From Data Void to Circularity: A Multi-Level Analysis of Digital Transformation Barriers in Saudi Municipal Solid Waste Management

• B. Aljabri Department of Industrial Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7226-9782
• M. Alkhatani Department of Industrial Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7343-9098
• W.A.M. Al-Garadi Science, Technology & Innovation Unit, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2154-3341

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7166/37-2-3436

Abstract

Digital transformation is often framed as the key to advancing circular-economy practices in municipal solid waste management. However, most digital models assume the existence of reliable and traceable waste data. This study challenges that assumption by examining the barriers to digital adoption in Saudi Arabia’s municipal solid waste management sector, where waste flows remain fragmented and partially informal. Using a triangulated mixed-methods design – municipal focus groups (Makkah, Taif, Jeddah), staff (n=53) and citizen (n=408) surveys, and regulatory input from the National Centre for Waste Management – the study identifies the constraints at household, organisational, and governance levels. Its findings reveal that the core barrier is not poor data quality but the absence of source-level material traceability, creating a structural “data void”. Informal recovery, manual sorting, weak infrastructure, and legacy contracts limit digital feasibility. The study reframes digital failure as a governance and traceability problem, and proposes an integrated reform pathway that is aligned with circular-economy objectives.