The construction industry is increasingly adopting digital technologies to support circular economy (CE) practices; however, the effective integration of these approaches in practice remains unclear. This paper examines digital–circular integration as a pathway dependent process within the construction industry in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Drawing on semi-structured interviews with nine industry experts, the study employs a qualitative, process-oriented approach to explore how integration evolves throughout the project lifecycle and how organizational and project conditions influence its development. The findings identify three integration pathways: intentional, emergent, and hybrid. Strategic decisions and regulatory requirements drive intentional pathways, emergent pathways arise through learning during project execution, while hybrid pathways combine early planning with adaptive implementation. The results show that integration outcomes are shaped primarily by leadership, timing, governance, and organizational alignment rather than by technological capability alone. By conceptualising integration as a dynamic, pathway dependent process, the paper advances understanding of how digital and circular strategies can be more effectively aligned and provides practical insights for achieving more consistent and scalable implementation.