Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Enhancing Supply Chain Resilience for SMEs in Import Logistics via Sea Freight(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Almarshad, Norah; Liyanagamage, NellwThis research examines how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) involved in import logistics can enhance their resilience to global sea freight disruptions. Although SMEs play a crucial role in international trade, they often lack the financial, technological, and structural resources to manage disruptions such as port strikes, geopolitical instability, and shipping cancellations. Despite these challenges, there is limited research focusing specifically on SME strategies within maritime logistics. To address this gap, the study adopts a qualitative case study approach, using Whale Logistics, an Australian freight forwarder that supports SMEs, as the focal firm. Data were collected through a virtual interview with the company’s General Manager, complemented by internal documents, industry reports, and academic literature. Thematic analysis identified key resilience strategies employed by Whale Logistics, including flexible pricing mechanisms, diversified shipping partnerships, strong financial safeguards, and coordinated internal communication. These practices align with the three stages of supply chain resilience: anticipation, resistance, and recovery. Based on these findings, the study recommends that SMEs implement structured risk management frameworks and knowledge management systems to improve their ability to detect, respond to, and recover from disruptions. These strategies can help SMEs maintain operational continuity and remain competitive in an increasingly unpredictable global logistics environment.11 0Item Restricted Risk Management and Resilience in Civil Engineering Megaprojects in Saudi Arabia: A Case Study Of Sindalah Island Resort(Saudi Digital Library, 2025-04) Alali, Hatim; Patel, ImranThis research study investigated the relationship between risk management and resilience in the success of civil engineering megaprojects in Saudi Arabia. Using the Sindalah Island Resort as a case study, the study employed the qualitative research approach, open-ended questionnaire to collect data through a Key Informant Interview, and the thematic analysis method, and findings indicate that leadership styles, technological tools, real-time monitoring are crucial to managing risk and recovering from delays and disruptions in megaprojects.24 0Item Restricted Research on Assessment of Resilience, Mental Toughness, and Confidence Dynamics in Elite Track and Field Athletes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Library, 2025-05-01) Moraya, Mohammed; Beattie, StuartAbstract Resilience, mental toughness, and confidence are critical elements for athletes. According to research, resilience entails the ability to withstand or recover quickly from difficulties. Mental toughness, on the other hand, involves the ability to remain persistent and optimistic in the midst of challenges despite the pressure the challenges bring. Lastly, confidence entails a feeling of believing in oneself. This study explores the dynamics of resilience, mental toughness, and confidence among elite athletes in Saudi Arabia, focusing on track and field competitors. A quantitative approach was used to analyze the psychological factors influencing performance and mental well-being. The study involved 99 male athletes from various competition levels across Saudi Arabia. Questionnaires assessed mental toughness, resilience, and confidence, utilizing established psychological scales like MTI, BRS, and SSCI. Data collection was conducted via an online survey, and professional validation ensured the accuracy of the translated questionnaires. Key findings revealed a significant decline in athletes' confidence levels after competition, with resilience (measured by the Connor-Davidson scale) emerging as the strongest predictor of post-performance confidence recovery. While mental toughness predicted pre-match confidence, it had no significant effect on post-match confidence. Only a small percentage of the variance in confidence change was explained by these psychological factors. Cultural factors also played a role, positively correlating self-efficacy with performance outcomes. The research highlights the importance of resilience in helping athletes recover from confidence after poor performance in competitions. This is demonstrated primarily by the Connor-Davidson resilience tool. The same research highlights the role mental toughness plays. As per the findings, it aids in maintaining confidence under pressure. The study advocates incorporating resilience and mental toughness training into athlete development programs to enhance performance and mental health. Future research could explore the long-term impact of these psychological factors and other elements influencing athletic success.11 0Item Restricted Essays on Blockchain Technology(Saudi Digital Library, 2025-05-15) Alkhars, Kazem Abdulkarim; Radhakrishnan, AbiramiThis dissertation consists of two essays on blockchain technology adoption and application. The first essay empirically examines the factors affecting the adoption of cryptocurrency at the individual level using the theoretical lenses of the Theory of Technological, Personal, and Environmental factors and Diffusion of Innovation Theory. The existing literature emphasizes the need for broader adoption by individuals. Therefore, in this large-scale, theory-driven study, I investigate the factors influencing the intention to adopt cryptocurrencies at an individual level. The findings show that the main technological factors impacting the intention