SACM - United Kingdom
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://drepo.sdl.edu.sa/handle/20.500.14154/9667
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Item Restricted Investigating AlUla’s Heritage Future: Lessons from Petra and Luxor on Archaeological Conservation, Urban Planning, and Tourism(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Mutlaq, Rawan; Shepperson, MaryThis dissertation investigates how AlUla heritage site in Saudi Arabia can learn from the experiences of Petra in Jordan and Luxor in Egypt to develop an approach to sustainable heritage management. The comparative analysis aims to find a balanced approach to archaeological conservation, urban regeneration, and tourism development. The case studies are rich in material culture with increasing urbanisation and tourism demands. While AlUla has had recent efforts driven by Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, Luxor and Petra have been conservation and tourism hubs for decades. This supports comparative studies to highlight lessons for growing heritage destinations with an opportunity to create their heritage management from the start. The findings indicate that AlUla's recent development strategies do consider their environmental and cultural implications. Yet, there is rooms for improvements in areas related to visitors’ capacity restrictions, clear buffer zones, community engagement in decision-making, and visitors flow management. The dissertation highlights that the success of AlUla project necessitates a hybrid model using the two case studies with cautious zoning, early community engagement, adaptive reuse methods, and sustainable tourism strategies. It emphasises the need to put long-term sustainability ahead of short-term tourism profits by governance structure such as the Royal Commission for AlUla. It suggests a few improvements, including a visitors’ circulation strategy at Hegra to ensure the site's safety. Finally, it stresses on the need to consider heritage preservation and tourism developments as complementary goals that ensure sustainability is achieved.10 0Item Restricted Airport Customs Procedures and Tourism Branding In Saudi Arabia: An Empirical Study(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Aljudayi, Rahaf; Blake, AdamTourism is a significant driver for economic growth and diversification, and Saudi Arabia has prioritised its advancement under Vision 2030. The Kingdom seeks to elevate the tourist sector's GDP contribution to 10% by 2030, bolstered by investment, worldwide marketing, and infrastructure development. Airports serve a pivotal function in this change as entry points for international travellers, where customs processes influence initial impressions, contentment, and opinions of the Saudi brand. This study analyses the influence of customs processes at Saudi airports on tourism marketing and the national brand image. The objectives are to : (1) assess the impact of customs on tourist satisfaction, (2) examine their contribution to the development of the Saudi brand, and (3) determine strategies for aligning customs practices with national tourism objectives. A quantitative, descriptive, and analytical methodology was utilised, implementing a cross-sectional survey administered to 151 international tourists in Saudi airports. Data were examined utilising descriptive statistics and regression analysis to evaluate the correlations among customs procedures, tourist satisfaction, and brand image. Research indicates that customs procedures substantially influence tourist satisfaction and brand perception. Flexibility, efficiency, and professionalism were significantly associated with positive perceptions, enthusiasm to explore the nation, and intentions for return trips. The regression analysis indicated that customs services accounted for a significant amount of the variance in brand image, underscoring their strategic importance in destination marketing. The research suggests that efficient and culturally attuned customs procedures improve the visitor experience and the competitiveness of Saudi Arabia's tourism industry. Recommendations encompass personnel training, streamlining entry procedures, and incorporating customs into national branding efforts to guarantee sustainable development.13 0Item Restricted Landscape Planning and Characterisation For Ecotourism within Protected Areas in Saudi Arabia: A case Study in Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Royal Reserve(Saudi Digital Library, 2025-10-09) ABU NUHAYYA, AHMED; Dr. Paul BrindleyAbstract This study delivers the first National Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) for Saudi Arabia, adapting a methodology traditionally developed for temperate, Western landscapes to an arid, culturally distinct context. While in the UK and Europe LCA frameworks are primarily based on vegetation, topography, and settlement patterns, this research modifies the approach to reflect the unique ecological and geographical characteristics of Saudi Arabia, where arid geomorphology, shifting sand formations, gravel plains, and rocky outcrops are more influential in shaping landscape character than the vegetation-driven diversity typical of temperate Western contexts. A mixed-methods approach was employed comprising: 1. Desk Study: Review of international LCA frameworks and regional studies to develop a Saudi-specific classification system. 