Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted IPO Governance in Saudi Arabia's Energy Sector: Legal Structures, Compliance, and Reform under Vision 2030(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Aljohani, Mohammed; Nigro, CasimiroThis thesis examines the legal and institutional dimensions of initial public offerings (IPOs) in Saudi Arabia’s energy sector, with a focus on how corporate governance, compliance, and ESG mechanisms are formalized within state-owned enterprises (SOEs) undergoing partial market exposure. IPOs in this context are not solely financial transactions but are also instruments of institutional transformation—tools that enable alignment with international standards while accommodating sovereign policy priorities. Employing a doctrinal legal methodology supported by a case study of Saudi Aramco, the research investigates how statutory provisions, Capital Market Authority regulations, and corporate governance codes shape the IPO process, particularly in relation to board independence, disclosure obligations, and sustainability oversight. The findings reveal that although the Saudi regulatory framework demonstrates formal convergence with global governance norms, its implementation reflects selective adaptation, shaped by the continued presence of state ownership through entities such as the Public Investment Fund. The thesis further explores how IPO governance structures are designed to advance transparency, investor confidence, and ESG integration, while retaining flexibility for national development strategies under Vision 2030. In doing so, it contributes to corporate governance literature by offering a nuanced understanding of hybrid regulatory models, where public-sector priorities and market-facing reforms coexist. Ultimately, the study argues that IPOs in Saudi Arabia’s energy sector function as calibrated mechanisms of governance modernization, balancing legal compliance, institutional credibility, and sovereign interests, rather than serving as vehicles of full privatization or market liberalization.8 0Item Restricted Environmental Impact Assessment of Solid Waste Management in Saudi Arabia: Challenges and Opportunities(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Almutairi, Mohammed; Barker, Adam; Lauwerijssen, RachelThis study examines the environmental impacts of solid waste management in Saudi Arabia, focusing on the country’s continued dependence on landfilling, limited recycling, and the slow adoption of waste-to-energy (WtE) technologies. These challenges contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, environmental pollution, and inefficient resource use. The research evaluates the performance of current waste-management strategies, identifies operational, policy, and technological gaps, and proposes solutions aligned with international best practices. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining document analysis with survey data collected from practitioners, policymakers, and academics. Descriptive statistics were used to assess operational effectiveness and policy performance, while thematic analysis provided deeper qualitative insights. Findings show that Saudi Arabia generates more than 15 million tons of municipal solid waste annually, exceeding global per-capita averages. While waste collection is perceived as moderately efficient, source segregation remains low, and recycling systems are still in early development. Barriers to implementing WtE include high costs, infrastructure limitations, and low public awareness. The study concludes that improving policy coordination, strengthening enforcement, and investing in technological innovation are essential to achieving Vision 2030 goals. It recommends expanding recycling infrastructure, increasing WtE initiatives, and enhancing public awareness to support a circular and sustainable waste-management system in Saudi Arabia.6 0Item Restricted Board Composition, Independence and Gender Diversity in Corporate Governance: Saudi Arabia and International Best Practices(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) Alrashidi, Abdulaziz Marzouq F; Rodríguez, Pablo Iglesias; Baldi, GiorgiaBoard gender diversity and board independence are key elements in board composition which have long been considered important topics in academic literature. Women are significantly underrepresented in Saudi corporate boards and their progress has been very slow, primarily because the government has not yet implemented any regulatory approaches to promote their participation on corporate boards. Furthermore, the Saudi Corporate Governance Regulations 2017 (SCGRs 2017) contains two main challenges related to board independence: the definition of independent directors and the required number of independent directors, both of which undermine their ability to effectively perform their roles of oversight and objective decision-making. This thesis aims to offer improvements and reforms to SCGRs 2017 to address the challenges of women's participation and board independence in Saudi corporate boards. The study addresses two research questions: To what extent do gender diversity and independence on boards contribute to effective corporate governance? What regulatory measures would be most suitable for Saudi Arabia to tackle issues concerning board gender diversity and board independence? This