Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Preparing Saudi Paramedics for Effective Disaster Management: A Study of the Current State and Future Needs(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) Alqahtani, Mohammed Ali Ali; Sam, Toloo; Sheikhzadeh, YazdSaudi Arabia has experienced an increase in both the frequency and severity of both natural and human-induced disasters, highlighting the urgent need to strengthen national planning and preparedness. This need is particularly critical within the healthcare sector, where paramedics play a pivotal frontline role. Effective disaster response relies on well-structured education, practical training, and strong institutional support; however, disaster management education for paramedics in Saudi Arabia remains inconsistent, fragmented, and insufficiently aligned with international standards. Moreover, limited research has examined the competencies required for paramedics to respond effectively throughout the disaster cycle. To date, no comprehensive national framework has defined the competencies required for Saudi paramedics to function effectively across the disaster cycle. This study aimed to examine the current state of disaster preparedness and education among Saudi paramedics and to identify future priorities to strengthen national resilience. Perspectives from frontline paramedics, paramedic operational leaders, and academic experts were integrated to provide a comprehensive understanding of the systemic challenges affecting disaster management education and practices. The research draws on international models, including the Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Recovery PPRR framework and the Australian Generic Emergency and Disaster Management Standards (GEDMS), the study proposes a hybrid framework: the Saudi Paramedic Disaster Management Education Framework (SP-DMEF). This framework is intended as a foundational starting point for policymakers, researchers, universities, and healthcare organisations. ii For this research, A qualitative phenomenological design was adopted to explore lived experiences and expert insights. Semi-structured online interviews were conducted with three participant groups: frontline paramedics with disaster experience (n = 14), paramedic leaders and managers responsible for operational oversight (n = 12), and academics involved in paramedicine and emergency management education (n = 12). Data were analysed using Colaizzi’s seven-step process to generate meaning units, codes, categories and overarching themes. The findings revealed substantial deficiencies in disaster education and preparedness in Saudi Arabia. Frontline paramedics reported limited exposure to disaster content during undergraduate study, limited refresher training, and frequent reliance on improvisation when responding realworld events due to unclear operational guidance. Leaders identified the absence of national competency standards, weak inter-agency coordination mechanisms, and ambiguity regarding paramedic roles across the preparedness, response, and recovery phases. Academics highlighted curriculum inconsistencies, limited practical simulation opportunities, and a lack of integrated, competency-based frameworks embedding disaster management throughout paramedics’ education pathways. Collectively, these findings demonstrate systemic challenges that hinder the development of a disaster-ready paramedic workforce in Saudi Arabia. This study underscores the urgent need for national policies reforms, standardised educational competency frameworks, and evidence-based training programs that aligns with global best practice in disaster management. It contributes a hybrid analytical model that can be used to assess and enhance disaster management in Saudi Arabia and offers actionable recommendations for academic institutions, healthcare authorities, and policymakers. These findings align with the broader health transformation goals outlined in Saudi Vision 2030 and provide a foundation for future research aimed at strengthening national disaster resilience and paramedic workforce iii capability. Notably, this study is the first qualitative investigation to engage paramedics from all professional levels, offering a comprehensive perspective on disaster management practices within the Saudi context. By doing so, it generates new empirical evidence in a minimally explored domain and addresses critical gaps in paramedic disaster management research across Saudi Arabia.8 0Item Restricted K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE GOALS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) Alqabbani, Fawaz; Belcher, DonThe purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of K–12 physical education teachers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, towards the different goals of physical education and the extent to which they use technologies and digital tools in their instruction. A further purpose was to explore whether teachers’ perceptions vary according to selected demographic characteristics, including gender, education level, teaching stage, and years of teaching experience. The sample consisted of 307 physical education teachers (131 males, 176 females) working in public schools in Riyadh. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed, and data were collected using a structured survey that measured six goal dimensions for physical education (promoting physical activity, psychological and social aspects, motor skills, physical fitness, religious values, and use of technology), the perceived importance of these goals, and the level of technology use in teaching, planning, and assessment. Results indicated that teachers held highly positive perceptions of all physical education goals, with psychological and social aspects, use of technology, and religious values receiving the highest mean scores. Teachers ranked promoting physical activity as the most important goal, followed by enhancing psychological and social aspects, enhancing motor skills development, enhancing physical fitness development, promoting Islamic creed, and enhancing technological skills development as the least important goal. Findings also showed moderate to high levels of technology use, particularly for tablet applications, interactive boards, and internet-based resources. Significant differences in perceptions were found in favor of female teachers, bachelor’s degree holders, and middle-school teachers on several goal dimensions, while more experienced teachers reported higher perceptions of psychological and social goals and technology use. These findings provide a comprehensive picture of how physical education goals and educational technologies are understood and valued by K–12 physical education teachers in Riyadh and point to the need for targeted professional development and policy support to maximize the educational potential of physical education.24 0Item Restricted Discretion as Moral Navigation: How Saudi Child Protection Helpline Workers Navigate Law, Religion, and Organisational Hierarchy(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) Alzahrani, Amjad; Graham, Katie; Threlfall, JenniferThis study explores how child protection practitioners in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) interpret and exercise discretion when responding to suspected child abuse through national helpline services. It suggests that frontline decision-making is not solely the result of procedural steps but involves situated judgment where practitioners operate within multiple sources of authority: statutory child protection duties, Sharia-based expectations, organisational hierarchy, and cultural norms surrounding family privacy, guardianship, and honour. The study employs a descriptive–interpretive qualitative design, using semi-structured interviews and vignette-based scenarios with helpline workers in the National Family Safety Programme (NFSP) and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development’s Social Protection Department (MHRSD). Data were analysed thematically, guided by Street-Level Bureaucracy (SLB) and Decision-Making Ecology (DME), along with analytic concepts of legal pluralism, moral navigation, upward and deferred discretion, and emotional labour to explore how practitioners understand and perform their roles. The findings identify three interconnected patterns. First, practitioners navigate a morally plural environment in which decisions must remain acceptable to multiple audiences (including supervisors, courts, families, and wider community expectations), resulting in moral navigation through reframing, adaptation, or cautious escalation. Second, discretion is shaped by bureaucratic organisational structures, with decisions frequently postponed or transferred upward through practices of upward discretion and deferred discretion to secure endorsement, manage uncertainty, and reduce exposure to blame or reversal. Third, practitioners engage in culturally resonant communication and sustained emotional labour, using religious language, appealing to parental duty, and referencing communal responsibility to maintain caller encouragement, reduce resistance, and keep protective options open. The study offers an empirically grounded account of how discretion is understood and enacted within Saudi child protection helplines. It shows that discretionary practice is a relational and organisationally mediated process of moral navigation, influenced by timing, organisational authority, emotional labour, and the moral expectations embedded in a legally plural system. The findings have implications for supervision, organisational support, and training in culturally sensitive communication to enhance practitioner confidence and the perceived legitimacy of child protection processes.12 0Item Restricted The impact of health awareness marketing and media campaigns on community attitudes towards primary healthcare centers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) ALFARRAJ, Sultan Saleh; Sawaya. RanaThis study examines the impact of marketing and public awareness campaigns on societal attitudes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It focuses on key effectiveness drivers: delivery platforms, source credibility, message frequency, framing (rational/emotional), and audiences’ prior knowledge. A quantitative design was employed using a Likert-scale survey to measure campaign exposure, perceived source credibility, perceived knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. Data were analyzed via descriptive statistics, mean-comparison tests, and multiple regression/path modeling to evaluate direct and mediated effects. Findings indicate