Ellen MacArthur Foundation tapped to help UAE deliver circularity policy framework

Circular textiles NGO Ellen MacArthur Foundation has said it will be working with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on developing and delivering a national textiles circularity policy framework.

The project forms part of the UAE’s wider Naseej initiative, a Presidential-level programme focused on supporting the country’s transition towards a circular economy for fashion and textiles.

The initiative intends to move the sector away from a linear model based on consumption and disposal, and instead support approaches that preserve resources, retain economic value and contribute to the UAE’s longer-term development goals.

As part of the collaboration, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation will work with stakeholders in the UAE to identify policy instruments that can support circular economy outcomes for textiles. The Foundation said the project will also generate practical insights into the opportunities and challenges of implementing circularity across the sector.

As a blueprint, the organisation will use its prior work forming the EU Textile Strategy and supporting extended producer responsibility (EPR) design across multiple jurisdictions, alongside expertise from its wider network.

Jocelyn Bleriot, Policy and Institutions Executive Lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, said: “The UAE occupies an important place in global textile flows, notably as a re-export and trade hub. Such a position offers a significant opportunity to put the country's circular economy ambitions into practice.”

“A successful policy framework in the UAE has the potential to serve as a replicable model for other countries in the Gulf and the wider Global South, where circular economy policy potential for textiles remains untapped.”

Launched in June 2026, Naseej aims to address the UAE's estimated 220,000 tonnes of annual textile waste by moving the sector away from a traditional disposal model towards recycling, reuse and longer-term resource value.

The initiative brings together government, businesses, recyclers, researchers and local communities, with measures including retail take-back schemes, uniform recycling programmes and public education campaigns.

Upon its launch, 14 strategic partnerships were established between the UAE and businesses spanning spanning retail, energy, healthcare, logistics and circular-economy businesses, including Fabricaid, Thrift for Good and Re-Up, each intended to support the expansion of circularity programmes.