Sea to Soil marks a pioneering circular sustainability initiative that gives a second life to marine by-products.
Dubai Holding Community Management has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ReFarm Global, a regenerative technology and infrastructure company specialising in circular resource recovery, to launch the Sea to Soil initiative — a world-first circular economy programme that transforms marine and organic waste into regenerative landscaping solutions.
The partnership represents a first-of-its-kind initiative in the community management sector, introducing an innovative waste-to-resource model that converts naturally occurring environmental and organic waste into materials that can be reused for landscaping. The programme will establish a scalable framework for recycling algae and other organic waste streams across Dubai Holding Community Management’s communities using ReFarm’s circular resource recovery technology.
Francis Giani, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding Community Management, said: “At Dubai Holding Community Management, we believe environmental sustainability is most powerful when it is embedded in the way communities are planned, managed and continuously enhanced. Together with ReFarm, we are turning a natural environmental occurrence into a practical, regenerative solution that creates value within the communities we manage.”
He added: “The Sea to Soil initiative reinforces our commitment to building more sustainable and resilient neighbourhoods through innovation and strategic partnerships, in line with the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 ambition and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 17, which underscores the importance of collaboration in advancing sustainable development.”
Backed by ReFarm’s expertise in circular resource recovery and regenerative agriculture, the Sea to Soil initiative highlights how established circular technologies can be applied at scale to improve environmental outcomes and generate tangible benefits for communities.
Oliver Christof, Chief Executive Officer of ReFarm, said: “Sea to Soil demonstrates how regenerative infrastructure can transform environmental challenges into measurable environmental and community value. Together with Dubai Holding Community Management, we are establishing a scalable circular model that converts naturally occurring marine and organic waste into a valuable resource for healthier landscapes, reduced waste streams and more resilient communities.”
He added: “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to advancing practical regenerative solutions that support the UAE’s long-term sustainability goals and environmental ambitions.”
Building on a successful collaboration that has been underway since 2024, the initiative is expected to divert more than 20 tonnes of algae waste from conventional disposal methods by the end of 2026. The collected material will be converted into nutrient-rich regenerative soil solutions and reused across Palm Jumeirah to improve soil quality, support healthier plant growth and enhance the sustainability of landscaping operations.
The first phase of the programme will focus on Palm Jumeirah during the peak algae season, which typically runs from mid-May to September. The project aims to establish a practical circular economy model that transforms naturally occurring marine waste into a valuable resource for use within the community.
The initiative also aligns with Dubai Holding Community Management’s broader sustainability strategy, which is built around four key pillars: Planet, People & Culture, Responsible Supply Chain, and Governance.
By promoting circular economy practices, reducing waste and advancing regenerative environmental solutions, the partnership reinforces Dubai Holding Community Management’s commitment to creating smarter, more resilient and future-ready communities across Dubai.