2. Site Investigation: Field investigations were conducted to support both the national-scale LCA of Saudi Arabia (Chapter 4) and the local assessment within PMBSRR, including Wadi Al Disah, presented in Chapter 5. 3. Questionnaire Survey (153 participants): Assessment of public perceptions of ecotourism potential in Wadi Al Disah and PMBSRR. 4. Semi-Structured Interviews (21 participants): Engagement with key stakeholders and government representatives to explore the potential role of LCA in planning policy and ecotourism development. Findings demonstrate that LCA can be effectively adapted for arid environments and that the resulting landscape classifications provide an evidence base for conservation and sustainable tourism planning. At the national level, the research highlights inconsistencies between existing protected areas and landscape character types, while the local-scale analysis identifies zones suitable for ecotourism development based on landscape sensitivity and distinctiveness. This work provides a framework for landscape classification in Saudi Arabia and offers a methodological foundation for future planning, aligning with national goals under Vision 2030. The study underscores the broader potential for applying LCA in Gulf countries with similar climatic and geographic contexts.19 0Item Restricted Assessing the Economic Impact of Vision 2030 on Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Sector: A Case Study of Diriyah’s Tourism Development(Bournemouth University, 2025) Alharbi, Ziyad; Blake, AdamThis dissertation examines the economic implications of Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia in the tourism development of Diriyah, a mega-project centered on heritage development located at the epicenter of the diversification program in the Kingdom. The aim of the work is to evaluate the impact of the Vision 2030 policies on the non-oil fraction of the GDP of Diriyah, labor creation, and comparative competitiveness in the national tourism system. The specific objectives included measuring the awareness of such policies among the stakeholders, exploring the relationship between tourism and GDP, examining the effects on employment, and comparing the performance of Diriyah to that of other Vision 2030 projects such as NEOM and the Red Sea Project. This research adopts a quantitative research design through which the primary survey of 150 respondents (tourists, workers, and business owners) is combined with the secondary economic indicators. Analytical techniques include descriptive statistics, t-tests, correlation analysis, ANOVA, multiple regression models, and the Mann-Whitney U test. The findings showed a strong level of awareness of the stakeholders regarding Vision 2030 and a positive perception regarding the efficacy of policies, especially e-visas and cultural branding. There was a strong positive correlation between GDP and tourism receipts, which demonstrated the importance of tourism in the non-oil growth of the economy. There was, however, inconsistency in employment outcomes; although perceptions were positive, the regression analysis did not justify sustained job security. Diriyah is a leader in heritage tourism, where it lags behind NEOM and Red Sea in size and prominence. Conclusively, the research concludes that Vision 2030 is an effective policy framework, but Diriyah has irregular economic progress due to the delay in implementation, external shocks like COVID-19, and a shortage of workforce skills. Among the recommendations are to speed up infrastructure investment as well as devise specific training for stakeholders, better systematic data that can be used to make inter-project assessments, and a larger stakeholder involvement in the evaluations to be done in the future. Altogether, this study enriches the policy literature on tourism by conducting a localized and evidence-based evaluation of the impacts of Vision 2030, as well as by putting forward an exportable model of evaluating the contribution of tourism to rentier economies’ diversification.51 0Item Restricted Trip To Go(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Bin Mabrouk, Alaa Ali; Manlove, DavidThis dissertation presents the design, development, and evaluation of TripToGo, a smart-tourism web application tailored to the Saudi Arabian context. Tourism is a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, yet existing digital platforms offer limited support for fully customised, end-to-end itinerary planning. TripToGo addresses this gap by enabling users to generate personalised daily itineraries based on their preferences, including selected cities, budget, travel duration, and interests. The system was developed using Django for