Thesis (MScPhysio (Physiotherapy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / Patients’ knowledge about the effectiveness of interventions is now recognized as an important facilitator of the implementation of evidence in practice. Evidence-based, patient education programs aim to impart knowledge about the efficacy and effectiveness about interventions to individuals. However, there is currently a lack of structured evidence-based educational programs to educate patients about the evidence-base for interventions prescribed by the health professionals in the field of orthopaedics. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to develop and validate an Arabic version of an evidence-based educational program for patients who are scheduled to undergo ACL reconstruction surgery in UAE, based on available evidence collated through a systematic review process. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted to generate clinical recommendations which were used to develop the evidence-based educational program. The evidence-based information was derived from secondary research to determine which rehabilitation strategies were most effective in improving outcome measurements following ACL reconstruction surgery. A pre-final draft of the evidence-based educational program was prepared and forward and back translated from English into the Arabic language. Feedback groups of ACL patients and physiotherapists were used to determine the content and face validity of the program. The final draft was validated in a group of 40 ACL patients waiting to undergo ACL reconstruction surgery at Zayed Military hospital and Abu Dhabi Knee and Sports Medicine Centre in the UAE, using checklists. RESULTS: A total of 40 patients undergoing ACL reconstruction surgery consented to participate in this study. All the subjects were male. The age range was between 18 to 38 years old with mean age of 28.5 years (SD 5.75). Most of the patients (65%) underwent ACL reconstruction surgery to the right knee. Of the total sample (n=40), the majority of the subjects who participated in this study (90 %), had ACL surgery for the first time. Most of the responses to the evidence-based educational program checklist were positive. iv CONCLUSION: It can be recommended that the newly-developed evidence-based educational program is a valid tool which can be given to ACL patients prior to ACL reconstruction to prepare them for the rehabilitation postoperatively. By informing patients of their condition, the expected outcomes of their condition and the effect of doing exercises to improve their condition, the patients will be more encouraged to partake in rehabilitation, as they know it is for their own good. This will ultimately improve overall patient care and improve management of ACL patients.

This thesis aims at investigating the importance of effective implementation of health safety and hygiene legislations and practices in Health Care delivery systems. A new System Based Approach for Strategic Implementation of Occupational Health & Safety Practices is proposed in this thesis. The underlying principle of the approach is based on involvement and inputs from staff and management rather than by pre-specified requirements and objectives. Furthermore, the development process is a closed loop process that provides a mechanism for continuously evaluating system performance and monitoring activities that have considerable impact on health and safety practices. A case study was conducted in the medical laboratories of five major hospitals in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Data were collected through questionnaires, staff interviews, and reviewing laboratory safety reports compiled over a three years period. The main conclusions from this study are: 1. The proposed approach has proven to be useful in analyzing existing health and safety systems. The methodology and tools proved to be instrumental in defining inefficiencies and determining the status of the Health & Safety policies & practices in the selected medical laboratories. 2. Effective implementation of the proposed approach has shown improvements in productivity, operational cost, service quality, staff and management satisfaction. 3. The case study has demonstrated that a developing country such the UAE, with no previously existing Health & Safety legislation and little risk prevention culture, can rapidly and effectively introduce effective industry specific H&S by adopting an integrated systems based approach. 4. UAE has highly advanced and economically developing base, there is a general willingness at senior level within the UAE to achieve high levels of competence and standards in all industrial sectors. 5. CAP is a system based management tool which has been implemented globally, but only limited in the gulf region; CAP has been implemented by the author and colleges within Zayed Military Hospital between 2003-2007.

This thesis is about British disengagement from the southern coast of the Persian Gulf. Britain never had colonies in the region, but had held significant imperial sway over nine Protected States since the nineteenth century. The informal empire remained intact until the Labour government (1964-70) announced its intention to leave, in consequence of which Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates became independent in 1971. This thesis attempts three things. First, it draws on extensive archival research to provide the fullest possible account of British withdrawal: why it had to leave, how it did and what followed. The Gulf rulers wanted to maintain British protection for their own security, but Britain decided nonetheless on military retreat, because it needed to placate the domestic constituency in order to push forward the reversal of social reforms due to economic retrenchment. The Gulf rulers responded quickly, yet unsuccessfully, in deciding how many states would be formed as they achieve independence. It was only after the Gulf rulers and the British diplomats on the ground made late and mutually acceptable compromises about coming together that the nine Protected States became three new independent sovereign states. In the end, Britain was able to leave the Gulf peacefully, and the new states retained close relations with Britain. Second, the study of an informal empire illuminates the enduring collaborative relationship between Britain and the Gulf rulers, characterised by the nominal sovereignty given to the Protected States. This relationship not only helped Britain maintain its imperial sway at little cost, but also made possible a peaceful withdrawal and the orderly emergence of the new states. Third, this informal empire characterised by collaboration and nominal sovereignty laid the structural foundations for the later international society in the region – a point more generally telling for the study of international relations.

