Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Investigating the factors affecting policy-driven projects to fulfil their purpose in achieving the strategic goals of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.(University of Leeds, 2024-08) Alrajeh, Abdulrahman Sulaiman; Moodley, KrisenPolicy-driven projects are initiated to achieve or support a certain policy. They are essential to achieve economical, national and social growth. Moreover, these projects frequently occur in nations to satisfy people’s need and to overcome certain challenges. Despite their importance, policy-driven projects often fail in achieving their goals, and the reasons are not well explored. This study aims to investigate the factors affecting policy-driven projects through its lifecycle in current huge transformation in Saudi Arabia. Which includes a large construction pipeline of more than 40 policy-driven projects to fulfil Vision 2030 goals of Saudi Arabia. Moreover, this contextual area of study is overlooked by literature, especially in integrating the whole lifecycle of such projects. To fulfil the aim of this study, 12 semi-structured interviews with highly experienced professionals in Saudi policy-driven projects industry was conducted. Then, the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis approach. The analysis has resulted in 17 total themes affecting the whole lifecycle of policy-driven projects. 12 of the 17 themes were highlighted as most important. Moreover, nine themes emerged as most relevant for identifying specific causes and phases at which adherence to policy objectives was lost in. Furthermore, the themes revealed that control is lost in project selection phase. Moreover, it has been found that policy awareness on strategic level was high. Despite that, awareness of the objectives has been lost throughout the project lifecycle. In addition, the study shows that, most of the construction phase issues were coming from earlier phases. Overall, suggesting a communication and governance issues resulted in loss of policy adherence. Therefore, identifying the root cause of policy-driven projects issues in Saudi Arabia. Following these findings, this research has contributed to the theoretical, contextual and practical body of knowledge by integrating the project lifecycle and identifying the themes affecting each phase. Hence, addressing the knowledge gap. Which resulted in better understanding of policy driven projects and adding knowledge to current literature in context of Saudi Arabia. The study also provided 8 recommendations to practitioners, including improving communication, enhancing governance structures, and conducting a firm pre-qualification process throughout the project lifecycle. However, despite originality in findings, the study has limitations such as time and sample constrain. Although, the sample is representative, it could benefit from involving more departments and actors from the policy-driven projects scene. The study serves as a foundational set of information for policy-driven projects in context of Saudi Arabia.26 0Item Restricted Evaluating the Feasibility of Clean Electricity: Low-Carbon Electricity and Solar Panels(Imperial College London, 2024) Aldabal, Hadia; Wilkins, MicahelThe viability of solar energy was addressed by analysing the technological, financial, and political feasibility of solar energy. This was done to address a literature gap in clean energy through the inclusion of the landscape of fossil fuels with carbon sequestration for emission reduction. The selected mode of analysis included a comprehensive literature review that draws out the key differences between solar energy, and fossil fuels with carbon reduction technologies. The study then drew on secondary data that illustrated a comparative analysis of the cost of solar energy, and emissions to that of traditional energy sources, as well as generation capacity of solar. The technological, financial, and political/policy factors that contribute to the findings were then discussed regarding three key metrics: feasibility, barriers, and recommendations. The findings of this study suggest that the growth in solar generation, and the decline in costs are linked directly to technological advancements, appropriate low-carbon instruments, and favourable policies. This has been demonstrated through the illustration of the declining cost of solar energy in the face of traditional energy counterparts, demonstrating significant potential for widespread implementation of clean electricity. The findings proposed in this study demonstrated the possibility of solar energy as a highly plausible method for deployment and adoption at a large scale, with the potential to compete further with fossil fuels upon additional advancement of the assessed metrics.3 0Item Restricted The Economic Ripple Effect of Tourism: Insights from Saudi Arabia's Growth and Local Communities(University of Glasgow, 2024) Alatif, Munis; Patrizia, RigantiThe research aimed to measure tourism's impact on Saudi Arabia by investigating the industry's ability to contribute to the country's GDP, create new job opportunities, and impact the local community. The research approach also used secondary data methodology, which used two approaches to collect the data on tourism impact: quantitative and qualitative methods. The research found that the tourism industry in Saudi Arabia has both direct and indirect impacts on Saudi Arabia. As a result, tourism contributed to the total GDP of Saudi Arabia between 2019 