SACM - United Kingdom
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://drepo.sdl.edu.sa/handle/20.500.14154/9667
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Item Restricted Parents' Perceptions of Quality in Early Childhood Education Programme for Children Aged 3-4 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Jifri, Samar; Gkouskou, EiriniThis qualitative study investigates the perceptions of Early Childhood Education (ECE) quality among parents in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Guided by a constructivist and interpretivist paradigm, the research explores the diverse meanings and values parents associate with quality, seeking to move beyond a universal, one-size-fits-all definition. The study addresses two primary research questions: (1) What factors do parents in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, look for to determine the quality of early childhood education? and (2) Do parents place greater importance on care or education when evaluating the quality of ECE services? A qualitative methodology was employed in this study, utilising semi-structured interviews to gain an in-depth understanding of the views and beliefs of seven participating parents, in an attempt to capture the lived experiences of individuals within a specific cultural context. The findings indicate that parents associate high-quality early years settings with relational and holistic factors. Specifically, they value an unstructured, play-based approach, consistent parent-school communication, opportunities for outdoor and real-life experiences, and a clean environment. In addressing the prioritisation between care and education, the study reveals that parents place a significantly greater importance on the nurturing aspects of "care." Their understanding of care extends beyond basic supervision to include attentiveness, positive teacher-child relationships, and a welcoming environment. In contrast, parents showed less interest in an academic, school-readiness focused approach to education.16 0Item Restricted Investigation on the impact of using date palm fibre for thermal insulation in residential buildings in Jeddah(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) alhabashi, weaam; Han Mei, Chen; David, ChowIn Saudi Arabia, residential buildings consume about half of the national electricity (Felimban et al., 2019), primarily because extreme heat drives air conditioning. Rapid population growth, now 33.48 million and rising about 2.5 percent annually, intensifies demand. To curb use, the Saudi Residential Buildings’ Envelope Code (2020) augments the Saudi Building Code. Vision 2030 targets 52 percent homeownership, implying over one million new homes (Ministry of Housing, 2018), which heightens the need for efficient sustainable materials. Evidence also shows that common construction products often miss environmental and sustainability benchmarks, inflating operational energy. This study evaluates date palm fibre, a local waste resource, as thermal insulation for future Jeddah housing compliant with the Saudi Building Code. Palm fibre is benchmarked against rock wool, polyurethane, and polystyrene, with emphasis on thermal conductivity and whole building energy outcomes. Methods comprised three steps: processing date palm fibre into insulation specimens, laboratory measurement of thermal properties, and DesignBuilder simulations of a representative Jeddah dwelling. Measured conductivity for palm fibre was 0.05 W/m K, compared with 0.03 W/m K for typical commercial products. Simulations showed thickness is decisive: ten-to-fifteen-centimetre layers yielded the largest cooling and heating load reductions. A fifteen-centimeter palm fibre layer aligned with recent Saudi guidance on insulation thickness and delivered the best building level thermal performance with notable electricity savings. Beyond performance, using this renewable locally abundant waste advances Vision 2030 goals and resource efficiency. Although polyurethane and polystyrene achieve slightly lower conductivities, they impose higher environmental burdens through embodied carbon and limited end of life options. Palm fibre by contrast is economical due to low cost feedstock and biodegradability. We conclude that palm fibre insulation is technically viable and environmentally advantageous for residential projects in hot climates comparable to Jeddah. Integrating natural materials with simulation driven design can accelerate sustainable urban development while moderating Saudi Arabia’s rising electricity demand.12 0Item Restricted Factors Influencing Public Engagement in Water Resource Conservation for Food Security in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Library., 2025) AlRashdi, Mohammed Salem; Dallison, RichardWater scarcity in Saudi Arabia's hyper-arid climate leads to complex food security challenges that require a sustainable development approach crucially involving water conservation. This study provides a