Au cœur des intérêts stratégiques et économiques américains au Moyen-Orient, le golfe Persique occupe une « centralité paradoxale » dans la politique étrangère de Washington. Avec le pacte du Quincy en 1945, destiné à sécuriser l’approvisionnement pétrolier saoudien, les États-Unis se sont implantés durablement dans la zone. Une présence qui n’a cessé de se renforcer depuis la chute du Mur de Berlin et la disparition de l’Union soviétique. Enjeux stratégiques, sécuritaires et économiques font aujourd’hui de Washington le premier acteur étranger de la région. Alors que les attentats du 11 septembre et l’invasion américaine de l’Irak avaient remis plus que jamais la région au cœur des préoccupations de Washington, les conflits et les déstabilisations nés des conséquences du printemps arabe obligent désormais les États-Unis à renforcer encore leur présence dans la zone. Si Washington, qui rêvait de pivot vers l’Asie, se retrouve « prisonnier » de ce golfe Persique, obligé de traîner son boulet « de sable et de pétrole », les entreprises américaines ont, elles aussi, renforcé leur présence dans la région depuis les années 90. Entre obtention de contrats traditionnels et soutien à la transition des économies de la région, elles trouvent là d’importants relais de croissance. Quels sont les outils mis en place par les administrations successives pour soutenir et encourager les exportations américaines ? Comment la politique de Washington conforte-t-elle la place de ses entreprises auprès de ses partenaires régionaux ? Existe-t-il un modèle américain dont les économies européennes puissent s’inspirer ? C’est à ces questions que la présente thèse essaie de répondre en observant le fonctionnement de l’appareil d’État américain, l’environnement dans lequel il opère et l’évolution des politiques de ses administrations, de George H. Bush à Barack Obama. / The Persian Gulf occupies a “paradoxal centrality” in American foreign policy as it is at the heart of the United States’ strategic and economic interests in the Middle East. The 1945 Quincy Agreement which aimed at securing access to Saudi oil ensured enduring U.S. presence in the region -- a presence that has grown in importance since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Today, the strategic, security and economic interests at stake have made the United States the leading foreign power in the region. While the 9/11 attacks and the American invasion of Iraq had already made the Middle East Washington’s major concern, the United States has had to reinforce its presence to face the conflicts and destabilization that resulted from the Arab Spring. If Washington had dreamt of a “pivot to East Asia”, it finds itself “imprisoned” in the Persian Gulf region, forced as it is to drag its heavy “ball of sand and oil”. American firms have consolidated their presence in the region since the 1990s thanks to huge contracts and their role in the process of transition of regional economies. For them, these markets represent major growth opportunities. What tools has Washington created over the years to support and stimulate American exports? How did U.S. policies strengthen U.S. firms’ market shares in Washington’s regional allies? Can we define an American model that could inspire European economies? Here are the questions this dissertation tries to answer. To do so it analyzes the “machinery” of U.S. foreign economic policy, its environment and the evolution from 1989 to 2014.

The objective of the current study is to explore and identify the Critical Success Factors (CSFs), which impact upon the effective implementation of Human Resource Development (HRD) initiatives in support of nationalisation, and to recommend a model for practical application and future research. Accordingly the study focused on identifying and analysing the various factors in the localisation of a workforce with regard to five broad categories, namely: national level factors, organisational (policies and practices related) factors, organisational (HR related) factors, individual level (expatriate and experienced staff related) factors and individual level (UAE national related) factors. The data for the study was collected using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative methods were used to develop an in-depth case study of the Emiratisation process in an oil and gas organisation, as well as for identifying the critical success factors to be included in the survey questionnaire for collecting the quantitative data. The results of the study indicated that the critical success factors identified in the study are part of a complicated reality and need to be managed to ensure success of the localisation of a workforce. The mean scores obtained on the various factors differed significantly across the organisations or sub groups of respondents used in the study. This indicates that the impact of various factors that facilitate or constrain the localisation efforts are highly contextual and organisation specific. The findings of the study revealed valuable insights that could enrich not only future research in the area, but also the practical application of HR tools and methods to support the localisation process. The current study also developed a model for practical application and future research in the area. The model identified the role of HR strategies and tools as critical for managing the CSFs and ensuring the success of the process of localisation. The model developed in the current study also emphasises the need to define the 'success' of localisation in much broader terms, by addressing complex issues such as, employee morale and motivation, expectations of all employees, including expatriates and so forth, rather than just focusing on the number of UAE nationals employed and their competencies. The current study also identified some of the limitations of the study and highlighted suggestions for future research.

