SACM - United Kingdom

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://drepo.sdl.edu.sa/handle/20.500.14154/9667

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    Aspect-based Evaluation of Airport Service Quality on Passenger Online Feedback using Artificial Intelligence Approaches
    (Saudi Digital Library, 2025) ALANAZI, MOHAMMED SAAD; Li, Jun
    This thesis presents a comprehensive analysis of airport service quality through the lens of passenger feedback, utilizing advanced computational techniques such as machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL). The primary objectives of the research include developing and validating predictive models, employing Aspect-Based Sentiment Analysis (ABSA), standardizing evaluation aspects across different platforms, and conducting a comparative analysis of feedback from various online sources. To achieve these objectives, a substantial dataset of approximately 300,000 reviews was collected from platforms such as airlinequality.com, TripAdvisor, Google Maps, and Twitter. This diverse and extensive dataset enabled a detailed examination of passenger sentiments related to key aspects of airport services, including facilities, terminal, security, check-in processes, wayfinding, and staff behaviour. The application of ABSA highlights specific areas of service excellence and those requiring improvement. The research introduced methodological innovations by integrating multiple data sources and employing advanced predictive models, including Support Vector Machines (SVM), Decision Trees, Random Forests, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks. These models demonstrated high accuracy and reliability in predicting passenger sentiments, offering robust tools for real-time monitoring and proactive management of airport service quality. A standardized evaluation framework was developed to ensure consistent assessments across different platforms, enhancing the reliability and comparability of the findings. The comparative analysis revealed distinct trends and characteristics in passenger feedback across various platforms, providing a comprehensive understanding of passenger experiences and expectations. The theoretical contributions of this thesis include the advancement of sentiment analysis methodologies, the integration of diverse online data sources, and the development of a standardized framework for service quality assessment. Practically, the research provides actionable insights for airport management to enhance service quality and improve passenger satisfaction. The findings also have broader applicability across various service-oriented industries, demonstrating the versatility and impact of the methodologies developed. In conclusion, this thesis sets a new standard for the analysis of airport service quality, providing a detailed, reliable, and actionable framework that can be applied universally across different review platforms and service contexts. The findings offer valuable insights for enhancing passenger experience and driving service improvements in the aviation industry and beyond.
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    The Maritime Counterterrorism Governance Mechanisms in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
    (Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alsufyyan, Khaleed; Wallace, Stuart; Walker, Clive
    The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) mechanisms for combating maritime terrorism are inadequate, with current governance structures and laws insufficiently developed to address threats effectively and fairly. This thesis critically examines KSA’s policies, laws, and institutional mechanisms for countering maritime terrorism, with a particular focus on maritime cybersecurity, submarine critical infrastructure, and port operations, assessing their effectiveness and fairness. Through documentary analysis and fieldwork interviews, this research identifies key gaps in legal frameworks, policy implementation, and institutional deficiencies that hinder KSA’s ability to effectively and fairly counter maritime terrorism. A central challenge lies in the role of Sharia within KSA’s legal system and the interpretative difficulties it presents in addressing maritime terrorism. Since Sharia does not explicitly address maritime terrorism, legal ambiguities arise that affect the enforcement of modern counterterrorism laws. The reliance on Sharia, rather than specific responses to contemporary security needs, has resulted in governance gaps, limiting KSA’s ability to respond comprehensively to maritime threats. Another significant factor identified in this research pertains to challenges in KSA’s maritime strategy and policy framework. The absence of a comprehensive and transparent maritime strategy, along with fragmented sectoral policies, has created challenges in addressing emerging threats such as maritime terrorism. The lack of cohesion in strategy, insufficient coordination with the private sector, and inconsistent enforcement of existing policies further limit the country’s ability to effectively and fairly counter maritime terrorism. In addition to identifying the factors contributing to the shortcomings in maritime counterterrorism governance mechanisms in KSA, this thesis proposes reforms to enhance KSA’s policy, law, and institutional frameworks. These recommendations draw insights from the governance experiences of the UK, which form the basis for policy transfer to strengthen KSA’s maritime counterterrorism governance mechanisms.