contextually grounded analysis of factors influencing public engagement in water conservation in Jeddah, offering insights relevant to Saudi Vision 2030. This research employs a descriptive-interpretive qualitative methodology to gain deep insights into the lived experiences of residents. Data were collected via semi structured interviews with ten purposively selected Jeddah citizens until thematic saturation was achieved. A rigorous, reflexive thematic analysis was then conducted to identify emergent patterns shaping conservation attitudes and practices. The findings reveal a complex duality of powerful drivers and formidable barriers. Key motivators, embedded in the socio-cultural fabric, are a profound spiritual duty derived from Islamic principles to reject wastefulness (Israf) and intergenerational transmission of traditional wisdom. Furthermore, rising water tariffs are an economic impetus. However, noble aspirations can be undermined by critical obstacles. The primary barrier is financial, specifically the high upfront cost of water-efficient technologies, which disproportionately affects lower-income households and prevents widespread adoption. Psychologically, a ‘desalination paradox’ was identified, wherein public confidence in large-scale state-led technological solutions fosters a sense of security that diminishes personal agency. This is compounded by a ‘responsibility-efficacy gap’, as individuals struggle to connect their household conservation efforts with the vast challenge of national food security, often feeling their seemingly small actions are inconsequential. Advancing public water conservation requires a multi-pronged strategy beyond awareness raising campaigns. To be effective, policy interventions must be culturally resonant, integrating religious and traditional narratives into public messaging. They must be economically enabling, deploying targeted financial incentives, such as subsidies, to overcome the initial investment hurdle for efficiency technologies. They must also be psychologically empowering, actively working to close the identified cognitive gaps by transparently communicating the collective impact of individual savings and clarifying the complementary role of technology in achieving water security.16 0Item Restricted Shaping Luxury Brand Perceptions: Parasocial Relationships Between Saudi Female Followers and Instagram Influencers(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Geoffrey, Shahla Mohammed; Ibrahim, YasminThis research is one of the few studies that focuses on parasocial relationships, Instagram influencers (i.e., the Instafamous), and consumers’ luxury brand perceptions in a Saudi Arabian context. It aims to provide insight into the complex dynamics of the parasocial relationships between the Instafamous and consumers of luxury brands on social media. The intention is to explore the nature and dimensions of these relationships, and how they shape Saudi female followers’ perceptions and endorsements of luxury brands. Building on the convergence between the primary theory of parasocial relationships and the complementary social influence theory, this qualitative research seeks to interrogate the social psychology of parasocial relationships between Instagram influencers and consumers in order to examine the positionality of influence in reconfiguring perceptions towards the marketplace and luxury goods. The thesis adopts an interpretivist approach to explore the influence of parasocial relationships with the Instafamous on Saudi female followers’ luxury brand perceptions and the effectiveness of Instafamous endorsements through conducting semi-structured interviews with six Instafamous, focus groups with 28 Saudi female followers, and netnography on ten Instafamous accounts. Through thematic analysis of the collected data, it is found that the perceived credibility of the Instafamous may play a role in the followers’ luxury brand perceptions. Moreover, modesty and privacy displayed by the Instafamous are perceived positively and could lead to more effective luxury brand endorsements. Through adopting the theory of parasocial relationships, it is argued that such relationships the followers build with the Instafamous are not proximate to real-life relationships and are indeed parasocial due to the inequivalence in the investments of time and emotions between the two involved parties (i.e., the follower and the Instafamous). Furthermore, the study expands on the definition provided by Audrezet et al. (2018) that transparent authenticity includes two significant values in Saudi society, namely, modesty and privacy, which influence the formation of parasocial relationships with the Instafamous and ultimately the followers’ perceptions of luxury brand endorsements. Additionally, an original categorisation of the motivations for toxic parasocial relationships with the Instafamous is presented, which includes factors such as moral judgments tied to disobedience regarding