Investigating socio-cultural influences on Saudi shoppers’ perspectives towards sustainability and ethical practices

Abstract

This thesis investigates how cultural, religious, and institutional factors shape the way Saudi consumers understand and practice sustainable consumption. Most of existing literature on sustainable consumption is based on Western, individualist models that focus on environmental concern, and personal responsibility. However, these models do not fully reflect non-Western contexts such as Saudi Arabia, where social norms, religious beliefs, and government influence are deeply connected to consumers’ everyday choices. The research adopts a qualitative, interpretivist approach based on social constructivism. In total, 40 participants took part in this study — 30 semi-structured interviews and a separate group of 10 shop-along interviews were conducted, all with Saudi citizen-consumers. Data were analyzed thematically using Lochmiller’s five-step method. Two main theoretical perspectives guided the study: Practice Theory, which focuses on the role of social routines and shared behaviors, and Multiple Modernities Theory, which emphasizes that different societies modernize in culturally specific ways. Findings show that Saudi consumers prioritize affordability, need, and product quality over environmental concern. Many participants linked sustainability to Islamic teachings such as avoiding waste and practicing moderation. Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s national transformation plan, emerged as a key driver of sustainability efforts, highlighting a strong reliance on state-led transformation rather than the individual or community efforts that were often the focus in earlier research. This study contributes to sustainable consumption studies by offering a culturally grounded understanding of non-Western consumers’ perceptions on the role and responsibilities of various stakeholders for sustainability. I make a novel theoretical contribution in combining Practice Theory with a Multiple Modernities perspective to analyse non-Western consumers’ shopping practices in relation to sustainability concepts. The thesis argues for a more inclusive, context sensitive approach to sustainability research and policy that considers culture, religion, and structure not just individual attitudes.