ENOC, municipality of Dubai partner to advance UCO recovery for biodiesel
Emirates National Oil Co. and the municipality of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates have signed an agreement to explore opportunities for collaboration in alternative and cleaner fuels, with a focus on collecting used cooking oil (UCO) and converting it into biodiesel.
The partnership aims to support Dubai’s circular economy by linking the responsible recovery of UCO with local biodiesel production and enhancing resource efficiency across the emirate.
Under the partnership, ENOC and the Dubai municipality will explore the development of a system for collecting UCO from restaurants, businesses and households across Dubai for conversion into biodiesel at ENOC’s Jebel Ali plant.
Dubai’s coordination and oversight will support the recovery of UCO and help prevent improper disposal, while ENOC will contribute its expertise in fuel production and supply.
The collaboration supports Dubai’s efforts to strengthen sustainable waste management and accelerate the transition towards a circular economy.
By turning UCO into a resource for local fuel production, the partnership aims to retain value within the economy and encourage more sustainable consumption and disposal practices, in line with the objectives of the UAE Circular Economy Policy 2031.
“Meeting the UAE’s future energy needs requires us to expand access to cleaner fuels and make better use of the resources already available to us,” said Ali Khalid bin Zayed Al Falasi, ENOC’s deputy managing director of commercial and retail. “Turning waste into fuel can help address both priorities, strengthening local production capabilities while supporting the transition to a lower-carbon economy. By combining Dubai municipality’s waste-management expertise with ENOC’s fuel production capabilities, we aim to create a practical link between the recovery of used cooking oil and the supply of alternative fuels. This partnership reflects our commitment to developing energy solutions that support Dubai’s sustainability priorities and the UAE’s long-term economic and environmental ambitions.”
Adel Mohammed Al Marzouqi, CEO of the waste and sewerage agency at Dubai municipality, added, “Our partnership with ENOC represents an important step in strengthening integrated waste management and advancing circular-economy practices by transforming waste into valuable resources. Through this collaboration, we aim to maximize resource recovery, reduce waste and support the long-term sustainability of the energy sector. Converting used cooking oil into lower-carbon biofuel demonstrates how innovative solutions can support the development of sustainable energy alternatives while reducing the environmental impact of waste. This initiative contributes to Dubai’s clean-energy transition and our broader efforts to establish a more efficient and sustainable resource-management system that protects the environment, enhances quality of life and advances the circular economy.”
The proposed collection system would create a direct link between UCO recovery across Dubai and ENOC’s biodiesel production capabilities in Jebel Ali, providing a local pathway for converting waste into a useful energy resource.
ENOC introduced “Biodiesel5” (B5) to the UAE market in 2017 and has since expanded its biodiesel offering to support customers across transport, logistics and construction.
The group has also invested in local biodiesel production capabilities in Jebel Ali to support the wider adoption of alternative fuels.
