SIRC Announces Riyadh’s First Recycling Facility

Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC) logo
Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC) logo
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SIRC Announces Riyadh’s First Recycling Facility

Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC) logo
Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC) logo

Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC) announced the construction of the first recycling and sorting facility in Riyadh, as part of the government’s initiative to enhance environmental sustainability, while looking forward to establishing other facilities in the capital and the eastern region.

SIRC communication director, Fahad al-Shehri, indicated that the company agreed with Riyadh Municipality to establish two facilities, one for construction and demolition wastes (CDW) and another for the municipal wastes to be opened by the end of this year.

Shehri told Asharq Al-Awsat that SIRC plans to open another facility in Riyadh and other facilities in the Eastern Province, stressing that they aim to enhance environmental sustainability by adopting a circular economy model in the Kingdom.

Last Sunday, the Riyadh Municipality announced that the Kingdom’s first recycling facility is in its final stages of construction, established in partnership with SIRC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF).

It noted that this will be the first step toward meeting the national ambition of diverting 60 percent of CDW from landfills by 2035 in alignment with the Kingdom's effort to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

The new facility is aligned with SIRC's strategic plan to implement a world-class waste management system and position the Kingdom at the forefront of innovative recycling.

The facility is the first to be developed under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in July 2019 between SIRC, the National Center for Waste Management, and al-Riyadh Municipality for embracing integrated waste management and recycling activities in the capital.

The new facility is located in al-Khair, north district of Riyadh, and covers over 1.3 million sq. meters of land allocated by al-Riyadh Municipality. It will treat up to 600 tons of CDW per hour and achieve recycling rates of over 90 percent.

The facility will use advanced technologies and will be equipped with mobile equipment that can be moved between future recycling sites and reconfigured to deal with various capacities according to local needs.



Oil Prices Steady as Markets Weigh Demand against US Inventories

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
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Oil Prices Steady as Markets Weigh Demand against US Inventories

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)

Oil prices were little changed on Thursday as investors weighed firm winter fuel demand expectations against large US fuel inventories and macroeconomic concerns.

Brent crude futures were down 3 cents at $76.13 a barrel by 1003 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures dipped 10 cents to $73.22.

Both benchmarks fell more than 1% on Wednesday as a stronger dollar and a bigger than expected rise in US fuel stockpiles pressured prices.

"The oil market is still grappling with opposite forces - seasonal demand to support the bulls and macro data that supports a stronger US dollar in the medium term ... that can put a ceiling to prevent the bulls from advancing further," said OANDA senior market analyst Kelvin Wong.

JPMorgan analysts expect oil demand for January to expand by 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) year on year to 101.4 million bpd, primarily driven by increased use of heating fuels in the Northern Hemisphere.

"Global oil demand is expected to remain strong throughout January, fuelled by colder than normal winter conditions that are boosting heating fuel consumption, as well as an earlier onset of travel activities in China for the Lunar New Year holidays," the analysts said.

The market structure in Brent futures is also indicating that traders are becoming more concerned about supply tightening at the same time demand is increasing.

The premium of the front-month Brent contract over the six-month contract reached its widest since August on Wednesday. A widening of this backwardation, when futures for prompt delivery are higher than for later delivery, typically indicates that supply is declining or demand is increasing.

Nevertheless, official Energy Information Administration (EIA) data showed rising gasoline and distillates stockpiles in the United States last week.

The dollar strengthened further on Thursday, underpinned by rising Treasury yields ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump's entrance into the White House on Jan. 20.

Looking ahead, WTI crude oil is expected to oscillate within a range of $67.55 to $77.95 into February as the market awaits more clarity on Trump's administration policies and fresh fiscal stimulus measures out of China, OANDA's Wong said.