Sustainable Construction Logistics: Analysing Challenges, Solutions, and Critical Success Factors in the Middle Eastern Private Sector

Ruzieh, Abdullah (2025) Sustainable Construction Logistics: Analysing Challenges, Solutions, and Critical Success Factors in the Middle Eastern Private Sector. Doctoral thesis, Birmingham City University.

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Abstract

Purpose

The construction industry in the Middle East faces significant logistics challenges that negatively impact sustainability, leading to substantial waste, project delays, and cost overruns. However, there is limited understanding of inefficient logistics practices and their consequences within the region. Addressing these challenges is essential for minimising the environmental impact and enhancing competitive advantage. This study focuses on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Palestine, as these countries represent key construction hubs in the Middle East, each facing unique logistical challenges and opportunities for improvement. By examining the causes and consequences of logistics inefficiencies on sustainability within these countries, this study aims to develop a practical model that incorporates logistics challenges, solutions, and critical success factors towards enhancing sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach.

This study follows a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach within deductive reasoning and a critical realist philosophy. This study begins with a literature review to establish a theoretical foundation and develop a conceptual model. This was followed by semi-structured interviews with 29 construction logistics experts to enhance their understanding, gain industry insights, and identify emerging issues. In the final phase, a quantitative survey was conducted with 422 industry stakeholders to test the proposed model and empirically validate the findings. This approach ensures a rigorous assessment of theoretical assumptions while capturing industry-specific challenges and solutions in construction logistics in the Middle East.

Findings

During the semi-structured interviews, the significance of logistics in Middle Eastern construction was emphasised and challenges were identified, including two unique to the region: sudden labour shortages and unstable conditions. This study revealed that contractors in the Middle East lag in adopting logistics solutions and critical success factors. The conceptual model, developed through literature and interviews, incorporated twenty-three logistics challenges, seven critical success factors, seventeen logistics solutions, and seven sustainability factors. This finding contributes significantly to construction logistics research by using structural equation modelling (SEM) to examine and validate the theoretical model. The model aims to address logistics challenges by integrating solutions with key success factors to enhance sustainability in the Middle East's construction sector. SEM provides a robust statistical methodology for examining complex variable relationships and evaluating direct and indirect effects while accounting for multiple interactions. Moderation analysis revealed that project country, type, and location influenced relationships between logistics challenges, solutions, and sustainability, highlighting the need for tailored approaches. Additionally, logistics challenges mediate between logistics solutions, critical success factors, and sustainability, underscoring their critical roles in achieving sustainable outcomes in construction projects.

Research Limitations/Implications.

The focus of this research is to improve the logistics of construction, leaving aside the control aspects. A literature review was conducted using a trusted English database that covered publications from 2000 onwards. This study acknowledges that the synthesis of diverse research is challenging. The staff members of contractors in the private sector of the Middle East were targeted for primary data collection. Potential improvements can be achieved by including the perspectives of both clients and donors. In Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, and Palestine, questionnaires were given face-to-face, but data collection was constrained in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon due to instability.

Originality/Contribution

This study contributes theoretically by integrating existing frameworks to analyse logistics challenges and their impact on sustainability, emphasising external and regional influences while incorporating solutions and critical success factors. It provides Middle Eastern construction firms with a tailored model to enhance operational sustainability, offering actionable strategies for contractors, engineers, and policymakers. Methodologically, it employs semi-structured interviews for context insights and uses structural equation modelling (SEM) to validate the framework, enabling an evidence-based approach to addressing logistics challenges and promoting sustainability.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Dates:	Date Event 11 June 2025 Accepted
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Sustainable logistics, Construction logistics, Logistics solutions, Critical Success factors.
Subjects:	CAH10 - engineering and technology > CAH10-01 - engineering > CAH10-01-01 - engineering (non-specific) CAH13 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01-02 - building CAH13 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01-04 - planning (urban, rural and regional)
Divisions:	Doctoral Research College > Doctoral Theses Collection Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment > College of Engineering
Depositing User:	Louise Muldowney
Date Deposited:	12 Jun 2025 14:56
Last Modified:	12 Jun 2025 14:56
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/16428

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