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Circular Economy in the Building Sector: Investigating Awareness, Attitudes, Barriers, and Enablers through a Case Study in Saudi Arabia

Author

Listed:
  • Abdulaziz AlJaber

    (Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK)

  • Pedro Martinez-Vazquez

    (Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK)

  • Charalampos Baniotopoulos

    (Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK)

Abstract

The adoption of circular economy (CE) holds significant potential to mitigate the challenges posed by the conventional linear economic model. The building sector in Saudi Arabia continues experiencing rapid growth, often marked by a consistent annual rise in the number of projects. The incorporation of CE principles into this expansion presents opportunities to optimize resource utilization, minimize waste generation, and enhance overall environmental sustainability. This study explores the current levels of awareness, perception, and implementation of CE principles among local building sector stakeholders and assesses the potential for CE expansion in the region. Additionally, it seeks to rank the identified barriers and enablers while exploring the interconnected relationships between such barriers. A literature review was conducted to explore the CE barriers and enablers. This was followed by an online survey which was conducted amongst 139 respondents from diverse stakeholder groups. A relative importance index (RII) was employed to rank the barriers and enablers, and the findings were subjected to statistical analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The outcomes of this study highlight a significant lack of awareness regarding CE principles among stakeholders, with a very low implementation rate. To break this inertia and encourage the adoption of CE practices, this study suggests the need for CE- supportive policy and legislation, and the provision of financial incentives.

Suggested Citation

  • Abdulaziz AlJaber & Pedro Martinez-Vazquez & Charalampos Baniotopoulos, 2024. "Circular Economy in the Building Sector: Investigating Awareness, Attitudes, Barriers, and Enablers through a Case Study in Saudi Arabia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-20, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:3:p:1296-:d:1332545
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ali Al-Otaibi & Patrick Aaniamenga Bowan & Mahmoud M. Abdel daiem & Noha Said & John Obas Ebohon & Aasem Alabdullatief & Essa Al-Enazi & Greg Watts, 2022. "Identifying the Barriers to Sustainable Management of Construction and Demolition Waste in Developed and Developing Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-17, June.
    2. David Havrlant & Abdulelah Darandary, 2021. "Economic Diversification Under Saudi Vision 2030," Discussion Papers ks--2021-dp06, King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center.
    3. Lee Cronbach, 1951. "Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 16(3), pages 297-334, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Aishat Adebonike Adedayo-Ojo & Muhammad Kashif Shad & Wai Ching Poon, 2025. "Circular Economy in the Oil and Gas Industry: A Data-Driven Bibliometric Analysis," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 5(4), pages 3465-3527, August.
    2. Nguyen Van Tam & Nguyen Quoc Toan, 2025. "Unlocking Core Strategies for Advancing ESG Practices for Circularity in Construction Organizations: a Quantitative Approach in Vietnam," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 5(4), pages 3119-3144, August.
    3. Mir Sohrab Hossain & Nusrat Zahan Lopa & Mahfuja Khatun & Shafkat Tanzim Rahim, 2024. "Enablers of Circular Economy Implementation in Built Environment Sector of Developing Countries—Evidence from Bangladesh," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 4(3), pages 2287-2311, September.
    4. Khalid Alsaud & Fadi Assad & John Patsavellas & Konstantinos Salonitis, 2025. "A Comparative Analysis of Circular Economy Practices in Saudi Arabia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-25, April.

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