to adopt cryptocurrency are complexity, perceived benefits, and trialability. The main personal factors are compatibility, individual risk propensity, and trust. Finally, it reveals the role of positive market sentiments as the main environmental factor. The second essay uses the Dynamic Capabilities View as a theoretical lens to empirically investigate the impact of blockchain technology usage on a firm’s resilience to supply chain disruptions and operational performance. Witnessing the negative impacts of disruptions such as COVID-19 on supply chain performance, this research addresses this gap. While prior studies present blockchain chain technology as a potential solution a firm can use to enhance resilience, not one study has shed light on how blockchain usage can impact firms' resilience and operational performance. The findings provide empirical evidence of the relationship between blockchain technology usage and supply chain capabilities. Second, it also provides empirical evidence of the indirect relationship between blockchain technology usage and a firm's resilience and operational performance in the face of environmental uncertainty.12 0Item Restricted Resilience and Reality: Exploring the Lived Experiences of People Living with HIV in Texas During the COVID-19 Pandemic – A Qualitative Study.(The University of Texas at Arlington, 2025-05) Alanazi, Ahmed; Eusebius, SmallThis study investigated the lived experiences of individuals living with HIV (PLWH) in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area of Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic, using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) framework. The research examined the intersection of health, social dynamics, and psychological resilience among PLWH, who faced compounded vulnerabilities due to systemic inequities and the dual public health crises of HIV and COVID-19. Through semi-structured interviews with ten participants from diverse backgrounds, the study captured the profound impacts of disrupted healthcare systems, heightened stigma, and social isolation on this marginalized population. The findings reveal that the pandemic exacerbated existing inequities in access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and mental health services, while simultaneously highlighting the remarkable resilience of the participants. Adaptive coping mechanisms, community support, and advocacy efforts emerged as critical strategies for navigating the layered challenges of living with HIV during a global health crisis. The study identified key themes such as social isolation and estrangement, the emotional toll of the diagnosis, resilience in navigating health crises, and redefining possibilities through HIV services, with each theme branching into sub-themes that offer deeper interpretations. Participants' narratives underscore the necessity for tailored interventions that address the broad-ranging needs of PLWH, including the integration of mental health services into HIV care and the development of socially-led education campaigns to combat stigma. By focusing on the unique experiences of PLWH, this research contributes to the broader understanding of syndemic health crises, where HIV/AIDS interacts synergistically with other social, economic, and health issues, exacerbating the overall impact on affected communities. The study calls for a paradigm shift in public health policy, emphasizing the need for inclusive and intersectional approaches that prioritize equity, resilience, and community empowerment. The findings also provide actionable insights for healthcare providers, policymakers, and community organizations, advocating for robust telemedicine infrastructure, stigma reduction initiatives, and comprehensive support systems that ensure continuity of care during public health emergencies. As the global community still grapples with the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study underlines the urgency of reimagining public health strategies. By centering the voices of those living at the intersection of HIV and COVID-19, it challenges existing paradigms and paves the way for innovative solutions that transcend individual health crises, offering a blueprint for more equitable, inclusive, and resilient healthcare systems. The research not only highlights the structural inequities that deepen health disparities but also illuminates the resilience and adaptive capacities of PLWH, providing a foundation for policies and practices that uphold dignity, wellbeing, and social inclusion for all.24 0Item Restricted Detecting abuse of cloud and public legitimate services as command and control infrastructure using machine learning(Cardiff University, 2024) Al lelah, Turki; Theodorakopoulos, GeorgeThe widespread adoption of Cloud and Public Legitimate Services (CPLS) has inadvertently created new opportunities for cybercriminals to establish hidden and robust command-and-control (C&C) communication infrastructure. This abuse represents a major cybersecurity risk, as it allows malicious traffic to seamlessly disguise itself within normal network activities. Traditional detection systems are proving inadequate in accurately identifying such abuses. Therefore, this thesis is motivated by emphasizing the urgent need for more advanced detection techniques that are capable of identifying the C&C activity hidden within legitimate CPLS traffic. To assess the extent of the cyber threat of abusing CPLS, this thesis presents an ex- tensive Systematic Literature Review (SLR) encompassing academic and industry lit- erature. The review provides a comprehensive categorization of the attack techniques utilized to abuse CPLS as C&C infrastructure. The open problems