DUBAI, UAE – In a special gathering, GMA Middle East awarded its longstanding partner and customer, McDermott, as Platinum member of the Used Garnet Return Rewards Program. As the very first recipient of this award in the region, McDermott was recognized and honored for a successful decade-long partnership with GMA.

In the industries where GMA garnet is used, one of the ways contractors and end users demonstrate sustainability in their operations is by responsibly returning used garnet to GMA for recycling and reprocessing. This practice allows GMA to give garnet a new life, ensuring it does not end up in landfills. Moreover, it not only reduces the region’s waste footprint but also minimizes negative impact on the environment.

GMA CEO, Grant Cox, presented the award to Richard Taylor, Senior Director Fabrication Operations at McDermott. “In the 12 years that we have had this partnership with McDermott in taking back used garnet, we have processed about 32,000 tons of used garnet, which is quite a substantial number, so big congratulations to the entire McDermott team on this effort. It is indeed a meaningful impact on the environment, avoiding landfill in the UAE,” commented Grant.

“GMA is committed to reducing landfill and creating a longer lifespan for every grain of garnet mined while creating more value for our customers. We invest heavily in developing advanced technologies and processes to further reduce environmental impact and continue to focus on innovation in garnet reprocessing.” commented Ajay Thanki, Regional Business Development Manager, GMA Middle East.

While receiving the award, Richard commented, “McDermott has really been founded on strategic relationships with suppliers. GMA is considered as one of those. The Garnet Return Program is certainly a great initiative developed by GMA. As McDermott, we have a huge drive for sustainability, so initiatives like this really help us meet our global sustainability targets.”

Also, part of the celebration was Sadaf Hameed, Sustainability Manager at McDermott, who commented, “As an organization, we divert 76% of our solid waste from landfill, and this is possible only because of collaborations like the one we have with GMA, that enable us to responsibly recycle and reuse our waste. Together, we are working towards a sustainable future.”

This award presented to McDermott highlights the significant environmental achievements of GMA’s partners and reinforces our shared commitment to sustainability. We look forward to continuing our successful collaboration with McDermott and other industry leaders as we work together to drive further advancements in garnet recycling and reprocessing.

About GMA:

GMA Garnet Group is the trusted global leader in industrial garnet. For over 40 years, we have been providing the highest quality garnet to the abrasive blasting and waterjet cutting industries. We offer reliable garnet supplies, expert advice, and a comprehensive range of abrasive products for superior results. We manage a unique operation where we own our mines and processing plants in Australia, the USA and the Middle East. With significant investments in expanding production capacity, GMA is the only global garnet supplier that manages its complete supply chain —from mine to customer—ensuring the highest quality standards.

Our headquarters are in Perth, Australia, with offices, warehouses and distributors in major industrial hubs throughout Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. Globally, over 500 employees manage our operations which comprise of 13 offices, 3 garnet mines and 10 processing plants including 5 large scale recycling facilities.

Our garnet abrasives are used in several industries, including oil & gas, industrial fabrication and maintenance, and marine & shipbuilding. Today, GMA garnet products are distributed in more than 100 countries worldwide, directly from our own warehouses and through more than 90 distributor outlets.

In the Middle East, GMA has been operating since 2004, with used garnet recycling facilities in the United Arab Emirates and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In the last 20 years, GMA has recycled over 400,000 tonnes of used garnet in the region, diverting more than 300,000 tonnes from landfills. Moreover, GMA is the only garnet recycler authorized by Dubai Municipality to oversee used garnet disposal in Dubai and holds approval from TADWEER Abu Dhabi and other UAE authorities.

For media inquiries, please use the contact information below:
Middle East Media Relations
Danish Feroz Ali
danish.ali@gmagarnet.com