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    Teaching of Mathematics in Primary Schools: The Role of Technology in Reducing Maths Anxiety
    (Saudi Digital Library, 2024) Alshehri, Ahmed Amer; Gisela, Oliveira
    Abstract This research study explored the role of digital technology in reducing math anxiety among primary school students from the perspectives of teaching staff. The primary aim was to understand how integrating digital tools into math education can reduce students' math anxiety, which negatively affects their performance and long-term engagement with mathematics. The research is set within the broader context of educational technology and its impact on emotional and cognitive learning outcomes, particularly within primary education. A quantitative research approach was adopted, utilizing a structured questionnaire to gather data from primary school teachers on their perceptions of technology integration, challenges in its use, and its potential to reduce math anxiety. Various statistical techniques, such as descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis, were used in this study to explore the relationships between key variables. The results indicate that increased Technology Integration significantly reduces math anxiety, while Challenges of Technology Use, such as technical difficulties and lack of training, exacerbate it. Other variables, including the Importance of Technology in Education, Future Expectations, and Impact on Students' Learning, did not significantly affect math anxiety. The study concludes that digital tools can effectively reduce math anxiety, but their success largely depends on addressing teachers' practical challenges in implementing these technologies. It is recommended that educators and policymakers should focus on improving access to training and support for teachers to maximize the benefits of technology in math education. This research contributes to understanding how technology can influence both the emotional and academic aspects of learning. In addition, the finding of this study offers a pathway for creating more supportive and engaging learning environments for students specially in the context of Mathematics subject.
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    Dental Hygienists’ Contribution to the Oral Health Workforce in Supporting the Oral Health of People in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)
    (Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alolayah, Anfal; Gallagher, Jenny
    Introduction The oral health workforce plays a central role in the World Health Organization's Global Strategy and Action Plan on Oral Health, which highlights the need for transformative changes in workforce models to address population oral health needs. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), poor oral health is a significant public health concern alongside other non-communicable diseases. Despite advancements in healthcare aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, the oral healthcare system faces challenges, including workforce imbalances, limited preventive oral healthcare, and disparities in oral healthcare access. Globally, dental hygienists play a role in prevention and oral health education, significantly contributing to both clinical and community settings to enhance access to oral healthcare; however, in KSA, their capacity is limited, and their role are unclear. Research is needed to evaluate the current role of dental hygienists in KSA, identify barriers to their optimal integration into oral healthcare delivery, and explore opportunities to expand their contributions in line with national and international goals, for better oral health outcomes. Aim To explore dental hygienists’ current role and practice in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and how this may possibly change in future to better support the oral health of the population as part of the oral health workforce. Methods A sequential mixed-methods approach was adopted, comprising a questionnaire survey followed by semi-structured interviews. Study 1 (Quantitative Survey): An online questionnaire was distributed to dental hygienists across KSA to collect data on their demographic profiles, working environments, service delivery practices, career motivations, and job satisfaction. Statistical analysis included tests like chi- 3 square tests, correlation coefficients, and binomial tests to identify key patterns and associations. Study 2 (Qualitative Interviews): Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants for virtual semi-structured interviews, including dental hygienists, dentists, and dental nurses. Interviews explored perceptions of the dental hygiene profession, its role in oral healthcare, and the barriers and facilitators to its integration into the healthcare system. Framework thematic analysis was applied to identify and interpret key themes. Findings of each study were reported separately and later integrated into the discussion. Results This study draws on diverse perspectives and shows trends within the dental hygiene workforce in KSA. While the survey response rate (9%, n=91) from dental hygienists and qualitative sample size (20) from dental team members present certain limitations, the findings still offer insights into the profession, highlighting areas for further exploration. A strong desire to work in healthcare, serve others, and contribute