uncovered through the SLR motivate this thesis to propose a novel Detection System (DS) capable of identifying malware that abuse CPLS as C&C communication channels. Furthermore, to evaluate our system robustness against attempts to evade detection, this thesis intro- duces the Replace Misclassified Parameter (RMCP) adversarial attack. The proposed detection system leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques, combining static and dynamic malware analysis methods to accurately identify CPLS abuse. The effective- ness of the proposed system is validated through extensive experiments, demonstrating its ability to detect novel and sophisticated attacks that evade traditional security measures. The outcomes of this thesis have significant implications for enhancing the security of cloud environments, contributing valuable knowledge and practical solutions to the field of cloud security.26 0Item Restricted Tracing the Trajectory and Development of Language Teachers’ Resilience Stories from the Saudi context(The University of Nottingham, 2024-01) Aloufey, Mariam; Muir, Christine; Conklin, KathyAcross the world, teachers in general and language teachers in particular, are experiencing significant levels of stress and burnout, leading to their exodus from the profession. The construct of resilience gained considerable interest in education, and studies on resilience have been rapidly growing as it provides a comprehensive framework on how resilient teachers maintain their motivation and commitment to the profession. Although teacher resilience has been widely research in Western contexts, to date no research has examined language teacher resilience in the Saudi context. Accordingly, three qualitative studies have been conducted in sequence to examine the development and trajectories of Saudi language teachers’ resilience throughout their career span. The first of these was an exploratory study that aimed to examine the teaching challenges that teachers experienced throughout the years and how they coped. Data from 11 teachers revealed universal and specific teaching challenges to the Saudi context, and use of faith as one of their coping strategies. Significantly, the data suggested four resilience archetypes that were called 1) A smooth resilience 2) roller-coaster resilience, 3) maladaptive resilience, and 4) a reluctant resilience. To further investigate these findings, a second study was conducted with the 4 teachers representing the archetypes. The results revealed that teachers’ resilience developed gradually and emerged from the dynamic interaction between teachers’ inner systems, which included many components (e.g., learning experience, and self-efficacy) and the different contextual factors in the teaching context over time. Furthermore, the study showed the complex change and development of coping strategies influenced by the reciprocal interaction between teachers and their contexts.13 0Item Restricted Optimising the design of passive optical networks-based data centres(University of Leeds, 2024) Alharthi, Mohammed; Elmirghani, JaafarThe recent growth in cloud-based applications has motivated researchers to focus on improving the scalability, power efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of data centre architectures. State-of-the-art data centres consists of numerous access and aggregation switches which can be costly and can lead to inefficiencies such as unbalanced traffic and high-power consumption. Passive Optical Network (PON) technology, known for its high performance in access networks, can offer energy-efficient, cost-effective, and scalable solutions for modern and future data centres. This thesis aims to propose and enhance a PON-based data centre architecture to enable multi-path routing, load balancing and scalability, enhance resilience and energy efficiency, and reduce latency. The proposed design is based on a two-tier cascaded Arrayed Waveguide Grating Routers (AWGRs) fabric. We develop a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model to optimise the wavelength assignment and multipath routing in the proposed architecture. Additionally, we investigate the resilience of the proposed architecture by evaluating its power consumption and delay under several failure scenarios. We also optimise virtual Machine (VM) placement in the proposed architecture to minimise power consumption. A MILP model and a heuristic are developed for VM placement in the proposed architecture and the results show significant power consumption reductions, up to 66% compared to VM placement in the state-of-the-art architecture, the spine and leaf architecture. Furthermore, we consider the use of WDM/TDM multiple access technique with multipath routing in the proposed architecture. A MILP model is developed to jointly optimise time slots allocation and routing and wavelength assignment.23 0Item Restricted Sustainable and Cost-Effective Work Zone Scheduling on Two-Lane Highways with Managed Lanes(New Jersey Institute of Technology, 2024-04-23) Edrees, Ahmed; Chien, StevenRoadway maintenance projects greatly influence the roadway capacity, resulting in potential traffic disturbances captured by delays. Additionally, costs associated with these projects tend to be exorbitantly extensive. Most agencies and planners try to find a solution that minimizes roadway maintenance costs, traffic delays, crash risks, and environmental impact. Work zones on two-way two-lane roadway typically avoids high-demand periods. Lane-closure scenario is commonly used and converts the open lane into a phantom intersection, alternating two-direction movements on one lane with the help of a flagger or a temporary signal. Alternatively, using shoulders as temporarily