thesis argues that appropriate levels of board independence and women's participation on corporate boards are crucial to promote the interests of various stakeholders' groups. The research employs a doctrinal legal approach, supported by documentary analysis of secondary sources and a comparative analysis of Norwegian, the UK, and Malaysian jurisdictions. Drawing on Dhir's factors and the theory of legal transplant, this research provides valuable insights from the countries under analysis that can effectively address the challenges of board gender diversity and board independence in Saudi Arabia. This research contributes to the existing literature by offering a unique analysis of these challenges, which have not been sufficiently examined or addressed before.28 0Item Restricted The Relationship between Role Clarity and Psychological Safety in the Healthcare Sector in Saudi Arabia: A Mixed-Methods Research Study(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) Tammar, Ahmad; Leka, Stavroula; Jones, StevenThe aim of this thesis was to examine the relationship between role clarity and psychological safety in Saudi Arabia’s healthcare sector during the Health Sector Transformation Program (HSTP), and explored their combined influence on employee well-being. A pragmatic paradigm and concurrent mixed-methods design were adopted. The quantitative study was based on a survey of 270 healthcare employees using validated instruments, while the qualitative study involved 33 semi-structured interviews exploring employees’ experiences of clarity and safety during reform. Data were analysed through multivariate regression and mediation models for the quantitative study, and thematic analysis for the qualitative study, with integration at the interpretation stage. Quantitative findings showed that role clarity was significantly associated with psychological safety at individual, team, and organisational levels. Role clarity was also related to well-being, with team psychological safety partially mediating this association. Leadership role showed a small effect, but tenure and employment status were not significant. Qualitative findings revealed how inclusive leadership, recognition, and clear communication fostered psychological safety, while reform-related ambiguity, shifting responsibilities, and reliance on informal channels undermined it. Hierarchical and cultural dynamics influenced whose voices were heard, with lower-status staff more hesitant to speak up. The integration of findings demonstrated that role clarity is a crucial job resource that supports psychological safety and well-being, but its benefits are amplified in supportive team climates. Using the Job Demands-Resources model, Status Characteristics Theory, and the Readiness for Change framework, the study showed how organisational, relational, and contextual factors interact to shape outcomes. The thesis provides empirical evidence of the clarity-safety-well-being relationship, refines theoretical frameworks by emphasising their interactive and contingent nature, and offers context-specific insights from a reforming, non-Western healthcare system. Findings have practical implications for leadership development, role design, and communication strategies during organisational transformation.13 0Item Restricted The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Supply Chain Optimization in Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) AlQahtani, Abdullah Saeed; Khobzi, HamidThis dissertation examines the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on supply chain optimization in Saudi Arabia, with particular emphasis on its alignment with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives. AI technologies such as machine learning, predictive analytics, robotic process automation, and the Internet of Things are increasingly recognized for their potential to enhance efficiency, resilience, and sustainability within supply chain operations. However, despite growing national interest, empirical research focusing on AI adoption in the Saudi supply chain context remains limited. The study adopts a qualitative, interpretivist approach based on multiple secondary case studies drawn from peer-reviewed literature published between 2020 and 2025. The analysis is guided by the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework, supported by the Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model, to examine both adoption drivers and process-level applications across key sectors, including telecommunications, healthcare, manufacturing, and national mega-projects. Findings indicate that AI adoption in Saudi supply chains is most advanced in planning, forecasting, and logistics delivery, while challenges persist in system integration, data quality, workforce readiness, and organizational resistance to change. Environmental factors such as Vision 2030 initiatives and government support act as strong enablers, although adoption remains concentrated among large organizations and flagship projects. The study concludes that while AI has significant potential to transform Saudi supply chains, its full benefits depend on improved digital integration, skills development, and supportive policy frameworks.33 0Item Restricted THE IMPACT OF NETFLIX’S CONSUMPTION ON THE SAUDI YOUNG ADULTS’ BEHAVIOR, ATTITUDES, AND PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS TATTOOS AND PRE- MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Khushaim, Mohammed; Simpson, EdgarThis dissertation examines how consumption of Western streaming content via Netflix influences Saudi Arabian young adults’ attitudes toward tattoos and premarital relationships. Tattoos and dating before marriage are traditionally stigmatized in Saudi society, yet rapid social change and Vision 2030 reforms have increased exposure to global media. Drawing on Social Learning and Cultivation theories and broader perspectives of Social Change, Modernization, Cultural Hegemony and Globalization, the study tests whether repeated exposure to streamed representations predicts more progressive attitudes. A cross-sectional survey collected data from 168 Saudi participants aged 18–35. The instrument measured weekly streaming hours, attitudes toward tattoos and premarital relationships on five-point Likert scales, and demographic variables. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations and multiple regression were used to test hypotheses; open-ended responses provided qualitative insight. Streaming hours were positively correlated with more accepting attitudes toward tattoos (r = 0.41) and premarital relationships (r = 0.47; both p < 0.01). Attitudes toward tattoos and premarital relationships were themselves correlated (r = 0.53). Regression analyses confirmed that weekly streaming predicts progressive attitudes even after controlling for age, gender and education; the standardized regression coefficients were beta = 0.34 for tattoos and beta = 0.39 for premarital relationships. Age showed a negative association (beta = -0.21), indicating younger respondents were more open, while education had a modest positive effect. Gender was not significant. Despite these associations, survey means show conservative norms remain influential. Only about 28 % of participants agreed that people with tattoos are “great,” and roughly 22 % agreed that premarital relationships are acceptable. Qualitative responses suggest respondents selectively adopt liberal values while maintaining cultural identity. Overall, the findings support social learning and cultivation perspectives by demonstrating that exposure to Western streaming content is linked to more accepting attitudes among Saudi youth, yet traditional values persist. The study adds evidence from a non-Western context and underscores the importance of media literacy and culturally sensitive education as Saudi society navigates rapid change.14 0Item Restricted Multi-sensor assessment of vegetation phenology in Rawdat Khuraim oasis: climate controls and spatiotemporal dynamics(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alharbi, Raed; Dewan, AshrafThis study investigated the dynamics of vegetation phenology in the Rawdat Khuraim Oasis, Saudi Arabia, using a multi-sensor remote sensing approach to assess climate-driven seasonal patterns from 2014 to 2024. The research addressed critical knowledge gaps on phenological responses in Arabian Peninsula oasis ecosystems through an integrated analysis of remote sensing data from three satellite systems: the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Landsat 8/9, and Sentinel-2. Daily Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series were reconstructed using hierarchical gap-filling and Savitzky–Golay filtering. Phenological metrics—Start of Season (SOS), End of Season (EOS), and Length of Season (LOS)—were extracted using threshold-based and derivative-based methods to ensure robust detection of seasonal transitions for shrub–grass communities. The analysis showed that Rawdat Khuraim exhibits a single-pulse phenological system driven mainly by the winter rainfall regime. Vegetation greening typically begins between late November and January, followed by senescence between March and early May, with growing seasons of 70–140 days depending on the timing and magnitude of rainfall. Cross-correlation analysis confirmed a lag of 2–8 weeks between peak rainfall and maximum NDVI response. Temperature was identified as the main limiting factor on season length, with land surface temperatures above 40 °C consistently triggering rapid senescence regardless of residual soil moisture. Climate–phenology relationships were quantified using multiple regression with precipitation from CHIRPS and temperature from the ERA5-Land reanalysis product. Early winter rainfall events and multiple rainfall pulses produced the strongest vegetation responses, whereas late or absent winter rainfall resulted in short growing seasons. Despite high interannual variability, Mann–Kendall trend analysis indicated no significant directional shifts in phenological timing, suggesting that year-to-year weather variability, rather than long-term climate trends, dominated during the study period. The multi-sensor framework successfully compensated for the limitations of individual platforms, with MODIS providing temporal continuity, Landsat contributing historical detail, and Sentinel-2 enhancing spatial resolution in recent years.10 0Item Restricted How to improve talent identification in Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Hafiz, Othman; Mighten, EddieThe main purpose of this research was to develop a deeper understanding of the talent identification (TID) system, and how to improve it in Saudi