New PLA venture aims to kindle bioplastics industry in MENA region

Iranpolymer/Baspar  SS Royal Kit Emirates Investment and Global Biopolymers Industries have partnered to form a new company called Emirates Biotech, headquartered in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. The initiative will focus on the production and marketing of PLA biopolymers across the Middle East, Africa, and India.

The partnership agreement was signed by Theodorus Everwijn on behalf of Global Biopolymers Industries, and by Shaikh Suhail Ali Saeed Rashed Al-Maktoum and Dr. Shadi Jabari, on behalf of SS Royal Kit Emirates Investment, and investment company in the MENA region with interests in a range of different sectors, including biotech.

Emirates Biotech, which has emerged from the former Gulf Biopolyers Industries, plans to build a PLA production facility in the United Arab Emirates. The facility will be located in Abu Dhabi’s KEZAD Free Zone

 Commercial operations are due to start in early 2025; construction of the company’s first PLA production plant will commence before 2026. According to Theodorus Everwijn, PLA biopolymers are one of the ‘key innovations to lower society’s carbon footprint and combat global plastic pollution’.

PLA is a highly sustainable biopolymer that is 100% renewable, 100% biodegradable, and 100% recyclable. It is manufactured from lactic acid, which is produced through the fermentation of plant biomass with a high starch content. The production is carbon neutral. The material is suitable for conventional plastic processing technologies, including injection moulding. It can be used across multiple sectors and industries, offering a sustainable and circular solution to replace traditional fossil fuel-based plastics and helping to accelerate the transition to a circular, biobased society.

“By investing in PLA bioplastics, we are taking a proactive step towards building a more eco-conscious society for generations to come, aligning with the UAE’s vision outlined in the Green Agenda 2030,” said Shaikh Suhail Ali Saeed Rashed Al-Maktoum.

The new company will be led by industry veteran Marc Verbruggen, a former CEO of NatureWorks with over 10 years’ experience in the PLA bioplastics industry, with expertise in turning start-ups into global providers of bio-based polymer solutions. “The transition to bioplastics is not just a choice. If one wants to reduce the plastic impact on landfills and oceans, it’s a necessity,” he emphasised.

Another notable figure in the bioplastics industry, François de Bie, formerly of Total Corbion PLA and a previous chairman of the European Bioplastics organisation, has also joined the Dubai-based venture.

Emirates Biotech will not only supply PLA biopolymers but also provide expertise in application development, recycling, and sustainable end-of-life solutions.

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