Emerging Technologies as Enablers of Sustainable Management: A Comprehensive Framework—The Role of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030

Emerging technologies are increasingly positioned as key enablers of sustainable management; however, existing research largely examines digital transformation and sustainability as parallel rather than integrated processes, particularly within national transformation contexts. Moreover, prior studies tend to focus on individual technologies or environmental outcomes, offering limited insight into how emerging technologies are embedded within ESG-oriented management systems and institutional governance frameworks. To address this gap, this study adopts a structured conceptual literature review methodology guided by a systematic PRISMA-informed selection process. Based on the qualitative synthesis of 76 peer-reviewed studies, the paper develops an integrative framework explaining how emerging technologies enable sustainable management and digital transformation within the context of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Drawing on sustainability transitions, digital transformation, and ESG management literature, emerging technologies are conceptualized as combinatorial digital capabilities operating through a recursive capability loop (Sense–Analyze–Decide–Act–Verify). These capabilities influence sustainability outcomes through four mediating mechanisms—measurement, optimization, transparency, and institutionalization—and are conditionally shaped by national institutional enablers. The proposed framework positions ESG-oriented management systems as a mediating layer between technological capabilities and multi-dimensional sustainability outcomes, while explicitly addressing the double transition paradox, which recognizes both the sustainability benefits and environmental costs of digital infrastructures. The study advances theory by integrating ESG mediation, institutional moderation, and capability-based mechanisms into a unified analytical architecture and formulates six theoretically grounded propositions to guide future empirical research. The framework also provides actionable insights for managers and policymakers seeking to align digital transformation, ESG integration, and national sustainability agendas in Saudi Arabia and comparable emerging economy contexts.