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

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.