Recycled Materials and Sustainable Construction Chemicals for Low-Carbon Industrial Development in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s industrial growth offers two key materials challenges: reducing the embodied carbon of construction and diverting mineral, glass, polymeric, metallurgical, and construction-and-demolition waste from disposal. This review analyzes how recycled materials and sustainable construction chemicals can be integrated as a unified low-carbon strategy, rather than as separate innovations. It synthesizes 2020–2025 literature on recycled aggregates, recycled powders and glass, supplementary cementitious materials, alkali-activated binders, limestone-calcined-clay systems, and performance-enhancing chemicals such as polycarboxylate superplasticizers and corrosion inhibitors. The review focuses on the Saudi context, where high temperatures, chloride-rich coastal environments, long transport distances, rapid project schedules, and evolving circular-economy goals influence the balance between the laboratory results and real-world implementation. Results show that carbon reduction is greatest when high-volume mineral substitution is combined with admixtures that maintain workability, reduce water demand, manage durability risks, and extend service life. While recycled aggregate reduces demand for natural resources, it can increase porosity and binder requirements; therefore, effective treatment, grading, and use of low-clinker binders are essential. Waste glass and finely processed demolition powders can serve as aggregates or reactive components, but particle size, alkali-silica reaction control, and source consistency are critical. Alkali-activated and limestone-calcined-clay binders enable further clinker reduction, making chemical compatibility increasingly important as binder chemistry differs from ordinary Portland cement. A successful Saudi transition ought to prioritize performance-based specifications, regional material passports, verified life-cycle assessments, local beneficiation infrastructure, and procurement policies that reward whole-life carbon reduction rather than nominal recycled content. The paper concludes with a governance framework that links waste streams, binder design, chemical admixtures, durability qualification, and industrial-scale deployment.