Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted The Legal Framework for Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) as an economic, social, and environmental Sustainability Transition in Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) Alluhidan, Nouf Ahmed; Chimia, Annamaria; Trepte, PeterThis research examines the legal framework for public–private partnerships (PPPs) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a sustainable transition mechanism across three levels: social, economic, and environmental, by analysing all national regulations applicable to PPPs. The private sector could play a significant role in societal prosperity through its direct and indirect effects, making PPPs a crucial component in building sustainable infrastructures in countries. This has led the United Nations to recognise the need for all parties, including governments and the private sector, to cooperate in an international partnership to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, PPPs cannot effectively contribute to the SDGs unless governments implement internal legal reforms and enhance the legal environment. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to examine the current legal framework for PPPs under Saudi law and assess the extent to which it supports the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and the SDGs. Numerous PPPs have recently been adopted in the country for the first time, with many more in the tendering process at various stages. In this regard, due to the recent adoption of PPPs, there was a strong need to conduct interviews to investigate their application across different sectors in the country. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with government procurement officials, policymakers, and other experts in the field to determine the extent to which PPPs can serve as effective instruments for achieving sustainability in Saudi Arabia. PPPs clearly offer various advantages, including leveraging private sector expertise and funding, enhancing quality, fostering innovation and local content, and enabling risk sharing. However, challenges remain, such as unstable environmental and social regulations, a lack of environmental and social requirements in contracts, negative impacts on public employees, and a wide number of applicants in the short term. In conclusion, the legal framework governing PPPs is critical to ensuring Saudi Arabia’s efforts to achieve its Vision 2030 objectives, some of which align with international standards, while others require serious consideration and reform.72 0Item Restricted Integrating Saudi Cultural Identity into Boutique Hotel Guest Experiences in Alignment with Vision 2030: Towards Innovation and Differentiation(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alnuwaiser, Raghad; Maekinen, TiiaSaudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 has placed a strong emphasis on cultural identity as a primary element of tourism strategy. As such, cultural hospitality is reconceptualized as a vehicle for national identity, cultural diplomacy, and tourism product differentiation. In this regard, boutique hotels are specifically designed to offer a culturally rich and personalized guest experience. However, despite this strategy, literature on hospitality and tourism in Saudi Arabia is limited and often focuses on niche areas such as architectural heritage or service quality, overlooking the integration of cultural identity into the holistic guest experience. This study addresses this gap by exploring how Saudi cultural identity can be systematically integrated into boutique hotel guest experiences to enhance authenticity, innovation, and differentiation. Using a qualitative multiple-case study design, the research analyzes online guest reviews of boutique and heritage hotels across key Saudi destinations, including Riyadh, Jeddah, and AlUla. The study employs inductive thematic analysis to identify patterns related to cultural design, service interactions, culinary experiences, and the balance between modern luxury and traditional elements. Findings reveal that deeply embedded cultural elements significantly enhance guest satisfaction and create meaningful, memorable experiences. Guests particularly value authentic spatial design, culturally informed service interactions, and traditional culinary offerings. However, gaps remain in staff cultural competence and the depth of storytelling, leading to occasional inconsistencies in the overall guest experience. The study proposes a Cultural Cohesion-Integration Framework (CCIF), offering a structured approach for embedding cultural identity across strategic, operational, and experiential dimensions. This framework provides practical guidance for boutique hotel managers and policymakers, supporting the alignment of cultural preservation with innovation and tourism development under Vision 2030.9 0Item Restricted The Contribution of Vision 2030 to Diversifying Income Sources in the Saudi Economy(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) Almohaimeed, Nawaf; Albin, ErlansonSaudi Arabia used to depend mostly on oil money. Oil gave most government revenue and shaped the whole economy (World Bank, 2023). When oil prices fell in 2014–2016 the budget came under pressure (IMF, 2023). The government launched Vision 2030 in 2016 to grow non- oil sectors, bring in more private investment, and create jobs (Saudi Vision 2030, 2024). The plan pushes sectors like tourism, technology, finance and clean energy (Saudi Vision 2030, 2024). The Public