Pathways to sustainable campus operations: success factors for higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates

Purpose This study aims to identify and prioritize the critical success factors for implementing sustainability initiatives within higher education institutions (HEIs) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in response to the growing global emphasis on sustainable development and institutional environmental responsibility. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review was conducted to extract key enablers of sustainability in HEIs. These findings informed a Delphi method involving a two-round survey with sustainability experts from universities across the UAE. A total of 27 success factors were evaluated and ranked using inferential statistical techniques. Findings The results reveal that student and staff engagement, technological infrastructure and effective evaluation and reporting mechanisms are among the most influential factors in integrating sustainability into institutional operations. These factors are particularly relevant across domains such as energy efficiency, waste management, social responsibility, academic curricula and sustainability-related research. Research limitations/implications The study is context-specific to UAE HEIs and may not be directly generalizable to institutions in other countries with different regulatory or cultural environments. Future research should consider broader geographic samples and stakeholder groups. Practical implications The study offers a prioritized framework of actionable success factors that can assist policymakers, university administrators and sustainability coordinators in designing and implementing more effective sustainability strategies tailored to the UAE context. Originality/value This research contributes to the limited body of knowledge on context-specific sustainability integration in Middle Eastern higher education. It provides empirical insights grounded in expert consensus and highlights practical pathways to support UAE universities in aligning with national and global sustainability goals.