PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

This study undertakes the challenge of proposing and empirically investigating a comprehensive model of the circular economy and sustainability marketing within the Gulf region, utilising the UAE as a representative case of the GCC countries. To achieve this objective, factors influencing consumer intention were identified through an extensive review of marketing literature and tested with the data collected from consumers of circular economy products in the UAE. The Theory of Planned Behaviour was considered appropriate and further extended by incorporating two additional variables pertinent to the circular economy and sustainability marketing: convenience and environmental impact. Subsequently, the proposed comprehensive model was empirically tested through data collection from 450 consumers in the UAE using a convenience sampling technique. Complex statistical analyses, encompassing descriptive analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, structural model testing, and nested modelling, were conducted. The most interesting finding was the significant positive impact of environmental impact on the purchase intention of circular economy products. The remaining hypotheses did not emerge with significant outcomes. These findings are expected to aid policymakers in the Gulf region, particularly in the UAE, in formulating strategies that are not only aligned with the principles of the circular economy and sustainability marketing but also foster positive consumer behaviour. The novelty of this research is underscored by the fact that these concepts are infrequently studied in marketing, and the nested modelling resulted in some unexplored causal linkages, which could add value to the existing body of knowledge.