Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Saudi Women's Self-Identity or Self- Awakening constructing between conservatism and modernisation(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alrouili, Tgryad; Kate, Newey; Kara, RaillyEven in the 2020s, Saudi Arabia remains one of the most conservative Muslim states in the world, with significant limitations on women’s freedoms and rights. Against the backdrop of strong patriarchal rules that govern every aspect of women’s lives, the movement of Islamic feminism has started taking roots to enable Saudi women to seek liberation through non- aggressive means. Some of the first Saudi female activists emerged in the literature and film scene recently, with two of their works – Rajaa Al-Sanea’s Girls of Riyadh (2005) and Haifa Al Mansour’s Wadjda (2011) forming the main focus of this study. This research is built on Kate Chopin’s foundational concept of “awakening” to investigate Saudi women's empowerment by emphasising the influence of social and cultural performance on the steps and process of formation of female identity in Saudi Arabia. It analyses the historical, cultural, and social contexts of Saudi women from the 20th to the 21st century across various literary domains, including 20th-century novels and films, as well as 21st-century public figurs in the social media platforms. The study emphasises social and cultural performance while diminishing patriarchy through an examination of self-identity and self-awareness across three domains or process: Initially, the feminist Saudi women are represented in Raja Alsana's (2005) novel Girls of Riyadh; subsequently, in Haifa Al Mansour's (2012) film Wadjda; and ultimately, through the public portrayal of Saudi women as bloggers and activists on social media platforms. The study also explores how the Saudi policy, through Saudi Vision 2030, has played a vital role in changing the social and cultural performance to support the awakening of Saudi women in 21st century.7 0Item Restricted Understanding the Effects of Maturity on Strength Development and Prediction in Self-Compacting Concrete Incorporating Supplementary Cementitious Materials(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) Almutlaqah, Ayman Abdulrahman M; Kulasegaram, SivaSelf-compacting concrete (SCC) is becoming a popular alternative to traditional vibrated concrete because of its excellent flowability and reduced energy requirements during construction. The higher paste content of SCC results in a microstructure that differs from that of conventional concrete, leading to distinct mechanical properties when exposed to varying curing temperatures. However, there is a scarcity of studies on the influence of curing temperature on the performance of SCC containing supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) as a partial substitute for cement. This PhD work is structured into three main parts. The first part of this thesis focuses on the necessary treatments applied to the supplied rice husk ash (RHA) to make it suitable for use in SCC. The RHA, which was obtained from uncontrolled burning, showed poor pozzolanic activity because of high levels of unburned carbon and a porous structure. To enhance its effectiveness and make it suitable for use with cement binder in concrete applications, further treatments such as reburning and grinding were carried out. Experimental work was performed to investigate the effects of prioritising reburning versus grinding treatments on the properties of resulting RHA. Managing the treatment procedure was found to be important for producing effective material. It was demonstrated that reburning, followed by grinding, transformed the RHA into a more effective SCM. The second part of the thesis examines the effects of curing temperature on the hydration reaction and important hardened concrete properties, including the strength and porosity of high-strength SCC containing treated RHA, silica fume (SF), fly ash (FA), or ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) as partial replacement of cement. The results demonstrate that concrete gains strength quickly at high temperatures and initially develops a denser, less porous microstructure; however, this leads to lower long-term strength and slower refinement of pores. Conversely, low curing temperatures produce concrete with slower initial strength gain and a more porous microstructure but result in greater long-term pore refinement and enhanced strength development. The strength development of specimens cured at different temperatures in the first part of the study was predicted using a maturityiv function, which revealed that both the presence of SCMs and the curing temperature influenced the predictions. The third part of the thesis focuses on improving the fib Model Code’s maturity function to be more comprehensive and robust. Novel approaches are proposed to determine the apparent activation energy based on the fib Model Code, which is essential for calculating the