to 2022 by 3.8 to 3.0% as a direct impact. Moreover, the study showed the links between the number of tourists, tourist spending, and employment opportunities related to economic growth in Saudi Arabia, which might have an indirect impact on the tourism industry in Saudi Arabia. However, in addition to its positive impact, the tourism sector had a negative effect on the Saudi Arabian community, particularly on the cultural structure. Thus, this report represents the impact of tourism on social, cutlery, and policy strategy in Saudi Arabia how the kingdom shifted the economy from oil sources to the non-oil sector, and how the government reduced the cultural harm from tourism practice. This work not only provides a comprehensive understanding of the social economy and the tourism industry's impact on Saudi Arabia but also offers practical insights and recommendations. It presents a detailed analysis of the Saudi government's strategies and the current state, potentials, strategy, and forward insights for sustainable tourism development. By doing so, this study not only enhances our understanding of the impact of the tourism industry in Saudi Arabia but also provides valuable guidance for future policy and strategy development in the country24 0Item Restricted Effectiveness of International Tribunals and Truth Commissions in Prosecuting Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones: Lessons from ICTY, ICTR, and SCSL(University of Reading, 2024-08-22) Alshammari, Abdulmajeed; Freedman, RosaThis dissertation assesses the efficiency of international tribunals and truth commissions in prosecuting sexual violence. The research will be on ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia), ICTR (International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda), and SCSL (Special Court for Sierra Leone) in conflict regions. Rape and other forms of sexual violence remain one of the oldest and most popular tactics of armed conflict, with shocking outcomes for people. The response from the global society to such injustices has changed over the years, as seen through efforts such as tribunals and truth commissions meant to help the victims and bring the culprits to the book. To this end, this work analyzes the effectiveness and the problems associated with these mechanisms in prosecuting sexual violence. It advocates retributive justice of tribunals to the restorative justice given by the truth commissions. The dissertation is divided into five main chapters to provide the framework for the case study analysis. Chapter 1 presents the background of the study, its purpose, and its importance. In this paper, the research problem and questions are presented, as well as the method used in the research, which adopts a qualitative comparative case study research method. Chapter 2 comprises the literature review in which the evolution of sexual violence in conflict is outlined, and the existing legal standards and operating international courts and truth commissions are discussed. It also tries to understand the effects of sexual violence on individuals and societies. In chapter three, the thesis explores case studies about international tribunals, particularly the ICTY, the ICTR, and the SCSL. It discusses key cases, considers the performance of these tribunals in addressing sexual violence, and looks at the two models. The chapter also presents a comparative treatment of the legal systems and issues of ICC and SCSL jurisdiction. Chapter 4 changes the subject to local justice and restorative methodologies and measures of how traditional justice systems and restorative justice have responded to sexual violence in the post-conflict societies of the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone. This chapter defines the breakdown between the formal and informal systems of justice and the place of the community-driven reconciliation processes and strategies. In the end, Chapter 5 pulls together the findings outlined above and examines the implications of the case studies for theories of international justice, paying particular attention to gender justice and transition justice. The chapter also offers policy recommendations to improve the effectiveness of international courts and truth commissions in addressing sexual and gender-based violence. The thesis concludes with an integrated hybrid approach that affects justice, combining reparations and restoration to achieve comprehensive and sustainable gender justice in transition societies47 0Item Restricted Impact of policy on the adoption and development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles(Queen Mary University of London, 2024-08) Alahmadi, Haitham; Peters, StuartThe transport sector accounts for the largest share of global carbon emissions—almost 25% of the aggregate total. As battery electric vehicles are being adopted quickly, it raises the demand for materials central to the production of the batteries, but hydrogen technology has been put forward as an alternative solution with the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of transportation. Its broader adoption encounters serious technical and policy hurdles. This study seeks to critically assess the effectiveness of various policies in stimulating market demand for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs). Through a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, the research provides a comprehensive evaluation of how effectively these policies are meeting their intended goals. Results show that government direct