that regular exposure to campaigns is positively associated with more favorable attitudes, with source credibility and perceived knowledge operating as critical mediators between exposure and attitude formation. Digital platforms—particularly social media—outperform traditional channels for younger cohorts, while older audiences remain more responsive to TV/radio and community-based outreach. Messages that combine factual evidence with narrative storytelling, include a clear call-to-action, and link to official services/resources yield stronger attitudinal and behavioral outcomes. Collaborations with trusted Saudi governmental and nonprofit entities and leveraging local opinion leaders further enhance credibility and adoption. The study recommends multi-channel, consistently branded campaigns with optimized frequency, audience segmentation by age/region/interests, systematic A/B testing of message frames, transparent sourcing, and impact evaluations that go beyond reach metrics to capture attitude and behavior change. These insights can guide policymakers and marketing practitioners in designing more effective campaigns that support Saudi Vision 2030 goals around public awareness and social responsibility.1 0Item Restricted SAUDI VISION 2030: A SUMMATIVE EVALUATION OF TOURISM (INVESTMENT AND REVENUE)(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) Alotaibi, Nada; Johnny, B. GilleylenSaudi Arabia’s dependence on oil revenues has made its economy vulnerable to fluctuations in global energy markets. To address this challenge, Saudi Vision 2030 was introduced to diversify the economy and strengthen non-oil sectors, particularly tourism. The tourism sector has been identified as a key driver of economic diversification, investment attraction, and employment creation. This study evaluates the performance of Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector within the framework of Vision 2030, focusing on tourism investment and revenue generation. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, the research analyzes secondary data from 2006 to 2023 on tourist arrivals, tourism investment, tourism spending, and tourism employment. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, including time-series analysis, t-tests, and ANOVA, were applied to assess differences before and after the implementation of Vision 2030. The findings indicate significant growth in tourist arrivals, tourism investment, and tourism spending, suggesting that the tourism sector is progressing toward supporting economic diversification and achieving Vision 2030 objectives.24 0Item Restricted User engagement and satisfaction , Customer Satisfaction and Efficiency in Automated Last-Mile Delivery Systems: A Survey-Based Study.(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Abu khamees, Rahaf; Rastani, SinaThis study aimed to examine the determinants of public acceptance of automated last-mile delivery (ALMD) technologies in the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. To address this aim, the study investigated how demographic characteristics (age and residential area), national context, and perceptions of risks and benefits (privacy, trust, safety, job loss, efficiency, and sustainability) shape willingness to adopt ALMD. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted with 203 participants, using quota-based sampling to enhance representativeness across both countries. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U tests, Kruskal–Wallis tests, and Spearman’s rank-order correlations in SPSS. Descriptive analysis indicated that participants were predominantly young, digitally literate, and experienced with traditional parcel delivery, with only a minority reporting prior use of automated methods. Cross-national comparisons revealed no significant differences between UK and Saudi respondents, suggesting convergence of public attitudes across contexts. Based on correlation analysis, the study identified that trust, efficiency, and emissions reduction were the strongest predictors of acceptance. By contrast, age, residential area, and concerns over safety, privacy, and job loss did not significantly reduce willingness to adopt ALMD. Notably, job-loss concern and privacy awareness were sometimes positively associated with openness to adoption, indicating that risks may coexist with acceptance rather than act as barriers. The findings highlight the importance of building trust, demonstrating efficiency gains, and communicating tangible environmental benefits to encourage adoption. This study leaves several gaps that future work should address through longitudinal and qualitative approaches, as well as broader cross-cultural sampling, to capture evolving public attitudes toward ALMD.11 0Item Restricted Emergency Response Approach to Primary Health Care Centres During Mass Casualty Incidents in Al- Ahsa Health Cluster, Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) AlRamadhan, Abdulilah Adnan J; Morris, NaomiPrimary health care centres, or PHCs, can triage, stabilise, and offload hospitals during mass casualty incidents; MCIs, however, are not yet ready in Saudi Arabia. This study assessed PHC preparedness in the Al Ahsa Health Cluster, a high-risk area for road traffic events and mass gatherings. We used a convergent mixed-methods design and collected data in