Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted RISK MANAGEMENT IN THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR DURING TIMES OF CRISIS.(Saudi Digital Library, 2025-07-17) Alanazi, Abdulrahman; Samaradheera, AmaThis research explores how the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Saudi Arabia managed risks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study investigates the effectiveness of health and safety protocols, identifies operational challenges, and evaluates risk management strategies implemented during the crisis. Using a qualitative methodology based on interviews with hotel managers, the study highlights the role of emergency response teams, digital innovations, and employee welfare in maintaining operational resilience. Key findings emphasize the importance of crisis communication, proactive scenario planning, and mental health support in the hospitality sector. Recommendations are made to enhance future preparedness and sustainability in hotel operations during crises.17 0Item Restricted Evaluating Reported Patient Perspectives of Teledentistry Use for Dental Care Provision During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia: A Scoping Review(University of Exeter, 2024) Althabit, Thabet; Carrieri, DanieleBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted dental services, increasing interest in teledentistry as an alternative. In Saudi Arabia, dental clinics' temporary closure in March 2020 made teledentistry crucial for maintaining dental care. Despite advanced technology, teledentistry use was low. Understanding patient perspectives is key to improving its adoption. Objective: This review synthesizes evidence on patient perspectives, satisfaction, and perceived outcomes of teledentistry during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia to guide future strategies and research. Methods: Following a scoping review methodology, we searched multiple databases from 2020 to 2024, identifying studies involving Saudi patients using teledentistry during the pandemic. Data were extracted and analyzed thematically. Results: Eleven studies from 2020 to 2023 were included. Key themes were accessibility, convenience, patient satisfaction, and security concerns. Teledentistry improved access and reduced costs, with high satisfaction for minor issues. However, data privacy concerns and limitations in handling complex cases were noted. Conclusion: Teledentistry offered significant benefits during the pandemic, enhancing accessibility and patient satisfaction for minor issues. Yet, managing complex cases and ensuring data security remain challenges. A hybrid model of teledentistry and in-person visits is recommended. Further research on long-term effects, cost-effectiveness, and data security is needed.58 0Item Restricted Mutual Fund Performance, Performance Persistence and Impact of Unprecedented Factors on Mutual Fund Performance in Saudi Arabia(Victoria University, 2024-02-23) Alqadhib, Haidar Mohammed; Kulendran, NadaThis empirical study comprehensively analyses the performance of active and passive equity mutual funds in Saudi Arabia during 2010–2020. This analysis also encompasses subsample periods coinciding with various significant market events (SMEs), such as the periods before and after the financial reforms of 2015, the Saudi Arabian market-specific financial crises in 2014–2016 and 2019–2020, and bullish and bearish market conditions. Furthermore, it explores whether mutual fund risk-adjusted performance varies when using different benchmark indices. In addition, this study examines whether the performance persistence of individual active funds is linked to genuine stock-picking skills or is merely a result of pure luck. Moreover, given the extreme participation of individual traders in the Saudi Arabian market, the study examines whether investor sentiment influences mutual fund performance, along with other factors, such as oil price volatility, compliance with Islamic law, management expense ratios, fund flows, fund age and fund size. Last, it measures the impact of the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), including the increase in confirmed new cases and confirmed fatalities, on mutual fund performance during the peak of the pandemic in Saudi Arabia. The study applied various econometric models to examine the proposed hypotheses. First, the mean-difference measure was used to calculate the benchmark-adjusted performance, while time-series regression-based models (specifically, the Jensen single-factor model and the Fama–French–Carhart 6-factor model) were applied to estimate the risk-adjusted performance. Further, structural break tests were used to examine significant variations in fund performance across SMEs and to compare the performance of both active and passive mutual funds. Second, a bootstrap statistical technique was employed to investigate whether the performance persistence of individual active funds can be significantly attributed to genuine stock-picking skills or was merely the result of luck. Last, a panel regression model was used to examine both the potential impact of investor sentiment and the impact of COVID-19 spread on mutual fund performance. The findings regarding the benchmark-adjusted and risk-adjusted performance indicate that active funds outperformed the benchmark indices. However, there is no evidence to support the outperformance of passive funds to these indices. Moreover, structural break tests demonstrated a significant superior performance of active funds over passive funds. In addition, the empirical evidence revealed that the performance of mutual funds during periods of SMEs differed significantly from that in the overall sample period. Regarding the investigation of performance persistence, the study’s findings confirm that genuine stock-picking skills underlie the observed performance persistence across a large number of active funds. Turning to the investigation of the potential influence of investor sentiment on fund performance, the findings