SOMA Newsletter

Author

Soma Mater
September 29, 2025

Welcome to the SOMA MATER weekly newsletter.

We are happy to announce that we are launching our SOMA MATER Podcast.

It’s time for honest, solution-focused conversations about the future of food, water, and energy in the MENA region. This isn’t just another podcast. It’s a roundtable of real-world leaders — from decision-makers to farmers — tackling the problems no one’s talking about and spotlighting the ones actually solving them.

Hosted by Sheikh Dr. Majid Al Qassimi, the show brings you insights that matter — rooted in the region, aimed at the future. Guests include CEOs, sustainability officers, large-scale producers, innovators, and policy shapers. Stay tuned!

This weekly newsletter highlights the top 3 stories from the past week in Food and Water Security and Net Zero transition, along with SOMA MATER's analysis and perspective.

How are MENA region countries adapting to increasingly volatile water cycles as global river basins fluctuate between extreme drought and flooding?⁠

What are the most recent developments in circular economy initiatives to transform waste management in the MENA region (from the UAE and Egypt)?

What is Saudi Arabia's new approach to food packaging and labeling requirements?

Sustainably yours,

The SOMA team

Back and Forth: Water Everywhere... Then Nowhere At All

#FoodandWaterSecurity

In the drought, there will always be life.

Global water systems face unprecedented volatility, with the UN's State of Global Water Resources 2024 report showing major river basins fluctuating between drought and flood, with 6 consecutive years of erratic cycles. Only one-third of global river basins maintained normal flow levels last year, while groundwater monitoring across 47 countries reveals fewer than 4 in 10 wells had normal levels. This threatens communities, ecosystems, and economies worldwide.

In the UAE, this has manifested as increased rainfall variability and extreme weather events. Despite only having ephemeral wadis, the UAE has seen record floods in the past 5 years. These floods are transforming desert landscapes, with vegetation increasing by up to 40% after the April 2024 floods and triggering ecological changes including snout moths and ephemeral plants that persisted into 2025, despite little rain.

Egypt addresses these challenges through strategic water management initiatives, such as its "Irrigation System 2.0" framework, focusing on water reuse, desalination, and AI monitoring technologies. Institutional reforms include the 2021 Water Resources and Irrigation Law and the establishment of a Supreme Council for Water. Egypt also implements floodwater harvesting via check dams, retention basins, and infiltration trenches to capture runoff and recharge aquifers. These strategies demonstrate how water-stressed regions are adapting to hydrological instability.

SOMA’s Perspective:

With the upcoming UN Water Conference in Senegal in December 2026, we hope water security will gain the global attention it deserves. The contrasting approaches between UAE and Egypt demonstrate how regional neighbors are developing tailored solutions to shared challenges. There's significant opportunity for cross-regional knowledge transfer, particularly in implementing successful flood harvesting techniques from other countries in the region in the UAE's ephemeral wadi systems, creating a framework for water resilience across the MENA region.

Sources:

Going Full Circle: How MENA is Turning Waste into Wonder

#NetZeroTransition

The UAE's Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) has launched Tahweel, the country's first integrated digital marketplace for recyclables. Developed with BEEAH, this platform enhances transparency and efficiency in materials trading and enables businesses of all sizes to participate directly in the circular economy, reducing bureaucratic barriers.

At the same time, Egypt also announced the launch of its first end-to-end recycling system for beverage cartons. The "Green Jobs from a Box" project by SIG with GIZ Egypt, Plastic Bank, Carta Misr, and TileGreen aims to collect 700+ metric tons of used beverage cartons within 3 years. The system will use blockchain technology to track collection, extract high-quality fibers through paper mill operations, and transform poly-aluminum material into eco-friendly construction bricks.

Regional circular economy initiatives are expanding, with Antipollution Egypt planning to invest $150 million in marine waste management and pollution control projects in Egypt. Across the region, similar initiatives existed, though not at the national level. Saudi Arabia has implemented the Ericsson Connected Recycling platform, though corporate-level, and Egypt had launched an e-waste recycling app, focused on electronic waste rather than for all recyclable materials. These initiatives highlight the MENA region's focus on sustainable resource management, with the UAE leading in comprehensive national frameworks.

SOMA’s Perspective:

The recent developments for recyclables, particularly the digital marketplace in the UAE, show the importance of making circular economy principles accessible to the public, including small businesses. These initiatives transform abstract sustainability concepts into tangible business opportunities that small enterprises and entrepreneurs can actively engage with. By reducing bureaucratic barriers and creating transparent ecosystems for materials trading, these initiatives address a fundamental truth: circular economy frameworks must be practical and inclusive at all levels of the value chain to achieve meaningful environmental impact.

Sources:

Boxed In: Saudi Arabia's Crackdown on Food Packaging and Labeling

#FoodandWaterSecurity

Stacking used cardboard box for recycling

The UAE's food industry is transforming due to evolving consumer preferences, technological innovation, and government sustainability initiatives. UAE food consumption is projected to grow modestly (0.1% CAGR) to 8.8 million MT by 2029, while the GCC’s grows faster (1.7% CAGR) to 55.5 million MT. Dietary habits are shifting, with cereals at 39.8% of UAE consumption, but milk and meat have declined significantly as health-conscious eating gains traction. The UAE's mandatory Nutri-Mark labeling system implemented in June 2025 is an example of regulatory foundation supporting this health-oriented shift.

Saudi Arabia has recently implemented new packaging and labeling requirements for fruits and vegetables. While most GCC nations maintain relatively consistent labeling frameworks through GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) standards, Saudi Arabia is choosing to also emphasizes recyclability and sustainability. Rules require packaging materials to be durable, recyclable, food-grade packaging with proper air circulation, and corrugated cardboard with matching lids.

The Saudi regulatory also includes enforcement mechanisms. Earlier this year, authorities closed 54 businesses for food safety violations and suspended 124 outlets in Riyadh during surprise inspections. As compliance deadlines approach, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) has urgently called on producers, distributors, and investors to rapidly adapt their operations.

SOMA’s Perspective:

Saudi Arabia had a very significant push of domestic agriculture recently. SOMA sees these new packaging regulations as a dual-purpose initiative: enabling clearer differentiation between local and imported produce while simultaneously creating a protective barrier for their domestic market.

Sources:

https://www.adafsa.gov.ae/CMS/Guidelines/Code of Practice No. (05) of 2019 General Food Labelling Requirements.pdf?

https://agriexchange.apeda.gov.in/ImportRegulations/Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards - Narrative_Dubai_Oman_4-8-2012.pdf?

SOMA MATER is writing Intelligence Reports on the topics of Food and Water Security and Net Zero Transition. If you’d like to know more, contact us through the link below:

https://wkf.ms/3BmPiPo