religious laws and beauty standards. Furthermore, a disconnect between the values of Islam and the Saudi culture, and those demonstrated by the Instafamous can adversely impact luxury brand associations among Saudi females. Finally, it is revealed that some Saudi female followers find it rewarding to follow Instafamous who practice sharenting (i.e., the practice of posting information about their personal lives on social media channels), fostering parasocial interactions that may lead to the development of positive parasocial relationships. It is believed that brand marketers can leverage these findings to positively influence consumer perceptions through parasocial relationships.12 0Item Restricted THE IMPACT OF AIRBNB ON TRADITIONAL HOTELS IN JEDDAH , SAUDI ARABIA(Saudi Digital Library, 2025-07-22) Albalawi, Salma Mohammed; Samaradheera, AmaThis study explores the impact of Airbnb on traditional hotels in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. With the rise of the sharing economy, platforms like Airbnb have introduced new competition to the hospitality sector. The research aims to understand how hotels are affected by Airbnb’s presence and how they are adapting to remain competitive. The study is based on secondary data, including reports, articles, and case studies. No primary data such as interviews or surveys was collected. The research addresses four main questions: how traditional hotels are responding to Airbnb, the differences in guest experiences between Airbnb and hotels, Airbnb’s influence on the local economy and regulations, and how hotels can improve to compete more effectively. Findings reveal that while Airbnb has not significantly impacted hotel occupancy rates in Jeddah, it offers competitive advantages such as lower prices, larger spaces, and a more local experience particularly appealing to families and younger travelers. Traditional hotels, on the other hand, maintain strengths in professional service, cleanliness, and safety, especially valued by business travelers. The study concludes that hotels in Jeddah must adjust their strategies by enhancing their guest experience, incorporating local cultural elements, and using more flexible pricing models. Furthermore, implementing regulations for Airbnb could help level the playing field and support fair competition in the hospitality market.25 0Item Restricted The Effects of Ethnicity, Contact, Sense of Identity, and Social Attitudes on Dialect Contact in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Library, 2025-04-25) Alali, Sultan; Pichler, Heike; Duncan, DanielDialect contact may lead to one of several linguistic outcomes, including (among others) levelling, accommodation, divergence, or convergence. Jeddah presents a unique linguistic situation in Saudi Arabia due to it being one of the three cities, along with Makkah and Madinah, which have a large Saudi non-Bedouin demographic. Given that Bedouin and non-Bedouin social groups are technically in daily contact in Jeddah, this urgent research question arises: do the marked linguistic features of each group weaken or perhaps even level out? Thus, this thesis investigates the dialect contact situation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, specifically how it affects the distinct varieties of Hijazi Arabic spoken by Bedouins and non-Bedouins in the city. This study investigates the influence of ethnicity, dialect contact, sense of identity, and social attitudes on variation in Hijazi Arabic in a sample of 32 young adult speakers (aged 19-22) in Jeddah. The sample was stratified by Bedouin versus non-Bedouin ethnic background and grouped by neighbourhood type: predominantly Bedouin, predominantly non-Bedouin, and mixed. Data were collected through sociolinguistic interviews and written questionnaires measuring participants’ sense of identity and social attitudes. The analysis focuses on three linguistic variables: (θ), (ð), and the third-person masculine pronoun (-ah). Distributional and regression analyses show that Bedouin and non-Bedouin Jeddawis belong to different speech communities because those in mixed and unmixed neighbourhoods (both Bedouins and non-Bedouins) do not share linguistic norms. Moreover, for a speech community to exist, there needs to be constant contact and interactions among its members, which cannot be said about the Bedouin and Non-Bedouin neighbourhoods. At the same time, the analyses show that the four social predictors (ethnicity, dialect contact, sense of identity, and social attitudes) affect two of the three linguistic variables: (θ) and the third-person masculine pronoun (-ah). Since the type of neighbourhood acts as a proxy for the degree of contact between Bedouins and non-Bedouins, the findings suggest that the degree of contact between the two groups affects the variation of the (θ) and (-ah). The variants of both (θ) and (-ah) in the two unmixed neighbourhoods (Bedouin and non-Bedouin) remain distinct from one another due to lack of