Assessing the Effectiveness of Saudi Environmental Awareness Week: Evaluating Its Impact on Pro-Environmental and Sustainable Behaviour, and Exploring Strategies for Improvement

Abstract

In Saudi Arabia, the annual Saudi Environmental Awareness Week (SEAW) was established to foster public engagement in sustainability. However, a notable research gap exists concerning the empirical evaluation of such campaigns within this unique socio-cultural context. This study provides the first assessment of SEAW of its kind, aiming to evaluate its impact on environmental knowledge and pro-environmental behaviour, and to identify the key determinants that support or hinder sustainable actions among its participants. Adopting a pragmatic philosophy, this research employs a mixed-methods design, utilising a cross-sectional online survey with a retrospective pre-post self-assessment. The survey, completed by 100 participants of SEAW 2025, included quantitative scales and open-ended questions. Data are analysed using paired-samples t-tests, hierarchical multiple regression, and thematic analysis. SEAW is found to be highly effective in achieving its primary educational goal, with a large and statistically significant increase in self-reported environmental knowledge (p < .001). However, pro-environmental behaviour was not significantly predicted by psychosocial factors but was most strongly associated with the availability of sustainable options (β = .219, p = .053). This highlights a significant ‘intention-infrastructure gap’, where participants' motivation to act is constrained by external, structural barriers. Qualitative analysis further illuminated this gap, revealing forceful participant frustration with infrastructural deficits and economic penalties. Concurrently, the analysis identified potent, culturally specific motivators, such as the alignment of environmentalism with Islamic values (khilāfa), and a clear public desire for future campaigns to be more practical, systemic, and culturally resonant. iv While SEAW successfully builds a cognitive foundation for change, its ultimate impact is blunted by a prohibitive enabling environment. Future environmental initiatives in Saudi Arabia must evolve beyond information dissemination to focus on dismantling structural barriers and leveraging unique cultural and religious frameworks to translate awareness into sustained, meaningful action.