SACM - United Kingdom
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://drepo.sdl.edu.sa/handle/20.500.14154/9667
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Item Restricted Faith-Based Humanitarianism: The Role of Islamic Values in Shaping Saudi Arabia's Regional Aid Strategy(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alsubaie, Faisal; Nthakomwa, MartinThis project investigates how Islamic values shape Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian aid strategy by analysing the historical evolution, strategic deployment, and operational dynamics of its flagship agency, King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief). Drawing on a wide range of secondary sources, the research explores the intersection of faith, statecraft, and governance in the Kingdom’s aid practices. It finds that while KSRelief is framed in the language of Islamic ethics, zakat, sadaqah, and ummah, its institutional design is largely driven by geopolitical interests, global diplomacy, and soft power aims. The study critically examines the tension between ethical rhetoric and strategic execution, revealing that Islamic references are often instrumentalised rather than embedded in practice. In conflict settings such as Yemen, this dissonance becomes especially pronounced, raising concerns about ethical coherence and legitimacy. Moreover, the research highlights a lack of robust governance mechanisms, including limited community participation and independent oversight. Through thematic and conceptual analysis, supported by visual frameworks, the project challenges the assumption that state-led Islamic humanitarianism automatically translates into faith-consistent outcomes. I. Recommendations urge institutional reforms: integrating third-party audits, establishing participatory frameworks such as local zakat boards, disentangling aid from strategic interests, and ensuring Arabic-language transparency. These steps aim to realign Saudi humanitarian practice with the ethical foundations it invokes, fostering greater accountability and effectiveness in serving vulnerable populations.32 0Item Restricted Reimagining Education Spaces:(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alamri, Mona Saad; Erk, Gul Kacmaz; Flood, NualaThis thesis focuses on how classroom design influences the implementation of active learning in girls' secondary schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. To address the gap identified in the literature, it seeks to evaluate how the learning environment in these schools can support the effective implementation of active learning by examining classroom design, exploring spatial challenges, and investigating the needs and preferences of teachers and students through a user-centric and participatory design approach, as well as analysing the role of architects and classroom users in creating effective learning environments. It also examines the extent to which the design of these environments is consistent with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Although the Ministry of Education has prioritised digital and pedagogical transformation and reform in the curriculum, the physical learning environment has not been sufficiently modernised to align with these goals. This thesis employs Henri Lefebvre’s spatial triangle to examine the relationship between perceived, imagined and lived spaces in the classroom, with active learning as the primary focus. The research uses a single-case approach to investigate a classroom with a design pattern replicated in all Saudi schools, making the findings relevant to many other school buildings. The study contributes to knowledge by demonstrating the application of a participatory design approach in the Saudi educational context and by generating transferable insights from an in-depth case study of a commonly replicated classroom design. Data collection methods include ethnographic observations of the classroom supported by classroom surveys. They also involve participatory design workshops (both evaluative and generative) and interviews with Ministry of Education architects. The findings reveal that the traditional design of these classrooms is inadequate for supporting active learning. Therefore, evidence-based recommendations have been made to develop learning environments that align with the goals of active learning and the broader objectives of Vision 2030, which focus on empowering women and girls and promoting innovative, stimulating education. Accordingly, the research recommends incorporating participatory design into the architectural and interior design of schools to create inclusive and vibrant learning environments that enhance learning experiences and outcomes.20 0Item Restricted The Supportive Care of Saudi Women with Breast Cancer(Saudi digital library, 2025) Alkhyat, Alhanouf; Topping, Anne; Hallett, NutmegSupportive Care Needs of Saudi Women with Breast Cancer: A Mixed Methods Convergent Design Study Women with breast cancer can experience a range of informational, psychological, and physical supportive care needs at different stages of the cancer journey. There is limited insight and understanding of the breast cancer experience and supportive care needs from the perspective of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), region and specifically Saudi Arabian women. Further, it is less clear which needs are most pressing to women, and at what point in the care pathway these needs arise. In this study, I aimed to fill that gap by exploring the supportive care needs of women in Saudi Arabia and evaluating the applicability of a supportive care framework to determine its relevance to the care of women with breast cancer in Saudi Arabia and more broadly the MENA region. Methods: A mixed methods exploratory convergent design was used. Cross-sectional surveys were applied, including the Supportive Care Needs Survey short form 34 (SCNS-SF34 – Arabic version), with eight supplementary questions that were specific to breast cancer patients, plus 15 additional items derived from the MENA region scoping review conducted by the researcher. All items were mapped against the identified supportive care needs framework and modified based on the scoping review findings. Then, the instruments were piloted to assess face validity and subsequently administered to Saudi women with breast cancer (n=85) recruited from one specialist cancer centre. Descriptive statistics were used, followed by Rasch modelling to estimate reliability, validity and dimensionality. Semi-structured interviews with a maximum variation sub- sample of Saudi women (n=20) were analysed using the framework method. Joint display integration was used to enhance the findings. Results: Physical needs (median=3.75, IQR=1.50), health system informational needs (median=3.67, IQR=1.67), and