AMKM and Elephants Foot Arabia partner to advance sustainable infrastructure initiatives across the UAE

Environment

AMKM and Elephants Foot Arabia partner to advance sustainable infrastructure initiatives across the UAE

The Private Office of Sheikh Ahmed bin Mana bin Khalifa Al Maktoum (AMKM) has announced a strategic partnership with Elephants Foot Arabia to support sustainable infrastructure development and environmental performance initiatives across the UAE.

The collaboration aims to strengthen sustainability practices, waste management compliance, and infrastructure delivery in alignment with the UAE’s national environmental priorities and evolving regulatory frameworks.

According to the announcement, the partnership combines AMKM’s role in supporting the UAE’s sustainability and innovation agenda with the expertise of Elephants Foot Group, which has delivered more than 5,000 projects over the past 50 years across the built environment sector.

The partnership will support a broad range of initiatives including sustainability advisory, direct project delivery, waste management planning, compliance auditing, infrastructure programs, and public-private partnerships across both government and private sector developments.

Through Elephants Foot Arabia, the collaboration will work with developers, contractors, asset owners, and government-linked projects to help meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations while improving operational sustainability outcomes across new and existing developments.

The companies said the partnership comes at a time of rapid growth and regulatory transformation within the UAE’s environmental and waste management sector.

According to industry estimates referenced in the announcement, the UAE waste management market was valued at approximately $13 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $22.6 billion by 2033, driven by national sustainability initiatives such as the UAE Net Zero 2050 strategy and targets to divert 75 per cent of waste from landfills.

The announcement also highlighted the growing impact of updated sustainability regulations, including Dubai’s Al Sa’fat 2.0 green building framework, which is now fully enforced through automated Building Permit System (BPS) scanning and the implementation of Sustainable Materials Passports.

Additional regulatory measures, including Federal Decree Law No. 11 of 2024 and Dubai Law No. 18 of 2024, have also strengthened waste management compliance requirements across the country.

Commenting on the partnership, Sheikh Ahmed bin Mana bin Khalifa Al Maktoum said the collaboration reflects the UAE’s commitment to establishing global benchmarks in sustainable urban development.

“By combining institutional leadership with proven technical capability, we are supporting the delivery of infrastructure and developments that align with national priorities and long-term environmental performance,” he said.

Julian Saidi said the partnership expands Elephants Foot’s operational role in the UAE market beyond advisory services into large-scale infrastructure delivery and sustainability programs.

“Elephants Foot has built its track record over 50 years through direct project delivery and waste infrastructure expertise, not just advisory,” he said.

He added that the partnership would support a broad spectrum of projects ranging from compliance-focused initiatives to major infrastructure developments and public-private partnerships.

The companies said the collaboration is expected to contribute to the UAE’s broader sustainability and urban development ambitions while supporting long-term environmental performance improvements across the built environment sector.