Saudi Arabia’s capital is set to become the hub for environmental innovation as IFAT Saudi Arabia makes its debut from January 26 to 28, 2026 at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Centre.

The event, organised by dmg events and licensed by Messe München, with the National Center for Waste Management (MWAN) as the Founding and Strategic Partner, will be the kingdom’s most comprehensive exhibition dedicated to waste, water and environmental technologies, combining international expertise with national ambition.

With private investment opportunities worth over $112 billion in the kingdom’s waste management and over $80 billion towards development of key water projects, the event arrives at a crucial time, offering international solution providers a direct channel to engage with a rapidly growing, sustainability-driven market.

Saudi Arabia is actively reshaping its water sector in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals to preserve water resources, expand sanitation coverage to over 95 per cent by 2030 and ensure universal access to clean water.

As part of the internationally renowned IFAT brand, which hosts 11 successful trade fairs across seven countries, this inaugural edition in Saudi Arabia reflects the country’s growing influence in the sustainability space worldwide.

The event aligns closely with the nation’s Vision 2030 and Net Zero 2060 goals, as well as an aggressive transition towards a circular economy. MWAN’s involvement as a Founding and Strategic Partner underscores its national importance and regulatory relevance.

“IFAT Saudi Arabia provides a unique platform for direct dialogue between regulators and the private sector,” said Sultan F AlHarthi, Corporate Communications Executive Director, MWAN.

“It comes at a time when the kingdom is executing its national strategy for waste, with targets including 90 per cent landfill diversion and 91 per cent waste segregation at source by 2040. This exhibition supports that mission by accelerating technology adoption and public-private collaboration,” he stated.

Commenting on the launch, Muhammed Kazi, Senior Vice-President, dmg events, said: “The launch of IFAT Saudi Arabia marks a major milestone for the environmental technology landscape in the region. We are bringing together the international IFAT network with our local expertise and knowledge to create an event that accelerates innovation, attracts investment and drives long-term impact.”

“With growing demand across the water and waste sectors, IFAT Saudi Arabia will offer industry professionals a space to source solutions, exchange insights and navigate the region’s evolving environment,” he added.

Katharina Schlegel, Global Industry Lead IFAT, said: “The Saudi Arabian debut of this exhibition marks a significant extension of our international IFAT network into one of the most lucrative environmental markets in the world.”

“In close alignment with our partners, we are establishing a trade show that supports the kingdom’s environmental ambitions while delivering international standards of excellence. This partnership brings our global expertise into a region undergoing rapid transformation and positions IFAT Saudi Arabia as a strategic meeting point for industry, innovation and impact,” stated Schlegel.

Spanning over 450 exhibitors from more than 30 countries, IFAT Saudi Arabia will feature over 3,500 products and solutions, supporting sectors across waste management, recycling, water treatment, power recovery, air pollution control, desalination and the digitalisation of environmental services.

The event hosts a strategic summit, a high-level, invite-only gathering of policymakers, regulators and public and private sector leaders. It will explore regulatory pathways, investment priorities and visionary strategies reshaping the region’s environmental framework.

Complementing this is a conference programme, open to all attendees, which will be divided across thematic stages, said the organisers.

The Blue Stage will focus on smart water management, desalination and non-conventional water resources, while the Orange Stage will address smart waste technologies, energy-from-waste systems and resource recovery, to name but a few, they stated.