minimizes the amount of buried waste by less than 10%. This approach saves large areas and extends the project’s lifespan compared to traditional methods.

He noted that this project is a leading example of providing sustainable environmental solutions that contribute to improving the local economy and reducing dependence on conventional fuel. In addition, he stressed the importance of concerted efforts of all concerned parties to achieve further success in waste management and the use of alternative energy sources.

At the end of the meeting, Dr. Abdulla Difalla thanked the attendees for their interaction and valuable participation, commending the outstanding role of Eng. Mohammed Farid Al-Saadi in leading this exceptional project. He also stressed the importance of continuing these meetings to enhance cooperation and knowledge exchange among urban development specialists.