Status and Prospects of Green Building in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region with a Focus on the Moroccan Context

To promote the development of the Green Building (GB) concept in developing countries, this paper treated the combination of the scientometric analysis of green building research in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with investigation into the current state of deployment of GB and barriers to sustainable construction practices in the Moroccan construction industry. A scientometric method was used to analyze 159 articles published from 2000 to 2021, and a survey of 167 Moroccan professionals with green building experience was conducted to understand the stakeholders' position. The examination of the dataset reveals the significant contribution in GB research from Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia with 27 articles). The adoption of GB in the Moroccan construction industry is not apparent. Four clusters for the twelve barriers have been identified by the clustering analysis. They were attributed to government, social and awareness barriers, design phase barriers, high initial costs, and technology barriers. This paper provides stakeholders with the necessary knowledge and understanding of the current research, its gaps, inter-regional and international cooperation, and future direction in the MENA region. This could aid practitioners and policymakers in taking the proper actions to mitigate obstacles for GB adoption.

Automated summary

This paper combines scientometric analysis of green building research in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region with investigation into the current state of deployment of green building and barriers to sustainable construction practices in the Moroccan construction industry. The findings show significant contribution of Gulf countries in green building research and the need to overcome barriers for green building adoption in Morocco.