The goal of this thesis is to identify the main political and economic implications of Dubai’s debt crisis and subsequent bailout by her wealthier and more powerful sister emirate Abu Dhabi. This paper examines the implications of the bailout of Dubai on two levels: Dubai’s relationship with Abu Dhabi and Dubai’s relationship with the international investment community. The paper first provides a brief background on Dubai, one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and discusses Dubai’s key characteristics that helped give Dubai her nickname Dubai Inc. – an opportune location, the Al-Maktoum ruling family, and state-led entrepreneurship. It then discusses Dubai’s historically competitive relationship with Abu Dhabi and Dubai’s push to diversify economically away from oil. The paper outlines two key economic developments – the rise of Dubai’s real estate and tourism sectors and the creation of Dubai’s government-related enterprises (GREs), which helped finance the real estate bubble. This thesis suggests that Abu Dhabi now holds unquestionable power over Dubai and can control Dubai’s GREs and their subsidiaries such as Dubai World. This paper also argues that the international investment community will demand increased transparency and higher standards of corporate governance of Dubai’s businesses in light of the entrenched poor practices that the bailout exposed within the tiny-city state's GREs and companies. / text

Harold Wilson, the British Prime Minister, announced in January 1968 that the British government would withdraw from the Persian Gulf by the end of 1971. For Britain, the decision indicated a re-prioritization of British global defense obligations. For the rulers of the Arab emirates of the Persian Gulf, Wilson‘s announcement signaled an end of British military protection, and the beginning of a process of negotiations that culminated in the establishment of the United Arab Emirates on December 3, 1971. An examination of the process by which the individual Persian Gulf states became a sovereign federation presents an opportunity to examine the roles of nationalism and anti-imperialism played in the establishment of the Union. This work demonstrates that Arab rulers in the Persian Gulf strove to establish their new state with close ties to Great Britain, which provided technical, military, and administrative assistance to the emirates, while also publicly embracing the popular ideologies of anti-imperialism and Arab socialism, which dominated the political discourse in the Arab world through most of the twentieth century. viii This dissertation draws on primary source materials from British and American government archives, speeches and government publications from the Arab Emirates, memoirs and a wide variety of secondary sources. These materials provide the basis for understanding the state-building process of the United Arab Emirates in the areas of pre-withdrawal development, the decision to withdraw, the problems of establishing a federal constitution, and the problems posed by the need for security in the post-withdrawal Persian Gulf. / text

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the stressors that affecting the critical care nurses in Abu Dhabi hospitals in order for the managers to take action to decrease or control these stressors where possible, or to take other appropriate action. Design: A cross sectional survey design was adopted in this study, as the phenomena of stress in CCNs was surveyed at one point of time . Sample: A convenient sample of 50 CCNs was included in the study. The participants were working as a CCNs in Abu Dhabi hospitals for a minimum one-year. Instruments: Two questionnaires were utilized to collect the data for this study; The Critical Care Stressors Scale and The Hamilton Anxiety Scale. Results: Results showed that The CCNs did not show a high level of anxiety according to the adopted scale. The most frequent stressors perceived by the CCNs were the stressors related to the critical care unit environment and the nursing responsibilities. On the other hand, the most severe stressors perceived by the CCNs were also under the categories of the critical care unit environment and Nurse-Health care workers conflicts. Conclusion: The hospital/nursing administrations were asked to revise the policies of visiting , dealing with infectious hazards, and portable X-rays . Also, the results showed that hiring more rton-nurses staff to deal with non-nursing jobs, and more male staff to carry out the heavy jobs such as changing position will aid in decreasing the stress perceived by the CCNs. / Thesis (M.Cur.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

The United Arab Emirates' legal system has developed though the continued negotiation between the Shari’a and the Civil Courts over the spheres of criminal law and commercial law. The framework that has emerged, as a result of regime politics and Supreme Court rulings, provides the regime the flexibility to continue their commercial development and integration into the modern global economy, while retaining the domestic authority structures that legitimate their power.

Prevailing propagation phenomena in certain areas play a vital role in deciding terrestrial wireless systems performance. Vertical refractivity profile below 1 km is a critical parameter for designing reliable systems; noting that there is a shortage of upper-air data worldwide. Anomalous phenomena may cause severe signal fading and interference beyond the horizon. The objectives of this thesis are to investigate dominant refractive conditions in the subtropical Arabian Gulf region, develop new approaches and empirical models for evaluating vertical refractivity profiles and relevant propagation parameters in the low troposphere, and to examine the impact of frequently experienced anomalous phenomena on terrestrial microwave links. Twenty-three years of meteorological measurements, from 1990 to 2013, are utilized using spatially separated surface stations and a single radiosonde in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Profiles of sea level, surface and upper refractivity components are statistically analysed. Three major atmospheric layers; namely 65 m, 100 m and 1 km above the ground are studied to analyse relevant propagation parameters such as sub-refraction, super-refraction, anomalous propagation probability parameter β0 and point refractivity gradient not exceeded for 1% of time. The effective earth radius factor k is investigated using a new weighted averaged approach. In addition, the seasonal structure of atmospheric ducting is dimensioned within 350 m layer above ground. Finally, microwave measurement campaign is conducted using multiple radio links operating in UAE using various frequency bands. The link budget simulations are compared with the signal strength measurements. Fading scenarios are studied against the observed anomalous conditions and several recommendations are concluded.