to public health motivated 97% of responding hygienists, while 51% of those for whom dental hygiene was their first career were influenced by early exposure to dental hygiene, either through personal dental care experiences or professional experience in the field. The findings from interviews highlighted the importance of informed decision-making in achieving career satisfaction, as participants pursued the profession seeking professional recognition, high-income potential, and job security. When these expectations were unmet, dissatisfaction and retention issues arose, with 58% of survey respondents considering leaving the profession. Findings suggested limitations in the scope and settings in which responding dental hygienists operate with a focus on the provision of oral hygiene instruction (95%) and scaling (87%), in predominantly urban locations (59%), hospital environments (86%), and public sector facilities (59%). Limited involvement in community-based care or with vulnerable groups restricts their contributions to broader public health goals. Fifty percent of the respondents to the survey were satisfied with their job, citing the extent 4 to which hygienists could fully utilise their skills as a key factor. Those working independently of dentists reported higher satisfaction levels. Findings from the interviews highlighted barriers that hinder the optimal utilisation of dental hygienists including limited skillsets, insufficient delegation of tasks by dentists, and inadequate access to essential resources. Participants proposed strategies to address these issues, such as enhancing undergraduate programmes, offering tailored continuous professional development, and fostering interprofessional collaboration through joint education and training. Developing a clearly defined scope of practice and establishing clear clinical guidelines were also recommended. Participants in the interviews, including hygienists, dentists, and dental nurses, perceived that the profession is underutilised but envisioned opportunities for growth. While individual views on specific areas of expansion varied, collectively, they pointed toward a more expanded role for dental hygienists. Proposed expansions included a stronger presence in primary oral healthcare, increased involvement in community settings, and broader responsibilities within dental practices. Participants recognised that achieving this requires improvements in both the profession and the healthcare system. For the profession, key areas include career counselling, standardised education and licensing, a comprehensive scope of practice, expanded training programmes, and leadership development. These measures would attract motivated students, strengthen professional identity, and sustain workforce commitment. For the healthcare system, strong governance is important, including a dedicated oral health department, data-driven planning, efficient resource allocation, preventive care pathways, policies addressing health risks, and improved oral health literacy. These initiatives would secure role for hygienists and enhance oral healthcare delivery in Saudi Arabia. Conclusion The findings suggest that while dental hygienists' current role, scope of practice and workplace locations in KSA are limited, opportunities exist to expand their role within the oral healthcare workforce to better support oral healthcare delivery which relate to careers, education and training, governance, care delivery and leadership. Expanding the role of dental hygienists aligning the oral health care system in KSA with global best practice is recommended.
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    THE USE OF BIM IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS IN SAUDI ARABIA: INVESTIGATE ITS BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES AND SUGGEST AN IMPLEMENTATION ROADMAP
    (Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alqahtani, Ghanem Hamed; Rolla, Monib; Supervisor's, Name
    Digital technologies have significantly impacted construction and facility management globally. Building information modelling (BIM) is a powerful tool intended to improve the performance and management of a building as it progresses through its lifecycle. However, its application in Healthcare Facility Management (HFM) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) remains limited. This dissertation examines BIM's advantages, disadvantages, and potential for implementation in KSA healthcare operations. This study uses a mixed-method approach to investigate BIM awareness, implementation, perceived barriers, and the roadmap to adoption through quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews. The results found that BIM provides numerous benefits, including increased maintenance planning, energy efficiency, and cost control. Adoption challenges include high initial costs, expertise shortage, resistance to change, and data security concerns. The study is in line with Saudi Vision 2030 and, therefore, supports the integration of technology and sustainable FM to improve the healthcare infrastructure of the Kingdom. This study adds insights into BIM's potential to improve HFM and recommends it for professionals and researchers. To address existing challenges and utilise BIM technology, this research aims to improve the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and technological advancement of the healthcare system in the KSA.
