Exploring the Intersection of Sustainability and Cultural Dynamics in the UAE Fashion Industry: A Literary Review
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study investigates the barriers and challenges to adopting sustainable practices in the UAE fashion industry through the lens of Institutional Theory. Employing secondary research and a thematic analysis approach, the study identifies critical themes such as supply chain transparency, green raw material sourcing, energy-efficient manufacturing, waste management, and inclusive labor practices. Findings reveal that sustainability efforts are hindered by regulatory gaps, consumer skepticism, high costs, and limited accessibility to eco-friendly resources. Despite growing consumer demand for sustainable fashion, systemic issues such as greenwashing and inadequate infrastructure persist. The study emphasizes the need for comprehensive policy reforms, enhanced stakeholder collaboration, and educational campaigns to raise awareness. It contributes empirically by highlighting actionable strategies and theoretically expanding Institutional Theory to a non-Western, emerging market context. These insights aim to facilitate the integration of sustainable practices and inform future research in sustainability transitions within similar markets.
Downloads
Article Details
How to Cite
References
Agarwal, S. (2021) ‘Integration of sustainable practices in fashion Agarwal, S. (2021) ‘Integration of sustainable practices in fashion design education: An experimental study based on experiential learning’, The International Journal of Design Education, 15, pp.153-166. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18848/2325-128X/CGP/v15i02/153-166.
Alborough, L. and Hansen, R.K. (2023) 'Reframing fundraising research: The challenges and opportunities of interpretive research practices and practitioner researchers in fundraising studies', Journal of Philanthropy and Marketing, 28(1), e1775. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/nvsm.1775.
Almusalami, A., Alnaqbi, F., Alkaabi, S., Alzeyoudi, R. and Awad, M. (2024) 'Sustainability awareness in the UAE: A case study', Sustainability, 16(4), p. 1621. (Accessed: 26 July 2024). DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041621
Bhandari, N., Garza-Reyes, J.A., Rocha-Lona, L., Kumar, A., Naz, F. and Joshi, R. (2022) 'Barriers to sustainable sourcing in the apparel and fashion luxury industry', Sustainable Production and Consumption, 31, pp. 220-235. Available at: (Accessed: 1 August 2024). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2022.02.007
Biela-Weyenberg, A. (2023) 'Sustainability challenges in the fashion industry', Oracle, 11 August. Available at: https://www.oracle.com/retail/fashion/sustainability-challenges-fashion/ (Accessed: 12 August 2024).
Boren, S.A. and Moxley, D. (2015) 'Systematically reviewing the literature: building the evidence for health care quality', Missouri Medicine, 112(1), pp. 58–62 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.29.52.52.e9296.
Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2006) 'Using thematic analysis in psychology', Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), pp. 77-101. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Brydges, T. (2021) 'Closing the loop on the take, make, waste: Investigating circular economy practices in the Swedish fashion industry', Journal of Cleaner Production, 293, 126245. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126245.
Bukhari, A. (2024) 'Sustainable fashion in the UAE: a growing trend', The Sandy Times. Available at: (Accessed: 1 August 2024). https://sandytimes.ae/articles/32/sustainable-fashion-in-the-uae-a-growing-trend
COP28UAE (2023) Sustainability policy. United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC. Available at: (Accessed: 22 August 2024). https://www.cop28.com/en/sustainability-policy
Cuthbert, O. (2022) ‘Ethical fashion: it’s so right now, but it’s granny chic too’. AGBI – Arabian Gulf Business Insight, 27 July. Available at: [Accessed 12 November 2024]. https://www.agbi.com/analysis/manufacturing/2022/07/mena-sustainable-fashion-industry/
Dawson, R. (2023) 'Is real circularity achievable?', Fast Company, 5 April. Available at: (Accessed: 14 August 2024). https://fastcompanyme.com/green-goals/is-real-circularity-achievable-these-middle-east-brands-show-the-way-forward/
European Parliament (2024) The impact of textile production and waste on the environment. Directorate General for Communication European Parliament. Available at: (Accessed: 31 July 2024). https://www.europarl.europa.eu/pdfs/news/expert/2020/12/story/20201208STO93327/20201208STO93327_en.pdf
Falk, Y. (2023) The state of sustainability in the fashion industry, Infomineo. Available at: (Accessed: 27
July 2024). https://infomineo.com/sustainable-development/the-state-of-sustainability-in-the-fashion-industry/
Global Alliance for Sustainable Fashion (n.d.) Sustainable fashion in UAE: Challenges, solutions, and opportunities for entrepreneurs. Available at: (Accessed: 26 July 2024). https://gcpit.org/sustainable-fashion-in-uae-challenges-solutions-and-opportunities-for-entrepreneurs/
Gupta, R., Kushwaha, A., Dave, D. and Mahanta, N.R. (2024) 'Waste management in fashion and textile industry: Recent advances and trends, life-cycle assessment, and circular economy', in Hussain, C.M., Singh, S. and Goswami, L. (eds) Emerging trends to approaching zero waste: Environmental and social perspectives. Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 215-242 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-85403-0.00004-9.
