Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Sep 01, 2025

Circular economy: UAE residents embrace refurbished electronics, YouGov report finds

Circular economy: UAE residents embrace refurbished electronics, YouGov report finds

Almost two-thirds of residents in the United Arab Emirates have either purchased refurbished electronic products (27 percent) or would consider buying them in the future (40 percent), according to a YouGov report.

The data analytics firm’s ‘Consumer electronics: Safety and Sustainability in 2023’ report shows that among UAE residents who have purchased electronics devices in the last 12 months, the reassurance of the product being guaranteed for at least a year is most likely to encourage 33 percent of those polled to buy recycled or refurbished products.

Price reductions of up to a quarter of the retail price (31 percent) and reputable sellers (30 percent) also influence consumers decisions when considering purchasing recycled goods.

YouGov noted that communicating the cost-benefits of repurposed technology, in conjunction with the quality reassurance of the product, will be key elements for brand manufacturers and retailers to focus their marketing messages, in order to encourage consumers to buy.

Carlo Stella, a Senior Partner in Arthur D Little’s Dubai office noted that refurbished products are part of a circular economy strategy but added that there is still a reluctance from consumers to purchase refurbished items.

“In my view the focus should be in ensuring adequate warranties and return policies. This model can work in conjunction with the X-as-a-service notion. That is, electronics-as-a service where the manufacturers or the retailers mitigate the refurbished product liabilities meeting consumer needs,” Stella told Al Arabiya English.

YouGov's Consumer electronics: Safety and Sustainability in 2023’ report findings.

Purchasing refurbished items not only serves as a responsible and sustainable consumer choice, but it also plays a vital role in promoting a circular economy - an economic model that aims to keep resources in use for as long as possible, extracting the maximum value from them before recovering and regenerating them. By embracing this concept, communities can work towards reducing the need for new resources and minimizing waste.

Opting for refurbished items means that individuals are not only giving a new lease on life to products that would otherwise be discarded, but also reducing the demand for new products, thus reducing the strain on the environment in terms of the resources and energy needed to create them.

This is particularly important considering the pressing environmental challenges facing the world today, as the overconsumption of resources and the generation of waste contribute significantly to the ongoing climate crisis. By choosing refurbished items, individuals can play a meaningful role in building a more sustainable and equitable future for all.

In addition, refurbishing and reselling of products creates jobs and stimulates local economies, making it a win-win situation for both the environment and the economy.

The global report examined consumer buying behavior of electronics goods, exploring their attitudes to green technology, data privacy, and the preferred security measures for device protection across 18 international markets. The data gathered was designed to help marketers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) gain a better understanding of consumer behavior.

The insights were drawn from a recent global Custom survey and analyzed purchasing behavior and explored consumer attitudes to green technology, data privacy and the preferred security measures for device protection.

The research covered 18 global markets and more than 19,000 respondents. Data for the UAE was based on a nationally representative sample of 1,052 adults aged 18+.


Rest of the World


The YouGov research revealed that there is an appetite for buying refurbished electronics. More than two thirds (69 percent) of consumers across the globe have either already bought a refurbished/recycled electronics item (28 percent) or would consider buying one (41 percent). In contrast, one in three said they were not open at all to the idea of buying pre-used technology and would never consider it.

YouGov's Consumer electronics: Safety and Sustainability in 2023’ report findings.


The highest proportion of refurbish buyers are in the United Kingdom and the US, with around four in ten purchasing repurposed electronics, closely followed by Canada. Across all 18 markets, more than six in ten have either already bought or would consider buying refurbished electronics, suggesting a strong interest overall.

YouGov indicated that it could create an opportunity for brand marketers, manufacturers, and retailers to convince more consumers of the benefits of buying recycled tech.

In working towards a circular economy for consumer electronics, it is important for marketers and OEMs to understand which tactics could be adopted to encourage more consumers to buy recycled gadgets.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
×