Unlocking the Potential of the Circular Economy at Municipal Levels: A Study of Expert Perceptions in the Dammam Metropolitan Area

The circular economy has emerged as a pivotal strategy for cities to reconcile economic growth with environmental sustainability. However, its implementation in resource-dependent Gulf Cooperation Council contexts remains underexplored. This study is among the first to empirically assess circular economy readiness in a Gulf Cooperation Council industrial hub through a mixed-method approach, bridging the gap between expert perceptions and localized policy implementation. Focusing on the Dammam Metropolitan Area, Saudi Arabia, a critical industrial anchor for Saudi Vision 2030, this study combines a cross-sectional survey of 230 policymakers, industry leaders, and academics with descriptive/inferential statistics (SPSS) and qualitative thematic coding (NVivo). The findings identify renewable energy (mean = 4.10) and municipal waste management (mean = 3.78) as top sectoral priorities, aligning with national sustainability goals. Yet systemic challenges, including fragmented governance, limited public awareness (mean = 3.65), and funding gaps (mean = 3.52), underscore disparities between Vision 2030’s ambitions and localized capacities. Statistical analyses reveal strong associations between institutional fragmentation and financial inefficiencies (χ² = 23.45, * p = 0.010), while mid-career workforce dominance (54.8%) and underrepresentation of policymakers (6.5%) highlight governance gaps. The current study advocates hybrid strategies: stricter waste regulations (40.0% stakeholder priority), circular economy training programs, and public–private partnerships to scale waste-to-energy infrastructure and industrial symbiosis. Despite pragmatic optimism (48.7% foresee 21–40% recycling by 2030), limitations such as reliance on expert perspectives and exclusion of citizen voices necessitate future interdisciplinary and longitudinal research. By aligning regulatory rigor with inclusive governance, the Dammam Metropolitan Area can model a Gulf-centric circular economy transition, advancing regional sustainability while contributing actionable insights for resource-dependent economies globally.