An assessment of the barriers to the adoption of green building technologies in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The implementation of green buildings is widely regarded as a primary solution for optimizing fuel consumption in the construction and housing sector. Through an examination of relevant research literature, the most prominent hindrances to the implementation and proliferation of green buildings in Saudi Arabia were identified. Furthermore, the present study employed the Fuzzy Decision-making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (FDEMATE) to prioritize the aforementioned obstacles via the Fuzzy Analytic Network Process (FANP), while the Decision Super model was utilized. The findings indicate that the primary criteria section identified marketing barriers as the most significant obstacle, with a weight of 0.213, followed by risk and cost barriers with a weight of 0.207, knowledge and information barriers with a weight of 0.195, government-related barriers with a weight of 0.193 and human resources barriers with a weight of 0.192, respectively, ranked from first to fifth. According to the study's analysis, marketing obstacles carried the most weight, followed by risk and cost obstacles, government obstacles, knowledge and information obstacles and resources obstacles. The country has not adequately promoted green building technology. According to experts in the field, this is the greatest obstacle to implementing environmentally friendly building practices.

Systematic Review on the Barriers and Challenges of Organisations in Delivering New Net Zero Emissions Buildings

“…Attia et al [82] suggested that the construction industry in southern Europe is not prepared with experience for the design of nearly zero buildings, which poses a challenge to its development. A similar barrier was reported by other scholars for the development of green building [92], the use of nontraditional materials [57], and multicomponent system reuse [78].…”

“…This is particularly important for net zero emissions buildings, which are known to require higher initial investment. However, studies show that there are often no explicit financial mechanisms that could support and encourage the adoption of such projects [57,59], and financing options are, in most cases, nonexistent or limited [44,60]. One of the reasons, pointed out by Franco et al [37], is financial institutions' lack of confidence in the success of sustainable building projects, which makes them reluctant to support them.…”

“…Geissler et al [39] discussed these barriers related to the supply of materials and technologies for sustainable building design and construction in Nigeria. In the absence of local suppliers, the project procurement team has to import project requirements from foreign sources, which leads to additional time, cost, and risk [51,57]. Some countries may even have additional challenges in importing the materials and technologies that they need for reasons such as sanctions, which Khaddour [48] discussed in the context of Syria.…”

“…Moreover, some studies emphasised the importance of well-known and reliable databases for public access to information and considered the lack of such a challenge for the industry [59]. The lack of a comprehensive database for sustainable technologies [57], materials choices [41], and country-specific embodied carbon of materials [95] was identified in our review. In addition, Karavai et al [94] discussed the lack of a data system required to document actions and practices that were found to be beneficial for emission reduction.…”

Boosting large‐scale construction project risk management: Application of the impact of building information modeling, knowledge management, and sustainable practices for optimal productivity

“…18 The fundamental tenets underlying the notion of sustainability encompass the efficient utilization of space and materials, enhancement of the indoor environment, optimal upkeep of the structure, stewardship and conservation of natural resources, efficient utilization of energy, prevention of environmental pollution, and regulation of the emission of hazardous gases into the atmosphere. [19][20][21][22] Conversely, sustainability refers to the utilization and harmonization of the environment and architectural structures while also improving the management of the ecosystem. 23,24 This involves minimizing energy waste, mitigating environmental pollution, engaging with nature, utilizing renewable resources, and implementing intelligent technologies.…”