the backend, PostgreSQL for data management, and Bootstrap for the user interface. A service-oriented architecture was adopted to separate concerns between itinerary generation, database persistence, and frontend presentation. Key technical challenges included implementing realistic scheduling of meals and activities and ensuring accommodation logic was both budget-aware and clearly represented in the interface. These were resolved through model extensions, time-slot management functions, and dedicated budget allocation algorithms. Testing was conducted at three levels: unit testing of itinerary generation logic and error handling, manual testing of interface components, and user testing with ten participants. The user evaluation employed the System Usability Scale (SUS), achieving a mean score of 78, which exceeds the industry benchmark of 68 and indicates above-average usability. Qualitative feedback highlighted the system's intuitive design while suggesting future enhancements such as transportation integration and booking functionality. The results demonstrate that TripToGo successfully delivers a minimum viable product (MVP) that supports intelligent, user-centred itinerary planning for Saudi Arabia. The project establishes a robust foundation for future expansion into a comprehensive travel ecosystem, incorporating real-time data, adaptive budgeting, and booking integration capabilities.9 0Item Restricted Landscape Planning and Characterisation For Ecotourism within Protected Areas in Saudi Arabia: A case Study in Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Royal Reserve(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) ABUNUHAYYA, AHMED; Paul, BrindleyAbstract This study delivers the first National Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) for Saudi Arabia, adapting a methodology traditionally developed for temperate, Western landscapes to an arid, culturally distinct context. While in the UK and Europe LCA frameworks are primarily based on vegetation, topography, and settlement patterns, this research modifies the approach to reflect the unique ecological and geographical characteristics of Saudi Arabia, where arid geomorphology, shifting sand formations, gravel plains, and rocky outcrops are more influential in shaping landscape character than the vegetation-driven diversity typical of temperate Western contexts. A mixed-methods approach was employed comprising: 1. Desk Study: Review of international LCA frameworks and regional studies to develop a Saudi-specific classification system. 2. Site Investigation: Field investigations were conducted to support both the national-scale LCA of Saudi Arabia (Chapter 4) and the local assessment within PMBSRR, including Wadi Al Disah, presented in Chapter 5. 3. Questionnaire Survey (153 participants): Assessment of public perceptions of ecotourism potential in Wadi Al Disah and PMBSRR. 4. Semi-Structured Interviews (21 participants): Engagement with key stakeholders and government representatives to explore the potential role of LCA in planning policy and ecotourism development. Findings demonstrate that LCA can be effectively adapted for arid environments and that the resulting landscape classifications provide an evidence base for conservation and sustainable tourism planning. At the national level, the research highlights inconsistencies between existing protected areas and landscape character types, while the local-scale analysis identifies zones suitable for ecotourism development based on landscape sensitivity and distinctiveness. This work provides a framework for landscape classification in Saudi Arabia and offers a methodological foundation for future planning, aligning with national goals under Vision 2030. The study underscores the broader potential for applying LCA in Gulf countries with similar climatic and geographic contexts.22 0Item Restricted The Impact of Tourist Influx on the Quality of Life of Local Resident in Saudi Arabia(Bournemouth university, 2025) Albalawi, Abeer; Hande, TurkogluThis research explores the impact of tourist influx on the quality of life (QoL) of local residents in Saudi Arabia, with a focus on the social, economic, environmental, and psychological dimensions of this relationship. The study is grounded in the context of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which positions tourism as a key driver of economic diversification and national development. While tourism offers opportunities for growth, it also raises concerns regarding social equity, environmental sustainability, and cultural transformation particularly in high- density religious tourism destinations like Mecca. The study adopts a quantitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional research design to address these gaps. Primary data will be collected via a structured electronic survey distributed to a random sample of residents from both urban and rural areas across Saudi Arabia. Secondary data from governmental and academic sources will supplement this analysis. The methodology is supported by Social Exchange Theory and the Bottom-Up Spillover Model, enabling a theoretical framework to assess the perceived benefits and costs of tourism on local populations.18 0Item Restricted Mutual Reinforcement of FDI and Tourism in the GCC.