Arabia. The case study also aimed to understand and explain the current situation and challenges of the Saudi Arabian TID system. The research was guided by the following question: How to improve TID in Saudi Arabia? A qualitative approach was adopted, using semi-structured interviews analysed through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The findings provide insights into the current capacity and limitations of the system, as well as the wider Saudi sport ecosystem.25 0Item Restricted Cultural and Social Barriers to STEM Career Orientations and Retention Among Saudi Women Students in Tertiary Education(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alqous, maha; Picho-Kiroga, KatherineThis qualitative study was designed to explore the existing social, cultural, and religious barriers women students experience in Saudi Arabia when they plan to take a STEM program of studies at the tertiary level. To determine the mindset of people towards women's education and career orientation in STEM fields in Saudi culture, 15 women studying in the USA and taking undergraduate or graduate courses in STEM fields were interviewed. The data were consolidated for thematic analysis, and a total of 10 themes emerged for four research questions exploring students’ challenges in STEM education, people's mindsets, the support levels women have, and their resilience towards cultural barriers. The results of the study indicated that women have a consistent and significant amount of support from their parents and peers, and the most substantial challenges they faced were the social and cultural norms set for women in the context of religious teachings. Nonetheless, the women interviewees were found to be resilient against unfair social practices, stereotypical thoughts about women’s abilities, and gendered roles in society. Governmental policies and social reforms are the strongest change elements in society; parents who believed in the importance of women's education in family growth and national development were found to be more flexible and supportive towards women's education in STEM programs. It is recommended that a collective effort of religious leaders, governmental officials, and other societal figures play their pivotal role in social transformation, abolishing unfair restrictions on women, realizing their equal role in the national economy, and permitting them to pursue STEM programs according to their abilities.22 0Item Restricted How do Middle Eastern countries engage with Chinese economic diplomacy? A comparative analysis of Egypt and Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Library, 2024) Alqahtani, Mesfer; Bishop, Matthew L; Hobson, John MHow do Middle Eastern countries engage with Chinese economic diplomacy? This apparently simple question does not have a simple answer. Yet it is one that requires a response, because, over the past two or three decades – and particularly since the Arab Spring of 2010/11, when many regional states lost confidence in the support of Western partners – the relationship between Beijing and the Middle East has intensified to the extent that, in certain respects, it has transcended a straightforward set of trade or commercial linkages to encompass something much deeper and more strategic, grounded in shared preferences that may even be reshaping the region’s political economy. Indeed, some countries have even come to rely on Chinese investment and markets to such a degree that they are fully embedding their own development strategies within the emerging framework of its Belt and Road Initiative. However, despite these transformations, and certainly compared to other developing regions like Africa and Latin America, there is precious little scholarly research on the subject. In part, this reflects difficulties of access, but it is also because the region’s own distinctive profile – it comprises a range of non-democratic Arab and non-Arab countries, many of them also rentier states, and is relatively proximate to China – renders it quite different in key respects. This thesis seeks to redress the balance and contributes to filling this gap. It reviews the existing literature on China’s engagement in Africa and Latin America, and from this it distils three positions that might be applied to comprehending perceptions of the Middle Eastern equivalent: Sino-optimist, Sino-pessimist, and Sino-pragmatist. It then deploys a constructivist theoretical framework to examine contemporary Chinese economic diplomacy in two quite different Arab states, Egypt and Saudi Arabia: the former a larger but poorer and more diverse economy requiring infrastructural upgrading, the latter a smaller but wealthier rentier economy requiring economic diversification. It situates this analysis within their evolving contemporary relationship with the People’s Republic of China. At the end of the thesis, the study reflects on the extent to which a prevailing Sino-pragmatist account of these processes appears the most appropriate way to understand them, before outlining three broad contributions to knowledge: partly filling the empirical gap regarding Chinese economic diplomacy in the Middle East; adding to existing debates on Chinese engagement in the non-West through the distillation of the optimist-pessimist-pragmatist framing; and offering a recipient-centric view of Chinese diplomacy.19 0