Saudi Arabia to Build Major Waste Processing City Near Mecca

Saudi Arabia is developing a large-scale waste processing city south of Mecca as part of efforts to strengthen environmental infrastructure and support the growing number of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. The project is expected to enhance long-term waste management capacity while contributing to sustainability and urban development goals.

The Waste Processing City will cover approximately 8.5 million square metres and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2027. Authorities said the facility has been designed to meet Mecca’s waste management requirements for up to 60 years, supporting both population growth and increasing pilgrimage activity.

The project forms part of broader efforts to expand municipal and environmental services across Mecca and the surrounding holy sites. Saudi authorities continue to invest in sanitation infrastructure to manage the significant volumes of waste generated during peak pilgrimage seasons.

According to official figures, more than 13,000 sanitation workers and around 3,000 vehicles and equipment units currently support waste management operations across Mecca and the holy sites. Authorities have also deployed approximately 88,000 waste containers to help maintain cleanliness during Hajj and Umrah periods.

The new facility is expected to play a key role in improving resource management, reducing environmental pressures and supporting Saudi Arabia’s wider sustainability and infrastructure development objectives while accommodating millions of annual pilgrims.

The Mecca waste processing city is one of the largest municipal circular-economy investments in the Gulf, and its design implications - recycling capacity, waste-to-energy integration and materials recovery - will ripple into corporate supply chains across the region. Our circular-economy and supply-chain-and-operations teams help clients evaluate circular-economy exposure and opportunity, particularly for consumer-goods and packaging brands.