Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) announced it welcomed lead acid battery recycling company Royal Gulf Industries to its industrial ecosystem. A subsidiary of Hyderabad Castings Limited and part of Nakhat Group, the new company is set to invest AED 62.4 million (USD 17 million) to construct the UAE’s first environment-friendly automotive battery recycling center on approximately 110,000 ft² of land at Al Ghail Industrial Zone. Royal Gulf Industries will employ more than 150 people in its facility, which is set to be ready in the fourth quarter of 2022, the company says.

The company adds it aims to recycle up to 35,000 metric tonnes of used lead acid batteries annually. This will produce 21,500 tonnes of lead ingots and 2,400 metric tonnes of plastic granules. Both of these materials will be largely exported to India, Japan, Korea, China and Europe for the manufacturing of new lead acid batteries and cases. This activity accounts for recycling around 58% of the lead acid battery scrap generated in the UAE. 

Ramy Jallad, group CEO of RAKEZ, and Yogesh Nakhat Jain, managing director of Royal Gulf Industries, marked the beginning of the recycling unit’s construction during a recent signing ceremony held between the two parties at the RAKEZ Compass Coworking Centre.

“We are very excited to start our journey in the UAE, where we will be fully recycling battery waste in an environment-friendly way. We aim to collect waste batteries not just from the UAE, but also import from around the world to make Ras Al Khaimah a hub for recycling” said Hanuman Mal Nakhat, chairman of Royal Gulf Industries.

In its second phase spanning three years, Royal Gulf Industries says it plans to invest about AED 125 million and create 350 jobs in Ras Al Khaimah. The company also aims to make the UAE a hub for recycling metals, creating global supply chains.