managed lanes allows for simultaneous two-way movements with minimal interruptions. This scenario can potentially enhance the efficiency of the work zone by allowing for longer work zone segments and fewer setups, while increasing the project cost due to shoulder preparation cost, which is sensitive to the condition of the existing shoulders and the amount of preparation work needed. This study addresses the feasibility of utilizing managed lanes scenarios for two-way two-lane highways, while previous work focused on assessing and optimizing one-lane scenarios. The objective of this study is to develop a cost optimization algorithm and resilience assessment model for work zone scenarios on two-way two-lane highways. The cost optimization process assesses the trade-offs between agency, user, accident, and emission costs. This study enhances several assumptions and limitations of previously developed models by accounting for hourly demand variations, heavy vehicle presence, and work zone buffer areas. Additionally, this study utilizes the latest models for crash risk predictions as illustrated in the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) and emission rate simulator developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The results of the optimization models serve as framework for comparison of potential scheduling schemes by exploring the effects of traffic demand variations, work zone lengths, and project starting times, while taking into consideration scheduling restraints, accident risks, and emission standards.17 0Item Restricted ENHANCING INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE THROUGH INTEGRATION OF A MAX-MIN FAIRNESS-INSPIRED STRATEGY IN MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION AND SUPPLY CHAIN SYSTEMS(The University of Oklahoma, 2024-04-26) Moshebah, Osamah Yahya; González, AndrésThis dissertation's primary contribution to Supply Chain and Transportation Network (SCTN) resilience lies in the implementation of a sequence of Multicriteria Mixed Integer liners programming MCMILP models that incorporate Max-Min Fairness-Inspired (MMFI) approach as a fundamental constraint, thereby delivering both effective distribution and cost-efficiency. The research's novelty is accentuated by its reliance on actual network data from Colombia's intricate multimodal transportation and supply chain system, which involves a diverse flow of multicommodity. This setting provides a robust backdrop for elucidating the real-world efficacy of the proposed models. The foundational layer of resilient supply chains and transportation networks is their capacity for an immediate and efficient response in the wake of disruptions. Chapter2 introduces the first model within this dissertation MCMILP model—that pioneers the incorporation of MMFI strategy directly into the optimization process. This innovative approach is essential for curtailing the detrimental effects of unforeseen events by guaranteeing prompt and effective resource distribution. The effectiveness of this model is not merely theoretical; its application to Colombia’s multimodal transportation data reveals a substantial enhancement in user satisfaction. By significantly reducing the performance loss across the network, the model demonstrates its exceptional capacity to uphold a high level of service and requirements, validating the concept that immediate fairness can indeed coexist with, and even bolster, operational efficiency. In Chapter 3, the spotlight shifts to the critical long-term recovery phase, where the principles of effective distribution are further operationalized to ensure sustained resilience. Here, a refined version of MCMILP model is employed, extending the concept of MMFI strategy to a more complex and temporally extended recovery process. This model proves to be a powerful tool in the unbiased distribution of resources over time, promoting a swifter restoration trajectory. The Colombian multimodal transportation system once again serves as the proving ground for this model's efficacy. The empirical results showcase not only a higher rate of network-wide satisfaction but also demonstrate that effective distribution strategies can effectively minimize the recovery timeframe. The model's application thus substantiates the assertion that MMFI integrated into recovery planning is paramount for expediting the restoration of services and maintaining a consistent satisfaction rate during periods of gradual network recovery. In Chapter 4 of the dissertation, the focus shifts toward enhancing strategic planning for enduring resilience within Supply Chain and Transportation Networks (SCTN). The chapter introduces an innovative evaluation model that incorporates MMFI, a pivotal element that significantly strengthens the model's foundation. By embedding MMFI, the evaluation framework is anchored securely in the principles of robust optimization. This methodology is particularly adept at addressing the most challenging aspects of planning and operation by emphasizing the preparation for worst-case scenarios. Such a focus ensures that the network's integrity remains uncompromised in the face of severe disruptions. The introduction of this evaluation model marks a critical phase in the dissertation, laying down a comprehensive foundation for constructing a resilient network. Unlike conventional approaches that primarily aim at survival in the aftermath of disruptions, this model elevates the network's objectives. It seeks to enable the SCTN to not just survive but to thrive amid adversities. This ambition is realized through the model's capability to maintain essential service levels, even under extreme conditions that typically would cripple unprepared networks.22 0