Tyre recycling in the UAE: where old tyres end up
Where old tyres go after the fitter takes them in the UAE: Abu Dhabi's Tadweer plant, Sharjah's Bee'ah, Dubai's 2024 recycler rules and what they become.
- Independent · sells nothing
- Published 27 October 2026
- 13 sources, checked 27 October 2026
- 6 min read
Short answer
- Old tyres in the UAE are mostly shredded into crumb rubber or burned as fuel in cement kilns.
- Abu Dhabi's Tadweer expanded its tyre plant to 100,000 tonnes a year in 2020.
- Sharjah's Bee'ah has used recycled tyres for a running track, play floors and road asphalt.
- Since August 2024, Dubai recyclers must use approved collectors and report recovered material monthly.
- Recent tonnage figures are scarce; the latest Abu Dhabi figure we found covers early 2022.
In this guide (10 sections)
- Are tyres recycled in the UAE?
- What happens to old tyres in Abu Dhabi?
- What happens to old tyres in Sharjah?
- What happens to old tyres in Dubai?
- What are recycled tyres used for?
- Worked example: how far one set of tyres goes
- Does UAE law make tyre makers take back old tyres?
- Why recycling matters for drivers
- What we could not find
- What to check before you act
Most old tyres in the UAE are recycled in one of two ways: shredded into crumb rubber for flooring, tracks and paving, or burned as tyre-derived fuel in cement kilns. Abu Dhabi and Sharjah run dedicated tyre recycling plants, and since August 2024 Dubai has detailed rules for the companies that collect and recycle tyres.
For a driver, the practical route is unchanged: leave old tyres with the shop that fits your new ones. This guide follows them from there. If you want the how-to (costs, what not to do), read how to dispose of old tyres in the UAE first.
uaetyre.com is an independent guide. We are not affiliated with any government authority, tyre brand, retailer or recycler, and we don't sell or collect tyres.
Are tyres recycled in the UAE?
Yes. Under the tyre scheme ESMA brought in from 2012, as reported by Gulf News, used tyres must go to approved recycling agencies, and local governments are responsible for their proper disposal. The same rules banned the resale of used tyres for use on another car, except for export.
What happens next depends on the emirate.
| Emirate | Who handles tyres | What we found | Latest figure we found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi | Tadweer (waste centre), with contractor Tarheel; Gulf Rubber Factory | Plant expanded to 100,000 tonnes a year | 26,000 tonnes of rubber products, Jan–Jun 2022 |
| Dubai | Dubai Municipality-approved collectors, transporters and recyclers | 2024 technical guidelines for traders and recyclers | No published tonnage found |
| Sharjah | Bee'ah | Cryogenic tyre recovery plant, crumb rubber and tiles | 2.5 to 3 million tyres a year capacity (2010 report) |
| Other emirates | Not published | No dedicated public figures found | None |
What happens to old tyres in Abu Dhabi?
Tadweer, Abu Dhabi's waste management centre, handles tyre recycling through contractors. Khaleej Times and Gulf News reported in November 2020 that its contractor Tarheel Collecting Wastes had opened an expanded, automated plant, raising capacity from 70,000 to 100,000 tonnes of used tyres a year. Nearly 17,000 tonnes were recycled from January to the end of the third quarter of 2020. The reports said the output can be used as tyre-derived fuel in cement making.
Earlier, in December 2018, Gulf News reported that Tadweer's Gulf Rubber Factory, a public-private joint venture set up in 2011, had recycled about 7,000 tonnes of used tyres in the first eight months of that year. The tyres became rubber granules and moulded products such as flooring for sports grounds and playgrounds.
The most recent Abu Dhabi figure we found is from October 2022: Tadweer said tyres collected from January to June 2022 had been recycled into about 26,000 tonnes of rubber products, used for flooring and pavement tracks.
In November 2025, WAM carried an announcement from Al Masaood Energy of a project to turn end-of-life tyres into refined crude oil, which the company described as the first of its kind in the Gulf. That is a company claim; the report gave no capacity or plant location.
What happens to old tyres in Sharjah?
Bee'ah, Sharjah's environment and waste company, built what The National in May 2010 called the UAE's first plant able to turn old tyres into useful products, at a cost of US$40 million. It uses a cryogenic process: tyres are frozen and shattered into crumb rubber. At full production the plant was expected to handle about 2.5 to 3 million tyres a year. The same report said around 8 million tyres were stockpiled at Sajaa, with Sharjah adding over a million a year.
Gulf News has reported on what came out of it:
- a 3,000 m² public running track at Al Majaz Waterfront made from 6,000 recycled tyres;
- a play-area floor at Al Qasba from about 1,500 tyres;
- crumb rubber blended into asphalt for new roads in Sharjah.
These are older reports. We did not find Bee'ah tyre figures after 2018.
What happens to old tyres in Dubai?
Dubai Municipality's Waste Strategy and Projects Department issued two technical guidelines on 22 August 2024, both under reference DM-WSPD-P04-018. One covers used-tyre waste trading (collection), the other used-tyre recycling. In short:
- tyres must move through collectors, transporters and treatment facilities approved by Dubai Municipality;
- shops and other businesses that handle whole, shredded or baled tyres must show their contracts with those providers when renewing their licence;
- recyclers file a monthly Material Recovery Report and keep signed records of every load in and out;
- recycling sites need CCTV and number-plate cameras linked to the Municipality, plus annual third-party audits;
- storage must limit pile sizes and stack heights, keep fire breaks and protect tyres from rain and UV.