(Saudi Digital Library, 2024) Alharbi, Raghad; Dymaski, GaryThis dissertation investigates the dynamic relationship between Foreign Direct Investment FDI inflows and tourism in GCC countries, with a focus on their strategic efforts to diversify economies traditionally dependent on oil. By employing the Tourism-Led Growth Hypothesis and the FDI-led tourism concept, this study examines the mutual reinforcement between FDI and tourism. A range of econometric tools, including co-integration analysis, Granger causality tests, Pooled Ordinary Least Squares POLS, and Fixed Effects FE estimations, are employed. The results indicate a bidirectional relationship between FDI and tourism, marked by lagged effects. Specifically, Fixed Effects estimation reveals that FDI stimulates the growth of the tourism sector, and a thriving tourism industry, in turn, attracts additional FDI after a two-period lag. This positive feedback loop enhances economic resilience and supports diversification. The findings suggest that GCC countries should consider integrated policies that concurrently promote tourism and attract FDI.14 0Item Restricted Enhancing the Pilgrimage Experience: An In-depth Analysis of Religious Tourism for Hajj in Makkah, Saudi Arabia(Middlesex University, 2024) Farea, Fahd; Terzidou, MatinaExecutive Summary Hajj is one of the most important events in the Islamic calendar, often requiring Muslims to attend the event at least once in their lives. Each year, the event attracts millions of people, leading to congestion especially due to the growing number of unauthorised pilgrims. Although the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (MHU) is responsible for planning Hajj during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah from the 8th- 12th day of the month, some of the events have been marred with casualties as stampedes result in thousands of people being injured. Furthermore, the event occurs during the summer which means extreme heat, often affecting the elderly. In recent years, technologies have been used in an attempt to improve the experience and organisation of pilgrims. To investigate the social phenomenon, this study adopted an interpretivist approach through a descriptive design, an inductive approach and qualitative semi structured interviews. The goal was to provide the participants an opportunity to explain their ideas, beliefs and experiences. The current study also includes twelve participants purposively selected from three agencies that organise or facilitate the Hajj experience in one way or another. From the thematic analysis of the interviews, the current research found that the expectations of Hajjis play a crucial role in shaping their experience during the pilgrimage. Finally, the study found that communication challenges from non-Arab speakers particularly, climate issues and infrastructural issues account for some of the main challenges that affect the pilgrim experience for Hajjis in Saudi Arabia.34 0Item Restricted A Study of Revitalizing and Protecting Historical Sites in Al Ahsa for Tourism to Achieve Saudi Vision 2030(University of Sheffield, 2024-09) AlOmran, Abdulaziz; Williams, GlynThis study investigates the revitalization and preservation of historical sites in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, to promote heritage tourism and support the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. It also highlights the vital role of local community engagement in preserving and revitalizing historical sites. The study focuses on three main areas: (1) how the social and economic benefits of these sites can stimulate local engagement; (2) factors that contribute to declining visitation rates; and (3) community attitudes, behaviours, and motivations toward heritage conservation. Using semi-structured interviews with heritage and tourism sector officials and opinion polls of Al Ahsa residents, the findings reveal a generational gap: younger residents show less interest in historical sites than older residents, who have deeper cultural and historical ties. The study suggests that enhancing economic opportunities associated with these sites could attract younger people to participate in their preservation, while older residents are more motivated by cultural pride. In addition, poor marketing, inadequate facilities, and limited services were identified as significant barriers to increasing visitor numbers. These insights underscore the need for comprehensive strategies that balance economic development with heritage preservation, enhance community engagement, and improve infrastructure to ensure sustainable tourism growth. The study findings contribute to understanding how Al Ahsa’s historical sites can be leveraged to enhance local identity, pride, and economic growth, which aligns with the broader goals of Saudi Vision 2030.46 0