contact. On the other hand, those in mixed neighbourhoods behaved linguistically as a one- speech community and used competing variants at similar rates regardless of individuals' ethnic backgrounds. i The results additionally show that there is a correlation between both sense of identity and social attitudes and the variables studied. Participants with a strong sense of identity favoured variants associated with their ethnic group. In contrast, those with a weak sense of identity used the variant associated with the other ethnic group. The same was found regarding attitudes: those with positive attitudes towards the other group exhibited higher rates of use of the variants associated with the ethnic group they do not belong to, and those who had negative attitudes exhibited little to no use of the variants associated with the other group. My results highlight the emergence of a supra-local Arabic variety in Jeddah wherein the urban marked [t] and [d] lose their distinctiveness in favour of the mainstream features [θ] and [ð] in the mixed neighbourhood. The results also suggest that they do so due to their markedness and association with the non-Bedouin demographic in Jeddah specifically and Hijaz as a whole. The results also show the levelling of the Bedouin 3rd person masculine suffix in the mixed neighbourhood in favour of an urban variant, unlike the phonological ones due to its disassociation with non-Bedouins.17 0Item Restricted Interior Design Factors and Energy E ciency in Residential Apartments: A Simulation-based Analysis using IES-VE. Case Study: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia(University of Reading, 2024-09-26) Binzain, Afnan; Essah, Emmanuel; Jones, RoryThis study offers a comprehensive analysis of how interior design factors contribute to the energy efficiency of residential buildings in Jeddah. The motivation behind this research stems from two factors: the increasing energy demand driven by population growth and climate change challenges, and the need for proactive measures to reduce energy consumption in residential buildings. Despite its importance, particularly during the use phase, the role of interior design in energy efficiency is rarely addressed in the literature. Four standard apartments were selected as case studies, all located in the same seven-story building. The objective of this research is to evaluate how interior design parameters—specifically artificial lighting, daylight exposure, and color choices—impact energy efficiency. This analysis is conducted using detailed architectural modeling and simulation with IES-VE software. The results of this study show that incorporating the following interior design factors can lead to significant energy savings: (1) optimizing the quantity, quality, and distribution of artificial lighting, (2) ensuring sufficient daylight illuminance with the use of double-glazed windows and shading devices, and (3) choosing high reflectance color schemes. Implementing these strategies can reduce lighting energy consumption by 23 percent, and total energy consumption by 3.4 percent to 4.6 percent annually. However, these results depend on maintaining sufficient space between buildings to allow for adequate daylight, which may require policy consideration. Therefore, one of the key recommendations of this paper is to make real estate developers aware of the importance of interior design features during the design and construction phases. Additionally, ensuring appropriate building distances in new districts is crucial to optimize daylight use and foster a more sustainable environment .58 0Item Restricted Cultural Echoes in Stone & Concrete: A Journey Through Time and Architecture in Historic Jeddah’s Al-Balad(University of Westminster, 2024-01-10) Siraj, Talah Wabil; Bremner, LindsayLocated in the western region of the Arabian Peninsula on the Eastern coast of the Red Sea, my hometown, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has been a significant part in connecting extensive trading networks for centuries. Serving as the gateway to the holy cities of Mecca and Madinah, it is a harbour for Muslim pilgrims from around the world. Over time, it became a melting pot of different cultures and ethnicities, which shaped every aspect of the local lifestyle. Jeddah’s geographic location also unquestionably influenced its architecture in several ways; climatically, religiously, and culturally. The town’s architectural designs, building materials, traditions, and lifestyle were all in response to its context. The beautiful traditional houses were constructed using old building methods, with a combination of local and imported materials. The buildings functioned adequately to suit and serve the local lifestyle before the unification of the kingdom, and the discovery of oil, electricity, and concrete. Those pivotal historical events that took place in the 1930s marked the beginning of a transformative phase for Jeddah. The traditional construction