psychological needs (median=3.60, IQR=1.85) were ranked highest, whereas intimacy-related needs (median=2.22, IQR=1.6) were the lowest ranked domain. Correlations of supportive care needs with demographics showed significant associations with employment status, hormonal therapy, and age. Cognitive needs were significantly higher in younger women, while receiving hormonal therapy was significantly associated with higher spiritual and family-related needs. Also, employed women showed less need for physical and practical support and patientclinician communication. Interview findings suggested expanded results in most domains and showed that needs differ at various points in the cancer journey. Chemotherapy treatment specifically was identified as the most difficult period, requiring the most support. Joint display integration was used to synthesise findings and showed nuanced insights across most of the domains, such as how women still face social stigma, and the important role of religion in their cancer journey. These insights highlight the need to redefine supportive care needs and develop a tailored, culturally specific framework to fit the context of the MENA region. Conclusion: The findings from the scoping review confirm that women’s unique needs in the MENA region require redefining and redevelopment of the Paterson framework and adaptation to this context. The mixed-methods design provided rich evidence that illuminated women's needs and could contribute to informing the design of culturally specific supportive care interventions for Saudi Arabian women and provide recommendations for service improvement.48 0Item Restricted Influence of Environmental, Social and Economic Factors on Willingness to Participate in Green Events in Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Albalawi, Elham Hassan; Strafford, DavidThis study investigates the impact of personal and sustainability credentials of events on the willingness to attend green events in Saudi Arabia, guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). It explores key variables including environmental awareness, peer behaviour, price, perceived value for money, and ease of access and how these variables influence the willingness of people to attend green events in Saudi Arabia. Using a positivist philosophy and deductive reasoning, the research employs a mono-method quantitative approach through online surveys, collecting responses from 80 participants using snowball sampling. The data was analysed using multiple regression, Pearson correlation, and independent sample t-tests to test the formulated hypotheses. Findings reveal that while environmental awareness alone does not significantly influence willingness to attend, peer behaviour, perceived value for money, and ease of access have positive and significant impacts. Gender-specific differences are noted, with women showing higher price sensitivity and valuing perceived benefits more than men. Practical recommendations include enhancing sustainable transportation options and clearly communicating the value proposition of green events to attract a diverse audience. The study underscores the importance of considering cultural and demographic factors in promoting sustainable practices.13 0Item Restricted To what extent have Vision 2030 policies contributed to the reduction in youth unemployment in Saudi Arabia, and how does this compare to the expected trend in the absence of these policies?(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Muaythir, Abdulaziz Bin; Pandazis, MichaelThis study examines the causal impact of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 policies on youth unemployment using the Synthetic Difference-in-Differences (SDID) methodology. Launched in 2016, Vision 2030 represents Saudi Arabia's ambitious economic transformation program that aims to diversify the economy and create sustainable job opportunities. During youth unemployment in Saudi Arabia fell from 27.3% in 2016 to 16.25% in 2023, this research seeks to determine how much this reduction can be attributed to Vision 2030 policies versus external economic factors. By building artificial counter-facts from a similar oil exporting economies including Kuwait, Russia, UAE, Algeria and Oman, analysis estimates. Vision 2030 policies reduced youth unemployment by about 5.8 percentage points by 2023, which represents 58% of the noticeable decline, the effect was heterogeneous, with the largest effects on young women (7.3 percentage points) of males (4.2 percentage points), and for third Educated youth (6.5 percentage points) compared to those with secondary education (4.9 Percentage points). The time pattern reveals minimal effects during the period 2016-2018, followed by accelerating effects in 2021-2023, indicating increased policy effectiveness with implementation maturation and complementary reforms reach a critical mass.18 0Item Restricted PHD THESIS(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) ALSHAMMARI, BADER MOHAMMED; Tracey, CostleyAbstract The purpose of the present study was to address the phenomenon of English anxiety and writing anxiety in Saudi undergraduate students in their first year and second year of studying English language at university level. The level of foreign language anxiety and the factors leading to English writing anxiety among English undergraduate students were explored using a sequential mixed method design with a survey and semi-structured interviews. Data were collected quantitatively via an online self-reported survey to determine the level of foreign language anxiety and anxiety in English writing classrooms among EFL undergraduate students. The semi-structured interviews were used to learn about students' and teachers' strategies in dealing with English writing anxiety, as well as provide additional information about factors associated with the writing anxiety of undergraduate students. The questionnaire and the interview questions were adapted from Horwitz et al.’s (1986) Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) and Cheng (2004) Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI). The most common factors emerged from the interviews associated with the writing anxiety of EFL undergraduate students were “time limit”, “fear of negative evaluation”, “lack of students’ understanding”, “classroom environment”, “exam”, “lack of xii preparation”, “work team in writing class”, “previous writing experiences”, and “lack of motivation in writing classroom”. Furthermore, the most common coping strategies used by undergraduate students were positive thinking, relaxation techniques, working in groups, preparation, motivation, and peer seeking. The study discusses practical and instructional implications and suggested several strategies based on pedagogically sound approaches to help reduce writing