August and September 2025 through interviews with six PHC directors and four cluster leaders, a contextual staff survey of about 95 respondents, and a review of administrative records on volumes and facility layout. Thematic analysis guided qualitative findings, and descriptive statistics supported triangulation. Results showed a consistent gap between basic capability and surge performance. Written and rehearsed MCI protocols were missing. Training emphasised evacuation and BLS over triage, team roles, and handover. Crash carts and ambulance kits lacked standard content and routine audits. Communication relied on informal calls instead of role-based hotlines and structured reports to hospitals and the Saudi Red Crescent Authority. PHCs are underused assets because governance, protocols, and communication systems are weak. We recommend a short PHC MCI playbook, quarterly functional drills, a dedicated clinical hotline to the cluster command centre, and standardised crash carts with monthly checks to speed care and improve coordination.26 0Item Restricted The Role of Climate Change Education in Shaping Risk Perception, Communication, and Behavior Change: A Study of Saudi Youth(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Al Buainain, Mozah; Lofstedt, RagnarThis study explores how climate change is perceived, communicated, and addressed across three interconnected domains in Saudi Arabia: media discourse, youth engagement, and postgraduate environmental education. Using a mixed-methods approach, it combines thematic content analysis of Saudi Gazette articles (2021–2025), a structured survey of Saudi youth aged 18–35 (with comparative data from older adults), and document analysis of postgraduate environmental program brochures from leading Saudi universities. The research examines how climate narratives are framed in the media, how environmental education is integrated at the postgraduate level, and how young Saudis perceive, engage with, and respond to climate change. By analyzing these strands together, the study provides critical insight into how national climate ambitions align with youth awareness, generational engagement, and institutional readiness for sustainability transitions.8 0Item Restricted Behavioral Intentions Among Saudi Red Crescent Authority’s (SRCA) Active-Duty Paramedics Toward Seeking Psychological Help From Mental Health Professionals(Kent State University, 2025) Alsulami, Mohammed Ahmed; Laurie, M. Wagner; Kele, Ding; Deric, KenneParamedics are among the most vulnerable to mental health disorders. The nature of their profession places them in repeated exposure to unpredictable work-related stressors (e.g., motor vehicle mortalities). Such repeated exposures predispose paramedics to chronic stress and potentially to mental health disorders. The fear of being stigmatized by others, perceived as weak, or suffering career consequences are among the most common barriers that hinder their ability to consider help. The study adapted and further extended the TPB to (a) investigate the levels of attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, social and self-stigma, and intentions toward seeking help from mental health professionals among a sample of 184 paramedics in Saudi Arabia; (b) Compare those levels between paramedics with past help-seeking experiences and those without; and (c) Determine the most significant predictors of professional help-seeking intentions among active-duty paramedics in the Kingdom. Self-stigma has emerged as the strongest predictor of professional help-seeking intentions among SRCA paramedics. This significant finding highlighted the urgent need to proactively counter self-stigma within active-duty and future paramedics in Saudi Arabia. The findings provide a foundation for developing culturally sensitive interventions across individual, interpersonal, organizational, and policy levels to promote a supportive mental health culture within the EMS profession in the Kingdom.38 0Item Restricted The Impact of Digital Transformation in the Management of Engineering Projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alruwaili, Aleidi Alraydh; Trrad, Issam Sulaiman; Abendeh, Raed MohammedThis study aimed to examine the impact of digital transformation on engineering project management in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The research relied on a quantitative approach, and the research sample consisted of (368) participants from engineering and project management specialists in the Kingdom. The primary data collection tool was a structured questionnaire, developed to measure perceptions of multiple dimensions of digital transformation. Responses were collected using a five-point Likert scale and analyzed using SPSS statistical software, using descriptive statistics, standard deviation, mean scores, relative importance indicators, and multiple regression. The results revealed that the lack of professional training is the strongest obstacle to successful digital integration, while project management practices play a pivotal role in enabling digital transformation. Based on these findings, the study emphasizes one key recommendation: providing continuous training and capacity-building programs for employees, enabling organizations to overcome resistance and fully utilize digital tools for sustainable transformation.24 0