Investment Fund was asked to invest at home to speed this shiV (PIF, 2021).3 0Item Restricted The Impact of Financial Reforms Under Vision 2030 on the Profitability of Saudi Banks(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) Alqahtany, Badria; Barros, LucyThis research inspects the effect of the Vision 2030 financial reforms (Basel III implementation and IFRS 9 adoption) on Saudi commercial banks from 2010 to 2024. Profitability was measured using ROA, ROE and NIM. The importance of this research lies in its provision of a deeper understanding of the extent to which financial reforms can enhance the performance of Saudi banks in an environment characterized by a rapid pace of economic transformation, thus contributing to bridging an important knowledge gap related to measuring the actual effects of these changes, secondary data was collected from the audited statements of the banks, SAMA publications and international databases. The sample was drawn from eleven Saudi banks and analyzed by using descriptive statistics, correlation tests, fixed-effects and random-effects panel regression, structural break tests, and diagnostics using Stata v17. After the reform in the year 2017, there was a drop in profits showing short run adjustment costs. After the reforms, efficiency had a weak relationship with profitability. However, the capital and quality of the assets remained important drivers of profitability. There was no effect of liquidity, and the macroeconomic variables showed small positive effects from GDP growth, and negative effect for inflation consistently. The structural break test shows that reform caused profitability behaviour to change – but modestly. Panel econometric techniques were justified on the grounds of the non-stationarity of profitability measures19 0Item Restricted Securing Saudi Arabia’s Smart Cities and Critical Infrastructure Against APTs: A Framework for IoT/OT Forensic Readiness(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alarjani, Abdulaziz; Lutui, RaymondThe Vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia has encouraged the development of smart cities by means of all-inclusive integration of Internet of Things (IoT) and Operational Technology (OT) systems. While this transformation is very positive, it also makes critical national infrastructure more vulnerable to advanced cyber threats like Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs). This dissertation demonstrates that while the Kingdom is investing heavily in cybersecurity, there is a major gap in the area of forensic preparedness in these complex IoT/OT environments. The main problem is not only technical, but also related to major legal and procedural ambiguities in the applicable frameworks. This paper conducts a Multi-Vocal Literature Review (MVLR) of Saudi Arabia's Anti-Cyber Crime Law and Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) to show how laws that are intended for conventional IT are causing challenges for investigators in obtaining digital evidence from Smart City systems. A comparative study of international frameworks, followed by a derived SWOT analysis, characterises a pressing demand for clarity of procedure on a jurisdictional basis. The paper concludes with four useful suggestions for how forensic preparedness practice may be enhanced by addressing these gaps in the law through mandatory 'forensics by design', standardised procedures, and capacity building of locally based expertise. This study contributes to a policy-focused approach to securing smart cities through the inclusion of legal and procedural considerations into the technical cybersecurity strategy for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.12 0Item Restricted Exploring the Impact of Cybersecurity Incidents on Hotel Operations and Reputation in Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alasiri, Abdullah; Khurdi, Ruby BakshiThe hospitality industry continues to integrate various technologies to improve guests’ satisfaction and optimize organizational performance. However, this reliance also poses a cybersecurity threat to hotels according to Al Hamli and Sobaih (2023). The expansion of the tourism and hospitality sectors within Saudi Arabia under vision 2030 also serves to explain the increased vulnerability to cyber threats. Statement of the Problem The hotel industry is among the most vulnerable to cyber threats because of the kind of information that it processes. A cyber security attack can hinder business activities in a hotel and negatively affect the organization’s reputation, resulting in considerable losses and low customer confidence (Almaiah et al., 2022). The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of such occurrences on the hotels’ business in Saudi Arabia.1 0Item Restricted Exploring the Impact of Vision 2030 on Saudi Arabia's Hospitality and Tourism Industry(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) ALJOHRA, TAYEB; Annamarie, SissonThis study investigates the impact of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 on the country’s hospitality and tourism industry, focusing on how national reforms are experienced and interpreted by key industry stakeholders. Vision 2030 aims to diversify the Saudi economy, reduce oil dependence, and develop a globally competitive tourism sector through giga-projects such as NEOM, AlUla, and the Red Sea. Using a qualitative, interpretivist methodology, the research draws on semi-structured interviews with 15 professionals representing public agencies, giga-project management teams, and private