equivalent age in the maturity function. This calculation is crucial for predicting the strength development of high-strength SCC containing different SCM as partial cement replacements, as validated by the results reported in the second part of this thesis. Two new methods are described for calculating the apparent activation energy using the fib Model Code’s maturity function based on compressive strength development of the samples, respectively. One method uses different constant activation energy values for each material, irrespective of temperature and time of the concrete, while the other employs variable values that depend on both time and the temperature. The prediction of compressive strength using the fib Model Code’s maturity function is also detailed.4 0Item Restricted Exploring the Effect of Cultural Background and Interaction Language on Preferences for Repair Strategies in Spoken Dialogue Systems(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) Alghamdi, Essam Saleh; Halvey, Martin; Nicol, EmmaSpoken dialogue systems (SDSs) are increasingly integrated into everyday life, appearing in forms such as embodied robots, in-car systems, and, most commonly, digital voice assistants (DVAs) like Amazon Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google Assistant. Despite their widespread use, conversational breakdowns remain inevitable and problematic. Repair strategies, defined as system responses designed to recover from such breakdowns, play a crucial role in shaping user experience. While prior research has focused on technical solutions and the development of effective repair strategies, limited attention has been paid to how user characteristics influence preferences and perspectives on communication repair strategies in voice-based interactions. This thesis addresses this gap by examining how user characteristics shape preferences and perspectives on repair strategies in goal-oriented tasks. Specifically, it considers (a) cultural background (high- vs. low-context cultures), (b) interaction language (native vs. non-native), and (c) individual-level factors. To achieve this, the thesis begins with a systematic scoping review, followed by two user-centered empirical studies. The overarching goal is to provide a deeper understanding of how user characteristics influence repair strategy preferences and perspectives, thereby informing the design of adaptive SDSs that deliver improved user experiences. The scoping review synthesized the literature on repair strategies in SDSs and produced two comprehensive frameworks: one categorizing system-initiated repair strategies and another addressing user-initiated repair strategies. Building on these foundations, the first empirical study examined how cultural background influences preferences by comparing users from the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. The second empirical study examined the influence of interaction language (native vs. non-native) alongside individual-level factors, including prior experience and computer self-efficacy, on repair strategy preferences. Complementing these quantitative studies, a qualitative investigation using semi-structured interviews explored user perspectives on communication breakdowns and repair strategies when interacting with SDSs. Overall, the findings reveal cultural differences, particularly in preferences for elaborative and explanation-based repair strategies. However, the effects of interaction language and individual-level factors often outweighed cultural influences. The qualitative insights provided deeper explanations of these preferences, highlighting how contextual factors and task demands shaped user perspectives on breakdowns and repair. Collectively, this thesis extends the theoretical understanding of repair strategies in SDSs and offers practical recommendations for developing adaptive, user-centered systems that are sensitive to cultural, linguistic, and individual diversity.6 0Item Restricted Exploring the Hardware Design Space for Practical Lattice-Based Post-Quantum Cryptography(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) Alotaibi, Ahmed; Benaissa, MohammedAs quantum computing advances threaten to undermine classical encryption schemes, cryptography must evolve to maintain secure communication. Modern cryptographic standards will soon be replaced by recent Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standards developed to mitigate the risks posed by quantum computing. However, this transition introduces increased computational overhead, creating a heightened demand for efficient hardware accelerators to achieve practical performance. Among PQC propositions, lattice-based schemes are considered leading contenders due to their robust mathematical security foundations. Nevertheless, their practical deployment is hindered by performance bottlenecks, notably the computational cost of polynomial multiplication, which drives key generation, encryption, and decryption. This thesis addresses