The recycling guideline names crumb rubber and tyre-derived fuel as products. At COP28 in December 2023, Dubai Municipality and Continental announced a public volleyball court in Al Mankhool built on rubber paving stones made from old tyres.
We did not find published figures for how many tyres Dubai recycles each year.
What are recycled tyres used for?
| Product | How it is made | UAE example we found |
|---|---|---|
| Crumb rubber and granules | Tyres shredded, steel and fibre removed | Abu Dhabi and Sharjah plants |
| Flooring and tracks | Crumb rubber bound into mats or poured surfaces | Al Majaz running track; Abu Dhabi pavement tracks |
| Paving stones | Moulded rubber blocks | Al Mankhool volleyball court, Dubai |
| Rubberised asphalt | Crumb rubber blended into road asphalt | New roads in Sharjah (Bee'ah) |
| Tyre-derived fuel | Shredded tyres burned in cement kilns | Abu Dhabi output (2020 reports) |
| Oil from tyres | Thermal processing | Announced project, Nov 2025 (company claim) |
Worked example: how far one set of tyres goes
Bee'ah's running track used 6,000 tyres for 3,000 m², according to Gulf News. That is about two tyres per square metre. A family car's set of four tyres would therefore cover roughly 2 m² of track surface. The figure is a rough guide only: track thickness, tyre size and the share of rubber recovered all vary.
Does UAE law make tyre makers take back old tyres?
Not specifically. Federal Law No. 12 of 2018 on integrated waste management says producers are responsible for taking back their products and the waste from them after use, and bans burying, burning or open dumping of waste outside approved methods. The law does not mention tyres by name.
In July 2025, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and Tadweer launched a pilot for managing product waste under producer responsibility. Tadweer's announcement lists electrical and electronic devices, batteries and packaging. Tyres are not in it.
Why recycling matters for drivers
Two rules connect recycling to what you do with your car:
- Don't sell old tyres on. Selling used tyres for reuse on another car has been banned since 2012. Retreads are allowed only on buses and trucks. See used and retreaded tyres in the UAE.
- Don't keep expired tyres. Tyres are treated as expired five years after manufacture. A tyre past that date is a recycling job, not a spare. See the 5-year rule and do unused spare tyres expire?
What we could not find
- Tadweer tyre figures for 2023 to 2026.
- Any published Dubai tyre recycling tonnage.
- A rule naming tyres in a UAE producer take-back scheme.
- A public drop-off point for households in any emirate.
If you know of an official source for any of these, tell us through the contact page and we will check it.
What to check before you act
- Leave old tyres with the fitter and ask whether disposal is included in the price.
- In Dubai, the shop should use a Municipality-approved collector; it is fair to ask which one.
- Don't sell, burn or dump old tyres.
- Check every tyre's date code, including the spare, when you replace a set.
Questions people ask
Are tyres recycled in the UAE?
Yes. Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai all have tyre recycling facilities or rules for recyclers. Used tyres are shredded into crumb rubber for flooring and tracks, or used as fuel in cement making.
What are recycled tyres used for in the UAE?
Reported uses include sports ground and playground flooring, pavement and running tracks, rubber paving stones, crumb rubber blended into asphalt in Sharjah, and tyre-derived fuel for cement kilns.
Where can I recycle tyres in Dubai?
Households normally hand old tyres to the shop fitting new ones. Dubai Municipality requires tyres to move through approved collectors, transporters and recycling facilities, so ask the shop which licensed company takes them.
Who recycles tyres in Abu Dhabi?
Tadweer, the emirate's waste management body. In 2020 its contractor Tarheel Collecting Wastes expanded the tyre plant from 70,000 to 100,000 tonnes a year, according to Khaleej Times.
Does UAE law make tyre makers take back old tyres?
The 2018 federal waste law says producers are responsible for taking back their products after use, but it does not name tyres. The UAE's 2025 producer-responsibility pilot covers electronics, batteries and packaging, not tyres.
General information only, not legal or mechanical advice. Rules, fines and prices change; check with the RTA, your local police or a qualified fitter before you act. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Sources
- Scrap tyre recycling facility sees expansion in Abu Dhabi (Khaleej Times, Nov 2020)checked 27 October 2026
- Abu Dhabi opens expanded tyre recycling facility (Gulf News, Nov 2020)checked 27 October 2026
- Tadweer recycles 7,000 tonnes of used tyres in 8 months (Gulf News, Dec 2018)checked 27 October 2026
- Abu Dhabi makes 1 million tonnes of recycled products from waste materials (Gulf News, Oct 2022)checked 27 October 2026
- Technical Guidelines on Used Tires Recycling, DM-WSPD-P04-018 (Dubai Municipality, Aug 2024)checked 27 October 2026
- Technical guidelines on used tires waste trading activity (Dubai Municipality, Aug 2024)checked 27 October 2026
- Dubai Municipality and Continental volleyball court from recycled tyres (Dubai Municipality, Dec 2023)checked 27 October 2026
- Frozen rubber pays dividends for Sharjah (The National, May 2010)checked 27 October 2026
- 6,000 recycled tyres under your feet in Sharjah (Gulf News)checked 27 October 2026
- Federal Law No. 12 of 2018 on Integrated Waste Management (UAE Legislation)checked 27 October 2026
- MOCCAE collaborates with Tadweer Group to launch pilot project for managing targeted product waste (Tadweer, Jul 2025)checked 27 October 2026
- Al Masaood Energy unveils used-tyre refining project at ADIPEC 2025 (WAM via Zawya, Nov 2025)checked 27 October 2026
- Safety norms for tyres to be tightened in UAE (Gulf News)checked 27 October 2026