enterprises across various regions. Thematic analysis reveals four core findings: economic transformation, sustainability implementation gaps, cultural authenticity concerns, and stakeholder coordination challenges. The study applies tourism development and destination branding theories to contextualize these themes, highlighting both the ambitious scale of reform and the practical frictions encountered during implementation. Contributions include an empirical perspective on stakeholder alignment, a critique of top-down planning in emerging destinations, and recommendations for more inclusive and sustainable tourism governance. This research offers theoretical and practical insights for policymakers, industry leaders, and scholars examining transformational tourism agendas in developing economies.3 0Item Restricted The Impact of Implementing Development Policies for Saudi Hotels and Lodging Industry on Rating and Customer Satisfaction: Challenge, Critical Success Factors, And Opportunities(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Barayan, Ayman; Witte, Alexandra; Moysidou, Mania; Annamarie, D. SissonThis study investigates how Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 diversification agenda translates into measurable performance gains across the Kingdom’s upscale hotel sector. A crosssectional survey was distributed to managers and frontline staff in 4- and 5-star properties in Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah–Madinah, and the Eastern Province. Using a rigorously validated instrument (Cronbach’s α = 0.957), 312 usable responses were analysed with Pearson correlations and hierarchical linear regressions. Results show that the intensity of Vision-aligned policy implementation correlates strongly and positively with overall hotel ratings (r = 0.776) and customer satisfaction (r = 0.751) at the 0.01 significance level. Regression models confirm that Vision-driven initiatives explain 60 % of the variance in hotel ratings (R² = 0.60; β = 0.659, p < .001) and 56 % of the variance in customer satisfaction (R² = 0.56; β = 0.645, p < .001). Qualitative follow-ups identify staff upskilling programmes, green-retrofit incentives, and AI-enabled guest-service apps as the most influential levers linking national policy to firm-level outcomes. These findings provide the first empirical evidence that Saudi Arabia’s macro-level diversification strategy can be converted into micro-level performance improvements, offering hotel operators and policy-makers a clear roadmap for leveraging Vision 2030 to enhance competitiveness, guest loyalty, and revenue growth.1 0Item Restricted The Discursive Construction of National and Tribal Identities in Saudi Arabia: A Discourse-Historical Approach(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) Alshamrani, Alaa; Capstick, TonyIn Saudi Arabia, modern statehood coexists with longstanding tribal affiliations. Both national and tribal identities function as prominent discursive constructs through which members of Saudi tribal communities articulate their sense of belonging. This thesis draws mainly on Discourse-Historical Approach (DHA) as the overarching framework, while also employing tools from Corpus Linguistics (CL) and Multimodal Critical Discourse Studies (MCDS), to examine the discursive construction of Saudi national and tribal identities in the context of contemporary national reforms and nation-rebuilding efforts driven by the Saudi Vision 2030 policies. It investigates the construction and recontextualisation of discourses on national identity from top-down and bottom-up perspectives, identifying intertextual and interdiscursive relations between discourses produced at the institutional and grassroot levels. It also explores bottom-up discursive constructions of tribal identities to understand how Saudi individuals with tribal affiliations position their national and tribal belongings relative to one another.28 0Item Restricted Green and Sustainable Logistics Strategies in the Saudi FMCG Sector: A Post-Vision 2030 Desk-Based Analysis(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) Alshalawi, Maha; Adaba, GodfriedAbstract This study investigates the implementation of green and sustainable logistics practices within Saudi Arabia’s Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector and evaluates their alignment with Vision 2030 sustainability priorities. Using a qualitative, desk-based research design supported by Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA), the study examined 13 corporate sustainability reports, national policy documents, and independent industry publications. The findings reveal partial but uneven adoption of sustainable logistics practices. Digital transformation is progressing but limited by capability gaps, while operational efficiency initiatives are widely reported but rarely supported by measurable performance indicators. Circular economy practices remain in early stages due to infrastructural and behavioural constraints, and transport sustainability is hindered by reliance on diesel fleets and insufficient low-carbon infrastructure. By integrating the Triple Bottom Line (TBL), Circular Economy (CE), and Resource-Based View (RBV), the study highlights the interaction between external pressures, operational mechanisms, and internal capabilities. The research contributes theoretically by contextualising sustainability frameworks in the Saudi FMCG sector and offers practical recommendations for firms and policymakers to accelerate progress toward Vision 2030 objectives.19 0