this challenge by investigating the optimisation of polynomial multiplication in lattice-based schemes through hardware acceleration. It reviews both time-domain (e.g., schoolbook, Karatsuba, Toom–Cook) and frequency-domain (e.g., Number Theoretic Transform (NTT)) methods, identifying modular arithmetic as the primary bottleneck. To tackle this, the thesis presents two constant Barrett modular multiplication algorithms: the constant Barrett and a novel Truncated Modulus-Size Constant Barrett (TMSCB) variant. Complexity analysis and FPGA implementations demonstrate that the proposed TMSCB algorithm achieves up to a 2.8$\times$ reduction in area--time product compared to classical Barrett and up to a 1.4$\times$ reduction compared to constant Barrett at larger operand sizes, while reducing register usage by approximately 16.7\%. These algorithms are then integrated into scalable NTT hardware accelerators for ML-DSA and Falcon schemes. The designs exploit DSP slice efficiency, achieving execution-time reductions of up to 46.7\% and hardware area savings of up to 35.4\%, while improveing speed and resource utilisation. In addition, a parametric and scalable schoolbook-based polynomial multiplier is proposed for time-domain multiplication, exploiting coefficient splitting and truncation for power-of-two moduli and achieving execution-time reductions of 36--51\%. Overall, this research enhances the practicality of post-quantum cryptographic hardware by optimising polynomial multiplication, enabling high-performance and deployable implementations.3 0Item Restricted Synthesis and Biological evaluation of Some Novel Hybrid Heterocyclic compounds(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) ALsulami, Mohammad Rashed Mazroa; Ismail Abdelshafy, AbdelhamidPart 1 The cyclocondensation reaction of precursor 1-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2- yl)guanidine and the proper bis aldehydes via base-catalyzed cyclization methodology successfully yielded bis(benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2 a][1,3,5]triazines) linked to phenoxymethyl moieties tethered aliphatic and aromatic spacers. In most cases, we were able to isolate the non-oxidized form, whereas in few cases we isolated the oxidized constitutions. The antibacterial activity was evaluated for these bis-compounds 5a-c, and 6d,e bearing aliphatic spacer, 10a,b bearing phenyl spacer, 12 bearing naphthyl spacer, in addition to 16 linked by phenoxy group using the serial dilution method to investigate the MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) against different bacterial strains, where most of the compounds revealed a promising antibacterial effect against these strains, and our results were confirmed by molecular docking of these compounds with unique proteins. Part 2 A new series of bis(1,3,4a,9-tetraza-4H-fluoren-2-amine) derivatives (BTFAs) featuring aliphatic or piperazine linkers was successfully produced through a base- catalyzed cyclocondensation of 1-(1H benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)guanidine with the corresponding bis-aldehydes. The compounds were evaluated against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. Of the synthesized derivatives, compound 14 exhibited the most potent antibacterial activity, showing a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 3.9 µg/mL and a remarkable selectivity index (SI = 70.5) against Enterococcus faecalis and Proteus vulgaris. Moreover, compound 7 showed strong enzyme inhibition with the lowest IC₅₀ value (7.95 ± 0.03 µg/mL) against MurE ligase, a crucial bacterial enzyme that plays a role in peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Molecular docking analyses indicated promising binding affinities (−6 to −10 kcal/mol) for various essential bacterial proteins3 0Item Restricted COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF INTERPERSONAL MOOD AND CULTURAL-LINGUISTIC VARIATION IN TWO ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF THE QUR’ANIC NUH STORY(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) ALI M, ATA AREEJ; Mohd Azidan bin Abdul JabarThi study addresses the challenges of conveying the rich meaning of the Qur'an across languages, specifically focusing on the interpersonal dynamics in English translations of the Qur'anic Nuh story. The Qur'an, originally in Classical Arabic, presents linguistic and cultural complexities in translation that shape its message. This research comparatively examines two prominent English translations: The Holy Qur’an by Abdullah Yusuf Ali (hereafter referred to as T1) and The Noble Qur’an by Al-Hilali and Khan (hereafter referred to as T2). Using Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) to analyze mood structures, complemented by Skopos Theory to contextualize translation choices, the study aims to understand how interpersonal meaning is constructed in these versions. The four main objectives are: (1) to identify mood structures and their associated domain acts, (2) to