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    Shaping Minds: A Critical Discourse Analysis of George W. Bush’s Use of Imagery in His Speeches Leading to the Iraq War
    (Saudi Digital Library, 2024-08) Alhamami, Tahani; Mazzola, Francisco
    This study investigates how the use of imagery in President George W. Bush’s speeches from the aftermath of 9/11 to the onset of the Iraq War had an impact on the public’s emotions and opinion, eventually leading them to support the military intervention. It argues that employing imagery in political discourse can create mental images in the mind of the audience which can stir their emotions and impair their critical thinking, and thus make them susceptible to manipulation. Through van Dijk’s framework of CDA and Le Bon’s theory of the crowd, the study identifies instances of imagery in six speeches by Bush and analyzes the mental images they evoke to assess the emotive effect on the audience. The research also uses secondary source polls to measure the public perception of the Iraq War. The findings reveal that Bush strategically employed imagery to revive past fears and traumas, reinforce preexisting ideologies, and warn of impending threats, thereby manipulating public perception to justify the war. Finally, the study discusses the ethical implications of using imagery in political discourse to manipulate people.
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    STRIVING TO CONTROL ASTHMA SYMPTOMS: A CONSTRUCTIVIST GROUNDED THEORY STUDY OF BEING A MOTHER OF A CHILD WITH ASTHMA IN SAUDI ARABIA
    (Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alsunitan, Randa; Susan, Kirk; Christie, Janice
    Introduction: Asthma is a common chronic lung disease among children in Saudi Arabia. Parents play an important role in recognising, monitoring, and managing their children’s symptoms, which depends on their knowledge and skill, especially for young children. Yet, no study has been identified that explores mothers’ experiences of caring for a child with asthma in Saudi Arabia. Aim: To generate a Grounded Theory to explain the experiences and perceptions of being a mother of a child with asthma in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A Constructivist Grounded Theory approach was adopted, and 24 in-depth semi- structured interviews (n=22 mothers) were used to collect data from May 2022 to September 2023. Mothers in Saudi Arabia whose children were attending one of three hospitals in Qassim were initially convenience sampled, progressing to theoretical sampling until theoretical saturation was reached. Interviews were transcribed and translated into English and analysed using Charmaz’s principles: initial, focused, and theoretical coding, constant comparison, theoretical sampling and sensitivity, and memo-writing and diagramming. Results: The Grounded Theory, ‘Striving to Control Asthma Symptoms,’ was constructed from the data, which consists of a core category, ‘striving to control asthma symptoms,’ and two sub-categories: ‘managing the triggers of asthma symptoms’ and ‘using treatments to manage and prevent asthma symptoms.’ The theory explains mothers' experiences and the cultural beliefs and social influences that underpin their experiences. Mothers control asthma symptoms by preventing triggers and using preventive treatments, such as inhalers or traditional and religious methods. When symptoms appear, they manage them with either traditional or modern treatments. Conclusion: The emergent theory suggests that striving to control asthma symptoms is central to the mother’s experience in the Saudi context. It highlighted how cultural beliefs and social influences impact the management of asthma symptoms in Saudi Arabia. This study provides an in-depth understanding of Saudi mothers' experience of being a mother of a child with asthma. This understanding could assist healthcare professionals and policymakers in supporting mothers and providing better culturally tailored care.