anxiety in apprehensive language learners22 0Item Restricted Analysing Cybersecurity Risk Assessment Model for Healthcare Systems in Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Library, 2025-05) Alghamdi, Abdulmonem; Vasileios, AdamosThis study analyses the Saudi Arabian's cybersecurity issues in healthcare systems and assesses the usefulness of international risk assessment models in some frameworks such as ISO/IEC 27001 and NIST. It identifies major threats like ransomware, phishing, data breaches, and insider risks based on survey responses from medical professionals like medical staff, cybersecurity specialists and administrative managers. Variety of medical institutions members with difference in beds capability, number of branches and financial situation that guarantees the national-wide needs study. Findings point to critical weaknesses in the current models, especially their incompatibility with local regulations and organisational cultures and special needs. Consequently, the study emphasises the necessity of a tailored cybersecurity risk assessment model that is particular to the Saudi healthcare environment. The research highlights key elements and offers suggestions to improve cybersecurity resilience in accordance with national policies and Vision 2030 objectives, even though it does not fully implement a model.39 0Item Restricted Sustainable Wildlife Tourism in Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Library, 2024) Aldughaishem, Abdulrhman; Philip, RylandThis study explores the opportunities and challenges of developing sustainable wildlife tourism in Saudi Arabia, a country known for its rich biodiversity and unique ecosystems. The research underscores the importance of economic benefits such as job creation and revenue generation in enhancing tourist satisfaction, aligning with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 objectives of economic diversification. However, the study also highlights significant environmental concerns, including habitat disruption and pollution, which pose challenges to the long-term sustainability of wildlife tourism. The effectiveness of current regulatory frameworks is questioned, suggesting a need for stronger enforcement and policy refinement. Community involvement emerges as a crucial factor, positively influencing both economic and social benefits. The study concludes with recommendations for enhancing environmental regulations, promoting community-based tourism, and fostering public-private partnerships. Additionally, it calls for future research to focus on the long-term impacts of tourism, broader geographic studies, and the effects of climate change on wildlife tourism in Saudi Arabia. These insights aim to guide policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers in developing a sustainable wildlife tourism sector that supports economic growth while preserving natural resources and enhancing community well-being.27 0Item Restricted Sustainable Waste Management of Date Palm Fronds in Saudi Arabia: Pyrolysis-Derived Biochar Integration into Construction Materials for Carbon Sequestration(Saudi Digital Library, 2024-09) Shaiban, Saad; Scott, BanksThis study focuses on integrating biochar derived from date palm fronds into cement production in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (KSA), to optimise carbon sequestration (CCS) and reduce carbon emissions. Employing a mixed-method approach, the research combines quantitative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) using SimaPro software with qualitative sustainability analysis through the Bioeconomy Sustainability Indicator Model (BSIM) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators. Phase 1 compares the environmental impact of traditional open combustion versus pyrolysis for biochar production, revealing that pyrolysis significantly reduces carbon emissions from 3.5 tons CO₂-equivalent per ton of waste to 646 kg CO₂-equivalent. This substantial reduction supports Riyadh's climate goals and aligns with KSA’s Vision 2030 sustainability objectives. Phase 2 evaluates the integration of biochar into cement mortar, showing that a 20% substitution of cement with biochar reduces emissions by 24.81 kg CO₂-equivalent per ton of mortar, potentially saving up to 1,796 million tons of CO₂-equivalent annually based on current cement production levels. The sustainability analysis using BSIM highlights benefits such as job creation and economic growth while identifying transportation logistics risks and production efficiency risks. Additionally, the study assesses contributions to SDGs, particularly in climate action, sustainable cities, and responsible consumption and production. The study recommends optimising the supply chain, investing in advanced pyrolysis technology, and supporting market development through policy incentives. Future research should focus on the long-term performance of biochar, explore additional applications in agriculture and water treatment, and further integrate biochar into sustainable construction practices. This research provides valuable insights for advancing sustainable waste management and construction practices in Riyadh, contributing to climate action and supporting regional and global sustainability efforts.54 0Item Restricted A systematic Review of the Consequences of Parents’ Divorce and Challenges of Raising Children between Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom(Bangor University, 2024) Qahtani, Wasmmih Nayef; Margiad, WilliamsAbstract Purpose: The objective of this study is to assess the emotional, psychological, and social effects of parental divorce on children in the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia as well as the challenges parents face in parenting after divorce in the two cultures. Methodology: A pragmatic research paradigm was adopted for conducting a systematic review. Literature relevant to the project was then identified, screened, and assessed in line with the PRISMA framework. The approach was a mixed-methods one, using qualitative findings, and supported with quantitative data. The assessment of key themes was conducted through narrative analysis. Results: The children in the UK brought up in an emotionally expressive climate have significant emotional and behavioural issues post-divorce. Saudi children, especially girls, however, are taught to suppress emotions as a cultural norm. Co-parenting challenges are different, with UK laws favouring shared custody but lacking emotional safeguards, and Saudi laws favouring paternal custody and limiting involvement. Conclusion: The experiences children have after a divorce are shaped by cultural values and legal systems and therefore need context specific support strategies. Keywords: Divorce, children, co-parenting, UK, Saudi Arabia, culture, emotional impact12 0