investigate linguistic similarities and differences in interpersonal mood, (3) to analyze how translators' mood choices reflect different translation strategies and priorities, and (4) to explain how cultural and linguistic factors influence interpersonal mood realization. Employing qualitative document analysis, relevant passages were analyzed. The declarative mood dominates i both translations (around 72% of clauses), reinforcing the authoritative tone. However, imperative and interrogative mood usage varies, with Yusuf Ali employing more rhetorical expressions and Al-Hilali & Khan being more direct. These variations signify distinct translation strategies, reflecting different cultural and ideological priorities. The findings highlight the critical interplay of language, culture, and translation in religious texts. This provides valuable insights for linguistics, translation studies, and Qur'anic discourse analysis by underscoring the importance of contextual considerations in translating sacred texts.4 0Item Restricted دور الرشاقة الاستراتيجية في فعالية إدارة الأزمات الصحية دراسة ميدانية بمستشفى الملك خالد بمدينة حائل(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) الثبيتي, مازن; ابو سمرة, ياسر عبدالعزيزيهدف هذا البحث إلى دراسة دور الرشاقة الاستراتيجية في تعزيز فعالية إدارة الأزمات الصحية في مستشفى الملك خالد بمدينة حائل، وذلك من خلال تحليل أثر أبعاد الرشاقة الاستراتيجية المتمثلة في: الحساسية الاستراتيجية، وضوح الرؤية، المقدرات الجوهرية، اختيار الأهداف الاستراتيجية، والمسؤولية المشتركة، على مستوى تطبيق إدارة الأزمات الصحية. واعتمدت الدراسة المنهج الوصفي التحليلي، وجمعت بياناتها باستخدام استبيان موجه إلى العاملين والمرضى، وتم تحليل البيانات باستخدام البرنامج الإحصائي (SPSS V.25) ومن خلال مجموعة من الأساليب الإحصائية أظهرت النتائج درجة عالية من الثبات الداخلي، حيث بلغ معامل كرونباخ ألفا للاستبيان ككل (0.955) بقيمة ثبات (0.977). كما بينت النتائج أن مستوى تطبيق الرشاقة الاستراتيجية في المستشفى جاء بدرجة متوسطة بمتوسط حسابي عام بلغ (3.36)، في حين ظهر تطبيق إدارة الأزمات الصحية بدرجة عالية بمتوسط (3.54). كما بينت النتائج وجود علاقة ارتباط ذات دلالة إحصائية بين أبعاد الرشاقة الاستراتيجية وإدارة الأزمات الصحية، مما يدل على أن رفع مستوى الرشاقة الاستراتيجية يسهم في تحسين قدرة المستشفى على التنبؤ بالأزمات والتخطيط لها والاستجابة والتعافي منها بكفاءة. كما كشفت النتائج عدم وجود فروق دالة إحصائياً تعزى لمتغيرات ديموغرافية مثل الجنس والعمر والمستوى التعليمي، مما يؤكد تجانس آراء أفراد العينة بشأن دور الرشاقة الاستراتيجية في إدارة الأزمات الصحية2 0Item Restricted Effectiveness of Photon-Counting CT for Metal Artefact Reduction in Musculoskeletal Imaging: A Structured Literature Review(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) Almutairi, Abdullah Nasser; Kim, AllanAbstract Aim: This structured literature review systematically evaluated the effectiveness of photon-counting detector computed tomography (PCD-CT) for reducing metal artefacts in musculoskeletal imaging involving orthopaedic implants. Background: Metal artefacts from orthopaedic implants substantially degrade diagnostic image quality in conventional computed tomography, compromising visualisation of periprosthetic anatomy essential for detecting complications. With arthroplasty procedures increasing substantially and photon-counting CT recently introduced into clinical practice (2021), systematic evidence synthesis was required to establish effectiveness, identify optimal imaging parameters, and determine clinical implementation readiness. Methods: A structured literature review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. PubMed was searched for studies published between 2019 and 2024 evaluating PCD CT for metal artefact reduction in musculoskeletal imaging. Included studies were appraised using the QUALSYST quality assessment tool. Data were extracted systematically and synthesised narratively, examining quantitative artefact metrics, subjective image quality assessments, and optimal reconstruction parameters. Results: Five studies (134 patients plus phantom investigations) met inclusion criteria, achieving good to excellent methodological quality ratings (73.1%-100%). PCD-CT demonstrated substantial artefact reductions ranging from 59% to 83%, substantially exceeding the 30-50% reductions typically achieved with conventional approaches. Virtual monoenergetic imaging at 100-140 keV combined with iterative metal artefact reduction algorithms emerged as optimal reconstruction strategies. Radiologists consistently rated PCD-CT reconstructions as superior to comparator conditions, with enhanced visualisation of periprosthetic bone, soft tissues, and adjacent anatomical structures. Evidence limitations included modest sample sizes, single-vendor concentration, predominance of retrospective designs, and absence of patient-important outcome measures. Conclusion: PCD-CT represents a significant technological advancement, providing substantial and reproducible improvements in metal artefact reduction and image quality in musculoskeletal imaging. Current evidence supports