E-waste management in Saudi Arabia: Policy challenges, environmental hazards, and sustainable solutions

• Saudi e-waste to reach 1,102M kg by 2030, with Makkah and Riyadh as top contributors. • 85% of Saudi e-waste goes to landfills, posing severe environmental and health risks. • Lack of e-waste policies in Saudi Arabia calls for an EPR-based regulatory framework. • Saudi Vision 2030 supports circular economy strategies for e-waste recycling and reuse. • A roadmap proposes EPR, recycling targets, and data-driven policies for Saudi e-waste. Electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the fastest-growing waste streams globally. From a regional Arab perspective, Saudi Arabia is among the largest generators, producing approximately 617–620 million kg of e-waste, of which 85% is disposed of in landfills, representing a substantial resource loss and environmental risk. Despite the urgency of the issue, research on sustainable e-waste management in Saudi Arabia remains significantly underexplored. This study makes a novel contribution by providing the first comprehensive estimation of regional e-waste generation trends and hazardous material outputs from LED waste within the Kingdom. The study projects that e-waste generation will reach approximately 1,102 million kg by 2030, with Makkah (12 million kg), Riyadh (11.9 million kg), and the Eastern Province (6.9 million kg) identified as major contributors. Household disposal patterns reveal that in Jazan and Riyadh, approximately 90% of e-waste is discarded in public containers. Focusing on LED lighting equipment as a key waste stream, it is estimated that in 2019, significant quantities of lead were disposed of via public waste containers: 477.75 kg in Makkah, 443.68 kg in Riyadh, and 270.57 kg in the Eastern Province. The findings provide critical insights to support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals of promoting environmental sustainability and resource efficiency. Addressing the critical lack of regulatory frameworks, the study proposes a comprehensive policy roadmap incorporating extended producer responsibility (EPR) and circular economy principles, offering a foundation for policy development, infrastructure planning, and stakeholder engagement to advance sustainable e-waste management.