Abstract
The concept of environmental citizenship has evolved in Western literature and it was never examined in the Arabian Gulf States particularly Kuwait. The aim of this research was to develop a theoretical framework of what constitutes environmental citizenship in Kuwait from the perspective of the Environment Public Authority (KEPA) employees as well as individuals and environmental advocates working on environmental initiatives in Kuwait. Using participant observation, and semi-structured interviews conceptualized within the social theory of symbolic interaction, and constructivist grounded theory, a Model for Environmental Citizenship in Kuwait was developed. This model explicates three core elements of meaning and six elements of mobility. Elements of mobility include three enabling, and three inhibiting factors that affect how the meaning of environmental citizenship is manifesting and growing in Kuwait. This study contributed substantively to the existing literature as it examined environmental citizenship in a unique socio-political atmosphere and in a semi-authoritarian state which heavily depends on fossil fuels. It also revealed avenues for future research as it highlighted the rising environmental justice issues in Kuwait due to the demographic imbalance.