A podcast raising awareness of environmental and climate challenges in the Middle East, featuring expert guests from Veolia and its partners, and showcasing practical solutions that are being—or can be—implemented in the region. Produced by Veolia Near Middle East, a leader in ecological transformation and resource management in the region and beyond.
#29-Inside MAGMA facility: Closing the Loop on Hazardous Waste with Helder Daravano
In this episode of Let's Turn the Tide by Veolia in the Near Middle East, we are in Abu Dhabi with Helder Daravano, CEO of Magma. Together with our host Nadine Zidani, they discuss why hazardous waste management is a strategic enabler of industrial growth rather than just a disposal cost.
They take a closer look at MAGMA, the UAE's leading integrated hazardous and radioactive waste treatment facility. Located in Ruwais and established as a joint venture between Veolia, Tadweer, and Vision Invest, the facility combines specialized treatment with resource recovery, turning certain waste streams into valuable raw materials.
In this episode, you'll learn about:
What hazardous waste is, why it matters, and why it requires specialized treatment
Real-world examples of hazardous waste and how some of it can be recovered, reused or recycled
How MAGMA treats hazardous waste and what makes its integrated approach different from traditional waste treatment facilities
How innovation is transforming hazardous waste management
How hazardous waste management supports the UAE's sustainability ambitions and broader goals across the region
Why responsible hazardous waste management matters for businesses
🎧 Listen to Let's Turn the Tide on all major podcast platforms.📌 Subscribe for more conversations on sustainability in the region.
24 Jul 2026
#28-Rethinking Landfills: From Environmental Threat to Modern Resource with Alexandre Rio
In this episode of Let's Turn the Tide by Veolia in the Near Middle East, Nadine Zidani sits down with Alexandre Rio, Waste Management Expert at Veolia in the Near and Middle East, for an in-depth look at one of the most misunderstood infrastructures in the world: the landfill.
From the science of leachate and biogas to regulation, Alex breaks down what modern landfill management actually looks like - and why getting it right matters far more than simply moving away from landfills altogether. Veolia currently operates 8 out of 12 landfills in Oman, and is actively capturing biogas and converting it to electricity across 3 sites in the region.
In this episode, you'll learn about:
What a sanitary engineered landfill is and how it differs from a traditional dump site
The three non-negotiables for Veolia to operate a landfill: proper design, execution, and operation
How leachate forms, why it's dangerous, and how it can be treated and reused
How captured landfill gas is converted into electricity, heat, biomethane, and even a CO₂ commodity
Regulation on landfills
Landfill end of life and reconversion
3 key pillars to reduce landfill dependency
🎧 Listen to Let's Turn the Tide on all major podcast platforms. 📌 Subscribe for more conversations on sustainability and environmental solutions in the region.
25 Jun 2026
#27-Recycling in the UAE: The Surprising Truth Behind Our Habits with Christine Hecht
In this episode of Let's Turn the Tide podcast by Veolia in the Near Middle East, we sit down with Christine Hecht, PhD researcher at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi. Together with host Nadine Zidani, Christine unpacks her Veolia-supported, nationwide research into how UAE residents actually perceive and practice recycling - and why the common claim that "no one recycles here" doesn't hold up.
Her study breaks UAE residents into three groups - current recyclers, lapsed recyclers, and those who've never recycled - and reveals just how close all three are to becoming committed recyclers.
In this episode, you'll learn about:
What UAE residents really think about recycling
The main factors that influence recycling habits in the UAE
Simple sorting tips to improve your recycling habits
How recycling supports resource security and the UAE's circular economy - not just environmental goals
🎧 Listen to Let's Turn the Tide on all major podcast platforms.
📌 Subscribe for more conversations on sustainability in the region.
Who has been a guest on Let's Turn The Tide 🌊🎙️
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Dr Samuel Feng
Nathalie Martial-Braz
Amnah AlYammahi
Sylvain Vaccher
Solange Ghantous
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
683,023
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Podcast Authority Score: 34 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
33
Social presence
0
YouTube
86
Engagement
0
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