methods and lifestyle were left in the past as Jeddah went through a stage of modern development. New buildings lacked cultural identity as a result of modernism and carbon energy. This dissertation is an autoethnographic study of the history of Jeddah’s old town of Al-Balad from both a technical and lifestyle perspective. Leveraging personal connections to the subject, I was able to visit the old town and acquire authentic information and material from primary sources, which helped me picture and analyse life in Al-Balad more vividly. This paper carries out an in-depth exploration of Jeddah’s history while examining the link between architecture and lifestyle in response to its diverse context, and the reasons why the traditional way of living was abandoned.27 0Item Restricted Cultural Echoes in Stone & Concrete(University of Westminster, 2024-01-10) Siraj, Talah Wabil; Bremner, LindsayLocated in the western region of the Arabian Peninsula on the Eastern coast of the Red Sea, my hometown, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has been a significant part in connecting extensive trading networks for centuries. Serving as the gateway to the holy cities of Mecca and Madinah, it is a harbour for Muslim pilgrims from around the world. Over time, it became a melting pot of different cultures and ethnicities, which shaped every aspect of the local lifestyle. Jeddah’s geographic location also unquestionably influenced its architecture in several ways; climatically, religiously, and culturally. The town’s architectural designs, building materials, traditions, and lifestyle were all in response to its context. The beautiful traditional houses were constructed using old building methods, with a combination of local and imported materials. The buildings functioned adequately to suit and serve the local lifestyle before the unification of the kingdom, and the discovery of oil, electricity, and concrete. Those pivotal historical events that took place in the 1930s marked the beginning of a transformative phase for Jeddah. The traditional construction methods and lifestyle were left in the past as Jeddah went through a stage of modern development. New buildings lacked cultural identity as a result of modernism and carbon energy. This dissertation is an autoethnographic study of the history of Jeddah’s old town of Al-Balad from both a technical and lifestyle perspective. Leveraging personal connections to the subject, I was able to visit the old town and acquire authentic information and material from primary sources, which helped me picture and analyse life in Al-Balad more vividly. This paper carries out an in-depth exploration of Jeddah’s history while examining the link between architecture and lifestyle in response to its diverse context, and the reasons why the traditional way of living was abandoned.31 0Item Restricted Cultural Echoes in Stone & Concrete: A Journey Through Time and Architecture in Historic Jeddah’s Al-Balad(University of Westminster, 2024-01-10) Siraj, Talah Wabil; Bremner, LindsayLocated in the western region of the Arabian Peninsula on the Eastern coast of the Red Sea, my hometown, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has been a significant part in connecting extensive trading networks for centuries. Serving as the gateway to the holy cities of Mecca and Madinah, it is a harbour for Muslim pilgrims from around the world. Over time, it became a melting pot of different cultures and ethnicities, which shaped every aspect of the local lifestyle. Jeddah’s geographic location also unquestionably influenced its architecture in several ways; climatically, religiously, and culturally. The town’s architectural designs, building materials, traditions, and lifestyle were all in response to its context. The beautiful traditional houses were constructed using old building methods, with a combination of local and imported materials. The buildings functioned adequately to suit and serve the local lifestyle before the unification of the kingdom, and the discovery of oil, electricity, and concrete. Those pivotal historical events that took place in the 1930s marked the beginning of a transformative phase for Jeddah. The traditional construction methods and lifestyle were left in the past as Jeddah went through a stage of modern development. New buildings lacked cultural identity as a result of modernism and carbon energy. This dissertation is an autoethnographic study of the history of Jeddah’s old town of Al-Balad from both a technical and lifestyle perspective. Leveraging personal connections to the subject, I was able to visit the old town and acquire authentic information and material from primary sources, which helped me picture and analyse life in Al-Balad more vividly. This paper carries out an in-depth exploration of Jeddah’s history while examining the link between architecture and lifestyle in response to its diverse context, and the reasons why the traditional way of living was abandoned.18 0