Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Challenges Facing the International School Leaders in Saudi Arabia and Strategies Developed to Overcome Them(Flinders University, 2024-06-28) Alghamdi, Ahmed; Rogers, BevUsing qualitative grounded theory, this paper aim to investigate the challenges facing international school leadership in Saudi Arabia. Data and information are collected from published researches, governmental reports, and academic experts’ opinions and stories. The significance of this paper is its contribution to the limited academic literature in this area, and it is hoped that the findings to be useful to inform policy makers and educate them about the challenging situation for international school leaders while they are doing their jobs. Those schools are a crucial part of the education system and provide quality education to millions of student Saudi nationals and foreigners. However, they operate a liberal approach to education which does not align with the conservative nature of the community. This situation creates many challenges for the school leaders that they need to deal with on a daily basis. The literature review chapter highlighted a number of serious challenges faced by international school leaders in Saudi Arabia mainly related to the MOE framework and restriction, staffing and human resource problems due to high turnover among leaders, and managing parents’ expectations, among many others. The copying strategies developed by those leaders to overcome and mitigate these challenges is the second topic this paper is interested in researching. The reviewed literature shows that compliance and circumvention are the two major copying strategies developed by school leaders. Compliance with the MOE framework and policy,meaning they were not able to develop or introduce new policies, rather go with the ministry. Circumvention is another coping strategy where some school leaders try to bypass the rules lying to the ministry, and keep it quiet within the school. Also, this paper investigates how leaders perceive their leadership role in a highly challenging environment. Given their unique structure, and role, international school faces more challenges than public schools. It takes a proud leader to lead any of these schools. While many of them burn out and leave their role as they cannot handle the pressure and mounting challenges, they have to face day in and day out. Through this paper, we will learn how leaders perceive their leadership role, and whether these challenges help them be creative and think outside the box. Limitations and delimitations are presented and discussed in this study as well. The study concluded with a recommendation for more research and studies in this area34 0Item Unknown RELIGIOUS TOURISM IN MECCA FROM A STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-11-26) Alaklabi, Abdulaziz; Ladkin, AdeleReligious tourism is vital in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as millions of pilgrims visit the city annually for spiritual fulfilment and religious rituals. This dissertation investigates the significance of Mecca as a pilgrimage destination, its economic impact, employment opportunities, cultural preservation, and the overall pilgrimage experiences of participants. The study adopts a cross-sectional survey design, collecting data from 31 participants who have visited Mecca for religious purposes. The findings reveal that Mecca holds profound spiritual and cultural significance for pilgrims, providing transformative and spiritually fulfilling experiences. The unanimous agreement among participants highlights the positive economic impact of religious tourism on the regional economy and employment opportunities. The influx of pilgrims generates demand for various services and industries, contributing to job creation and economic growth. Participants believe Mecca's customs and cultural heritage have survived the influx of pilgrims, emphasizing the city's commitment to cultural preservation. Furthermore, pilgrims overwhelmingly recommend others to visit Mecca, reflecting the spiritually rewarding nature of the pilgrimage. Strategic recommendations for stakeholders managing religious tourism in Mecca are provided, including promoting sustainable development, preserving cultural heritage, enhancing infrastructure, creating employment opportunities, and ensuring the safety of pilgrims. The study's limitations include restricted sample size and potential response biases, impacting the generalizability of findings. Future research could explore the environmental impact, social implications, and technological interventions in religious tourism. A longitudinal study could also assess changes in pilgrims' perceptions over time. In conclusion, religious tourism in Mecca is a key driver of economic activity, cultural preservation, and spiritual enrichment. By embracing strategic recommendations and continuous research, Mecca can sustain its significance as a sacred pilgrimage site while fostering economic development and cultural preservation for future generations.25 0