Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Evaluating Emergency Evacuation Procedures during Hajj Pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia(Coventry University, 2025) Alanezi, Khalid; Parkinson, EmmaHajj is one of the largest mass gatherings globally held annually. It invites over two million pilgrims from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. An effective crowd safety and evacuation design is deemed relevant and should align with the logistical and behavioral challenges unique to the ritual sites. This professional paper looks at emergency evacuation procedures adopted during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. The research aimed to evaluate the current evacuation protocols, identify limitations, and suggest actionable strategies to prove safety at the pilgrim events. The study a post-positivist philosophical lens and employed a systematic literature review under the PRISMA framework. 27 scholarly sources were identified and analysed thematically. The findings show that Saudi authorities have implemented major structural and technological advances. However, the findings identify critical vulnerabilities persistent in the case of Hajj. Limitations emerging from the review are behavioral noncompliance, communication barriers and command structures that are over-centralized. The effectiveness of evacuation is also limited by technology over dependent systems. Cross-thematic analysis revealed the need for integrated, adaptive systems to take into account technical and human factors. The study serves a basis for theory development and practice improvement where emergency evacuation is framed as a socio-technical challenge that needs planning informed by behaviours as well as multilingual communication and localized decision-making authority.22 0Item Restricted The Challenges and Opportunities in Organisational Arrangements for Disaster Preparedness during Hajj(Coventry, 2025) ALdwsari, Mater; shibani, AbdualssalmPurpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the challenges and opportunities in the organisational arrangements for disaster preparedness during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. This paper explores the complexities of managing disaster risks during this mass gathering event, focusing on operational frameworks, stakeholder coordination, and the integration of modern technologies. Design/methodology/approach – This research was undertaken from a secondary approach and analysed existing literature, government reports, and past incident case studies for Hajj. It evaluated inter-agency coordination, health preparedness, and technology use for the management of risks and how disasters could possibly improve response during the pilgrimage period. Findings – The major challenges that really come forth comprise but are not restricted to the following: poor inter-institutional co-operation; very little application of some digital technologies; and impeding the rich social and cultural diversity regarding the stakeholders under consideration. On the contrary, available opportunities would include the following areas: better disaster simulation, improvement in public health strategies, and efficient crowd control and emergency response operations by using technology. Practical implications – The report presented some recommendations on enhancing organizational arrangements for disaster preparedness during Hajj. It includes creating a centralized command structure, investing in integrating technology, offering cultural competency training for stakeholdersin more disaster simulation exercises to boost operational readiness. Originality/value – This working paper uniquely reflects the study of preparedness for disaster in the Hajj pilgrimage in operational management challenges as well as opportunities for improvements. Findings and recommendations are useful for other large-event management and disaster preparedness exercises across the world.48 0Item Restricted How Shared Social Identity and Social Norms Shape Risk-Taking at Mass Gatherings(The University of Edinburgh, 2024-07-15) Alhajri, Waleed; Templeton, Anne; Moore, AdamMass gatherings have long been recognised as posing substantial public health risks. Prior research, primarily from a medical perspective, has often placed considerable emphasis on various physical risk factors associated with shaping health risks at mass gatherings. This mixed-method thesis, however, adopts a social identity perspective to investigate the ways in which psychosocial factors contribute to health risks associated with mass gatherings. Chapter 2 presents a comprehensive systematic review of the literature of risks at mass gatherings, with a primary focus on social norms associated with shaping risks at mass gatherings. Chapter 3 provides initial empirical evidence across three pre-registered imaginary-based online experiments of how shared social identity interacts with perceived social norms to increase the likelihood of engaging in risk-taking behaviours, such as resource-sharing associated with elevating infectious diseases transmissions at mass gatherings. Chapter 4, however, moves beyond quantitative methods, utilising in-depth semi-structured online interviews to explore shared Muslim identity processes among pilgrims in relation to health risks associated with the Hajj. Chapter 5 further explores shared Muslim identity processes among pilgrims, this time in relation to maintaining safety within the Hajj context. Together, findings from Chapters 2-5 offer empirical evidence of how social identity processes, specifically shared social identity and social norms, influence risk-taking behaviours associated with shaping health risks at mass gatherings. This mixed-method thesis also presents theoretical, methodological, and practical implications for building effective health risk mitigation strategies to reduce the burden of health risks and facilitate the safety and well-being of attendees at mass gatherings.43 0