suggest a positive and significant impact of investor sentiment on active mutual fund performance. In contrast, the impact of investor sentiment on passive fund performance is comparatively subdued. Last, the study finds that the proliferation of the COVID-19 pandemic exerted a significant and negative impact on the performance of active mutual funds.39 0Item Restricted PIF Investments and Firms’ Financial Performance A Comparison Before, During and After Covid-19(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-12-04) Alsulami, Rehab; Fu, ServannaThe Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) is one of the leading Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) worldwide. It is indeed, ranked as one of the top 10. Recently, it has expanded its investment locally “the Saudi market” and globally. Not many studies have given attention to the impact of the Saudi “PIF” investments especially during the era of COVID-19. Purpose: This paper investigates the impact of PIF investments on the financial performance of 122 listed firms in “the Saudi Stock Market” and evaluates their financial performance before, during, and after COVID-19. Methods: Based on a panel dataset including 122 firms listed in the Saudi Stock Market 25 firms were invested by PIF. The information of all variables extracted from the EIKON database or collocated manually for the period from 2018 to 2022. This paper applies a quantitative method by using OLS regressions. Main Findings: PIF investments have a negative impact on the return on assets. Leverage has a negative effect on financial performance while current ratio and firm size have a positive effect. Firm age seems to have no effect in general but in some periods, it has a negative effect on financial performance.37 0Item Restricted Is there an effect of COVID-19 on mergers and acquisitions of companies implementing industry 4.0 through the use of IoTs in Saudi Arabia?(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-02-03) Al Deen, Hytham Jamal; Den Besten, MatthijsThe COVID-19 pandemic had a great effect not only on daily life but also caused a significant catalyst in the global transition to digitization. Although countries had various measures and lockdown procedures, working remotely became the new norm while at the same time the world was battling with the pandemic from a healthcare perspective. This caused significant growth in the technology and healthcare sectors leading to many mergers and acquisitions (M&As) within these sectors. The role of industrial policy across nations was variable and has been greatly dependent on the country’s priorities and market patterns. Simultaneously and even before the pandemic, the world’s transition into industry 4.0 showed a broad industrialization into smart technology which was only catalyzed by the pandemic itself. Because technology was such a focus during this time period, companies already transitioning into industry 4.0 through the use of IoTs in some sectors tremendously benefitted from the pandemic and this was evident in the frequency and size of the mergers and acquisitions occurring in this sector. Methods This qualitative research design is based on a grounded theory approach because the focus of the study is to understand what happened to mergers and acquisitions in Saudi Arabia and what changes occurred. The focus of the interviews is to get a better understanding of how firms were affected by COVID-19, how they saw the acquisition landscape going forward and how their approach to managing acquisitions has changed. Results Data was collected from 10 employees of M&A practitioners (including executives and consultants) different companies within Saudi Arabia and also outside Saudi Arabia for comparison purposes. Initially 13 codes were identified as the key elements that were clear drivers to M&A adoption, then grouped into 4 second order themes: Demand for technological advancement, regulator / regional research, increased digitalization from pandemic, and local and international environmental laws and regulations. Conclusion Based on the results of this study, it cannot be said whether COVID-19 has affected frequency and size of mergers and acquisitions for companies using IoT both in Saudi Arabia and globally. These changes in M&A trends seem to be dependent on the sector as tech and healthcare companies flourished dramatically while other sectors seemed to struggle. This shows that regardless of the resources Saudi Arabia has and its willingness to make such a strong reputation, the lack of cross-border M&As gives a strong indication that this may be due to a lack of industrial policies and focus on ESGs.6 0Item Restricted Saudi Arabian Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions of ELearn Technology During COVID-19 Pandemic(2023-05-09) Alyousef, Munirah; Kirmanj, GundiThe purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the perceptions of primary school teachers in public education schools towards eLearn Technology during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researcher relied on comprehensive and follow-up questions through the qualitative approach. The interviews were conducted by the researcher who relied on both face-to-face and video interviews. The recordings were used for the documentation for qualitative research and then analyzed by the researcher. The researcher highlighted the results of the study by classifying teachers' perceptions about the mechanisms of eLearn technology and its uses through the study questions. The study concluded with a set of suggestions from participants after determining their perceptions of eLearn technology. Considering the interview responses of the study participants, we can see patterns related to the reasons that encourage primary school teachers to prefer eLearn technology. In practice, the participants were aware while using eLearn technology that they were not prepared to use eLearn technology platforms, and they were forced to develop themselves through independent courses, reading and research.31 0