Public sector organisations are being encouraged to embed sustainably strategies, to reduce their environmental footprint and improve social responsibility. A critical review of literature indicate that there is no empirical research reported on the key drivers for implementing sustainability initiatives in Abu Dhabi public sector organisations, which is the core objective of this paper. Given the relatively new and unexplored nature of the research problem, the qualitative research methodology was adopted. In total, 60 semistructured interviews were conducted to collect data, which was then analysed using content analysis for inference and conclusion. The data analysis revealed five key drivers that have fuelled the need for implementing sustainability initiatives. A complex mix of political, economic, social and environmental forces drives the Abu Dhabi public sector organisations to embed sustainability initiatives. Therefore, before organisations imbed sustainability initiatives they need to understand and recognise key drivers, which are pushing them towards implementation in order for them to be competitive.