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    Preventive Strategies and Health Promotion Initiatives for Osteoporosis in the United States
    (Saudi Digital Library, 2024) Aldekhayel, Marwan; Verma, Arpana
    This review critically examines the preventive strategies and health promotion initiatives implemented to mitigate osteoporosis in the United States (US). Osteoporosis, a progressive bone disease characterised by low bone mineral density, poses a significant public health challenge due to its association with an increased risk of fractures, particularly in the elderly and postmenopausal women. In a high-income country like the US, with population ageing becoming a major public health concern, the prevention and control of osteoporosis and its related health consequences have become paramount. This review highlights the rising prevalence of osteoporosis, leading to substantial healthcare costs in the US, where it impacts approximately 54 million adults over the age of 50, contributing to over two million fractures annually. It also details various initiatives and organisations working to address this problem. These include the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation (BHOF), which focuses on public education and advocacy, and government-led programs such as Healthy People 2030 and initiatives by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). These efforts aim to enhance screening, promote bone health, and support osteoporosis prevention and treatment research. Despite such efforts for several decades, the burden of osteoporosis does not seem to have declined. Many initiatives operate independently, leading to overlapping activities, redundant research, and fragmented outreach efforts. By fostering stronger partnerships and creating a more unified national strategy, these organisations could pool resources, share data more effectively, and streamline their health promotion activities. The review's findings underscore the importance of continued investment in public health strategies to manage the growing burden of osteoporosis in the US population, with a particular focus on addressing the needs of the vulnerable and marginalised.
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    Enhancing Project Resilience through project Management -Driven Stakeholder Communication; A Case Study of Sainsbury’s COVID-19 Response in the UK.
    (Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Benqadeb, Ziad Fahad A; Agroudy, Mohamed El
    This dissertation explores how using project management-driven stakeholder communications influenced Sainsbury’s and contributed to the success of its Online Delivery Expansion and In-Store Safety Implementation Projects during the COVID-19 crisis. Analysing secondary information from the company’s reports, news and industry material, the research investigates the relation of communication to cost, time and quality. To analyse the situation, the IRCRF, supported by Situational Crisis Communication Theory, the Resilience Engineering concept and PRINCE2 Agile, was used. The results show that Sainsbury’s clear communication allowed for quick growth in delivery services by adding 600,000 slots and ensuring customers’ \safety with over 40,000 plexiglass screens, despite struggles with 30% shortage of stock. The company managed the strong online sales by using flexible strategies which cut down on employee absenteeism by 15% and drove digital sales growth to 117%. Sainsbury’s way of operating gave it an edge, allowing for fewer issues reported by a 18% decrease in complaints when compared to Tesco and Asda. This research points out the importance of organised communication in successful projects and it provides valuable tips for retail crisis management. It provides tools for improved future resilience, highlights the value of involving all stakeholders and helps develop frameworks for managing crises which is significant for retail project outcomes.
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    Nonparametric Predictive Inference for Multivariate Data using Copulas
    (Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Almasoud, Taghreed; Coolen, Frank; Coolen-Maturi, Thahani
    Modelling dependence among random quantities is a core aspect of multivariate data analysis. Copulas provide a flexible and powerful approach to capturing the dependence structure between random quantities. Several dependence models have been proposed in the literature, including classical copulas, vine copulas, and fully nested Archimedean copulas (FNAC). In parallel, several statistical methods have been developed within the imprecise probability framework, including nonparametric predictive inference (NPI). NPI is based on minimal modelling assumptions and quantifies uncertainty using lower and upper probabilities. Recently, NPI has been applied to bivariate data using both parametric and nonparametric copulas. This thesis contributes to the use of NPI for multivariate data by presenting different approaches for prediction. The focus is on copulas for modelling dependence, as they provide high flexibility for modelling complex dependency patterns. A generalization is proposed for the method that combines NPI with bivariate data, using a parametric copula with a single parameter to model dependence. The approach is further extended by introducing a fully nonparametric version that uses a nonparametric copula. A novel method for combining NPI with vine copulas is also presented, motivated by the vine copulas ability to capture several dependence structures in a model. In addition, a new method integrating NPI with FNAC is developed, where FNAC is a promising model for capturing different dependencies within a model using Archimedean copulas. The proposed methods are illustrated using examples from the literature. Simulation studies are conducted to evaluate the predictive performance of the proposed methods and to compare the methods, highlighting their strengths and differences. The results indicate that the methods with either vine copulas or FNAC perform well compared to other methods.
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