Henninger, C., Oates, C.J. and Alevizou, P.J. (2016) 'What is sustainable fashion?', Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 20(4), pp. 400-416. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-07-2015-0052
Hong, Y., Al Mamun, A., Yang, Q. and Masukujjaman, M. (2024) ‘Predicting sustainable fashion consumption intentions and practices’. Scientific Reports, 14, 1706. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52215-z.
Judge, L. (2024) ‘Sustainable fashion in the Middle East: How brands are thinking outside the box’, The National, 18 April. Available at: (Accessed: 26 July 2024). https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/2024/04/18/sustainable-fashion-brands-middle-east/
Karpova, E., Reddy-Best, K. and Bayat, F. (2022) 'The fashion system’s environmental impact: Theorizing the market’s institutional actors, actions, logics, and norms', Fashion Theory, 26(6), pp. 799-820. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1362704X.2022.2027680
Khan, N. and Trivedi, P. (2015) ‘Gender differences and sustainable consumption behavior’. British Journal of Marketing Studies, 3(3), pp.29-35. European Centre for Research Training and Development UK. ISSN 2053-4043 (Print), ISSN 2053-4051 (Online). Available at: https://www.eajournals.org/wp-content/uploads/Gender-Differences-and-Sustainable-Consumption-Behavior.pdf
Khraim, H.S. (2018) 'The influence of involvement and awareness on UAE women's attitude towards fashion clothing', International Journal of Marketing Studies, 10(2), pp. 76-88. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/ijms.v10n2p76
Koszewska, M. (2018) 'Circular economy — challenges for the textile and clothing industry', Autex Research Journal, 18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/aut-2018-0023
Lambrechts, W. (2021) 'Ethical and sustainable sourcing: Toward strategic and holistic sustainable supply chain management', in Leal Filho, W., Azul, A.M., Brandli, L., Lange Salvia, A. and Wall, T. (eds) Decent work and economic growth. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Cham: Springer. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95867-5_11
Lammers, J., and Garcia, M. (2017). Institutional theory approaches. In Wiley Encyclopedia of Operations Research and Management Science. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118955567.wbieoc113
Luft, J., and Ingham, H. (1955) ‘The Johari Window, a Graphic Model of Interpersonal Awareness.’ Proceedings of the Western Training Laboratory in Group Development, 246, UCLA. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/572d003b40261d2ef97e5b0b/t/5ca20f68e2c48320572e81e7/1554124653572/Luft+Ingham+document.pdf
Mahdy, E. (2021) ‘Will the fashion industry ever truly be sustainable?’ Alserkal. Available at: (Accessed 10 November 2024). https://alserkal.online/words/will-the-fashion-industry-ever-truly-be-sustainable
Malik, S. and Bukhari, L. (2024) ‘Stitching the legal fabric: Exploring the interplay of fashion and law in the UAE.’ SOL International. Available at: (Accessed 10 November 2024). https://sol-intl.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1704898825309-1.pdf
Majumdar, S. (2023) ‘Can the fashion industry in the Middle East design a sustainable future?’, Fast Company Middle East, Available at: [Accessed 12 November 2024]. https://fastcompanyme.com/co-design/can-the-fashion-industry-in-the-middle-east-design-a-sustainable-future/
Mayer, A. (2024) ‘How learnings from Rana Plaza are being rolled out in Pakistan’, Vogue Business, 24 April. Available at: (Accessed: 2 September 2024). https://www.voguebusiness.com/story/sustainability/how-learnings-from-rana-plaza-are-being-rolled-out-in-pakistan
Mengist, W., Soromessa, T. and Legese, G. (2020) 'Method for conducting a systematic literature review and meta-analysis for environmental science research', MethodsX, 7, 100777. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2019.100777
Merani, M. (2023) 'Retailers wear the cost of the sustainable process in UAE.' AGBI – Arabian Gulf Business Insight, 15 December. Available at: (Accessed: 2 September 2024). https://www.agbi.com/leisure-hospitality/2023/12/clothing-retailers-pay-for-sustainable-process-in-uae/
Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. (2023) The United Arab Emirates’ First Long-Term Strategy (LTS) Demonstrating Commitment to Net Zero by 2050 2023 Available at: (Accessed: 10 November 2024). https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/UAE_LTLEDS.pdf
Munir, S. (2020) 'Eco-fashion adoption in the UAE: Understanding consumer barriers and motivational factors', Fashion Practice, 12, pp. 1-23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17569370.2020.1777729
Munir, S. and Mohan, V. (2022) 'Consumer perceptions of greenwashing: Lessons learned from the fashion sector in the UAE', Asian Journal of Business Ethics, 11, pp. 1-44. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13520-021-00140-z
Pejić Bach, M., Žmuk, B., Kamenjarska, T., Bašić, M. and Morić Milovanović, B. (2023) ‘The economic and sustainability priorities in the United Arab Emirates: conflict exploration’, Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, 17(5), pp.966-998. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JEC-04-2022-0067.
Pinto, J. (2017) 'A multifocal framework for developing intentionally sustainable organizations', Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 28, pp. 17-23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2017.07.002
Pradeep, S. and Pradeep, M. (2023) 'Awareness of sustainability, climate emergency, and generation Z's consumer behavior in UAE', Cleaner and Responsible Consumption, 11, 100137. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clrc.2023.100137
Remy, N., Speelman, E. and Swartz, S. (2024) 'Stylish, affordable clothing has been a hit with shoppers. Now companies are trying to reduce their social and environmental costs, McKinsey Sustainability. Available at: (Accessed: 31 July 2024). https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/sustainability/our-insights/style-thats-sustainable-a-new-fast-fashion-formula
Scott, W.R. (2014) Institutions and organizations: Ideas, interests, and identities (4th ed.). SAGE Publications. https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=2451254
Shanavas, S. (2023) 'On the path to textile circularity in the UAE', Waste & Recycling, 29 December. Available at: (Accessed: 21 August 2024). https://www.wasterecyclingmag.com/top-stories/recycling/on-the-path-to-textile-circularity-in-the-uae
Snyder, H. (2019) 'Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines', Journal of Business Research, 104, pp. 333-339. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
Tranfield, D., Denyer, D. and Smart, P. (2003) 'Towards a methodology for developing evidence-informed management knowledge using systematic review', British Journal of Management, 14(3), pp. 207-222. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.00375
UNFCCC (2018) UN helps the fashion industry shift to low carbon. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Available at: (Accessed: 12 August 2024). https://unfccc.int/news/un-helps-fashion-industry-shift-to-low-carbon
YouGov (2019) ‘UAE residents open to sustainable fashion but price still drives purchases’, YouGov, 1 July. Available at: (Accessed: 1 August 2024). https://business.yougov.com/content/24073-uae-residents-open-sustainable-fashion-price-still
Choraria, CA. R., Jain, M., & Goel, C.
A. P. (2020). Global Fashion Brands: Does Sustainability Make Business Sense? In International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE) (Vol. 9, Issue 1, pp. 895–903). DOI: https://doi.org/10.35940/ijrte.a1476.059120
Hasbullah, N. N., Sulaiman, Z., & Mas’od, A. (2020). The Influences of Parasocial Relationship and Sources Credibility in Promoting Sustainable Fashion in Social Network Sites. In International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology (Vol. 9, Issue 3, pp. 1642–1648). DOI: https://doi.org/10.35940/ijeat.c5451.029320
Nurfendah, Y., & Wagiran, Dr. (2020). Factors of Interest in Fashion Entrepreneurship on Students of Vocational School Fashion Design. In International Journal of Management and Humanities (Vol. 4, Issue 10, pp. 61–67). DOI: https://doi.org/10.35940/ijmh.j0955.0641020