investment in hydrogen refueling infrastructure, as with South Korea and Germany, improves significantly over the U.S. approach that depended on private investments from tax incentives. Additionally, sustained and focused investment in hydrogen research and development (R&D), particularly in South Korea via partnership with automaker Hyundai, has led to significant advancements in HFCV production. This approach has proven more effective than the broader, less targeted hydrogen R&D programs in the U.S. Moreover, direct government subsidies, which significantly reduce the cost of HFCVs, have made these vehicles more competitive with BEVs in South Korea, surpassing the effectiveness of tax incentives and rebates in the U.S. and Germany.21 0Item Restricted Energy Transition Policies and Their Impact on Saudi Arabia(University of Oxford, 2024) Awshan, Nawaf; Imsirovic, Adi; Sen, AnupamaThis dissertation answers how Saudi Arabia, an oil-dependent economy, is tackling the energy transition. Given Saudi Arabia’s economy and its position in the global energy markets, it is crucial to analyse its status in the energy transition. Specifically, this research addresses three research sub-questions concerning: the external and internal drivers that have pushed Saudi Arabia to transform, the leading entity driving the energy transition in Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Arabia’s progression in the energy transition relative to other oil-producing economies, particularly the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Norway. Qualitative and quantitative methods are used: a Multi-Level Perspective framework is analysed, six interviews with energy stakeholders are conducted, and an Energy Transition Advancement Index (ETAI) is developed, in which two main sub-indexes are created with 39 dimensions. The research results show that eight drivers have pushed Saudi Arabia to transition: oil price volatility, global political and environmental pressure, advancement of renewable energy manufacturing, additional fiscal revenue derived from maximising oil exports, growth of domestic energy demand, the fiscal impact of fossil fuel subsidies, successful pilot renewable energy projects, and extensive minerals exploration. Second, the Saudi Ministry of Energy leads the energy transition. Furthermore, the results reveal that the government adopted a state-led energy transition approach where the government sets the policy instruments and initiatives. Lastly, Saudi Arabia lags behind the UAE and Norway in the ETAI. In 2023, Saudi Arabia scored 49.66 out of 100, while the UAE and Norway scored 64.33 and 70.57, respectively. The ETAI reveals that Saudi Arabia has the competence to transition, as indicated by the continuous improvement in the capability sub-index, which increased from 39.75 in 1990 to 57.33 in 2023. However, not enough steps have been taken to transition, as the performance sub-index declined from 48.84 in 1990 to 38.54 in 2023. The study recommends gradually phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, establishing Public-Private Partnerships in all low-carbon investments, enhancing private sector participation, and extending the value chain of the petrochemical industries.35 0Item Restricted Who gets left behind? Understanding the impacts of the Philippines ‘Supermaid’ policies on Filipino migrants and their families(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-11-13) Shaheen, Salman; Kumar, SunilIn 2006 the Philippines launched its Supermaid training program following a mass return of Filipinos repatriated due to the war in Lebanon. The program was designed to equip Filipinos, particularly Filipina women, with skills that were deemed to make them more appealing in the global domestic work market. The Philippines government has made it official policy to encourage, even market through its own institutions, international migration to ease unemployment pressures caused by the IMF loans and the Structural Adjustments Programs and to increase the amount of foreign currency coming in through remittances since its implementation of the 1974 Labour Codes. The Philippines has over 1.83 million Filipinos abroad in countries like Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates who send back almost 9% of the nation’s GDP back in remittances. The literature on the intended benefits of these policies including the improvement in unemployment rates due to lower labor supplies, remittances leading to growth in the economy, alleviating poverty, improving standards of living, increasing expenditure on human capital, and leading to development projects has questioned the actuality of these benefits. On the other hand, the Filipina abroad is crunched in between her productive roles in improving the nation's economy, her community’s infrastructure, and her family’s situation and between her socially productive roles often in underpaid, precarious, and harsh conditions. The Philippines state should consider policy improvements to ensure that remittances are capitalised on, and benefits realised, but also to ensure that they do not exacerbate local inequalities. Most importantly and taking a more expansive view of border thinking, Philippines state should create an environment where migrant workers are able to collectively organise, collectively participate in the decision-making process, and expand the political responsibility for ensuring that Filipino wellbeing and interests are well represented, and their rights protected on a global stage.23 0