cautious clinical implementation in centres with access to photon-counting CT systems, whilst highlighting essential research priorities including larger prospective studies, multi-vendor evaluations, broader implant representation, and patient-centred outcome research.4 0Item Restricted Delineating the role of E-selectin in vincristine-induced peripheral neuropathy(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) ِِAlshammari, Ammar; Vetter, IrinaChemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a prevalent and debilitating adverse effect of cancer treatment, affecting a substantial proportion of patients undergoing chemotherapy. Vincristine, a widely used drug in the treatment of haematological and brain malignancies, is particularly associated with high rates of neuropathy, especially in children. The resulting sensory, motor and autonomic disturbances substantially impair patient quality of life and frequently necessitate dose reduction or discontinuation of chemotherapy, thereby compromising treatment outcomes. Despite its prevalence and impact, vincristine-induced peripheral neuropathy (VIPN) remains without effective preventive or therapeutic strategies, largely due to limited understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Traditionally, VIPN has been regarded as a neuron-centric disorder, arising from direct neurotoxicity caused by disruption of microtubule dynamics and axonal transport. More recent work, however, highlights the importance of neuroimmune and neurovascular mechanisms. In particular, immune cell infiltration into dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and peripheral nerves, coupled with activation of inflammatory pathways such as the NLRP3 inflammasome, have emerged as a key driver of this condition. Endothelial adhesion molecules are increasingly recognised as upstream regulators of these processes, orchestrating leukocyte recruitment across the blood–nerve barrier. Interestingly, preliminary data from our laboratory demonstrated that genetic deletion of endothelial E-selectin, an inducible adhesion molecule, abolishes VIPN in mice, strongly implicating E-selectin in macrophage-driven neuroinflammation. The present thesis was therefore designed to delineate the role of E-selectin in VIPN pathogenesis, with a particular focus on its contribution to immune cell recruitment, activation and the development of hypersensitivity. Accordingly, I employed a set of complementary studies spanning methodological development, functional testing and mechanistic investigation. First, a reproducible method for DRG immunohistochemistry was optimised, enabling accurate quantification of immune cell accumulation and supporting subsequent mechanistic investigations (Chapter 2). Then, blocking antibodies and knockout models revealed E-selectin as a key mediator of vincristine-induced hypersensitivity and macrophage accumulation at peripheral nerves (Chapter 3). Building on this, a novel intraplantar E-selectin injection model demonstrated that local administration of recombinant E-selectin was sufficient to induce macrophage-dependent allodynia, providing direct evidence that E-selectin initiates pro-nociceptive immune responses in vivo (Chapter 4). Finally, mechanistic studies showed that E-selectin engagement promotes macrophage adhesion, potentiates NLRP3 inflammasome activation and increases interleukin-1β (IL-1β) release (Chapter 5). Collectively, the findings presented here establish E-selectin as a previously unrecognised driver of vincristine-induced neuroinflammation. Rather than acting solely as an adhesion molecule, E-selectin is shown to orchestrate macrophage recruitment while simultaneously amplifying their pro-inflammatory activity, thereby linking vascular activation to nociceptor sensitisation. This work therefore reframes VIPN as not only a consequence of direct axonal toxicity, but also as a pathology rooted in endothelial–immune interactions and provides the first mechanistic evidence that E-selectin contributes directly to its development. More broadly, this work highlights E-selectin as a novel regulator of endothelial–immune communication in the peripheral nervous system. While the studies herein focus on VIPN, the implications extend to other neuropathic conditions in which macrophage recruitment and vascular activation are implicated. Importantly, the identification of E-selectin as a mechanistic driver of macrophage-mediated hypersensitivity provides a foundation for future studies to explore context-dependent roles of E-selectin and assess the therapeutic potential of targeting E-selectin in neuropathic pain.10 0Item Restricted دور ادارة المواهب البشرية في تاسيس مبادى المواطنة التنظيمية في وزارة الموارد البشرية والتنمية الاجتماعية بالمملكة العربية السعودية(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) الرخيمي, راشد; عبدالرحمن, عادلدور ادارة المواهب البشرية في تاسيس مبادى المواطنة التنظيمية في وزارة الموارد البشرية والتنمية الاجتماعية بالمملكة العربية السعودية3 0