Fractures can profoundly affect the capacity of carbonate reservoirs to store and permeate fluids, depending on the properties and abundance of fractures. Fractures exist abundantly in carbonate outcrops; however, their abundance in subsurface carbonates is obscure because of the data shortages and uncertainties about the factors that drive fracturing in sedimentary basins. The objective of this research is twofold. The first is to study abundance of fractures in gently deformed carbonates, which were generally overlooked. The second is to address measuring fracture abundance using electrical borehole imaging, which is the mostly used method to describe reservoir fractures. Fractures were studied from areas in the gently folded and shallowly (less than 2 km depth) buried interiors of the Arabian Platform. The study areas include outcrops and reservoirs of the Late Jurassic Arab carbonates in the sprawling homocline of Central Arabia and a low-relief dome in Eastern Arabia. The Cenozoic Rus carbonates in the dome outcrops were also studied. Fracture abundance was measured from the outcrops using scanlines and from the reservoirs using core and borehole images of extended-reach drilling. Many systematic properties were drawn on mineralization, orientation, and abundance of fractures. The fractures were found to be opening mode, mostly barren, and exist with subvertical dips, and some regional trends. The fractures display significantly differing ranges of abundance that were controlled by the subtle structural bending of the dome and homocline, carbonate lithofacies, and paucity of fracture mineralization. The borehole imaging was found to significantly lower fracture abundance. The detection of fractures was subject to several factors including size of fracture widths, nature of fracture roughness, and present-day stress field. The results have implications for modeling of fracture systems and tectonic regimes. For example, finding that fracture abundance varies drastically in such gently deformed regions indicates that carbonates are very sensitive to fracturing processes. Moreover, the borehole imaging limitations influence the models of fracture abundance and orientations, which are often used to deduce paleo tectonic regimes and present-day geodynamics in carbonate reservoirs.

In 2004, the Saudi Higher Education Supreme Council (HESC) established the National Commission for Academic Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA). According to the Secretary General of the NCAAA, introducing this system at the national level was essential for economic and social development in Saudi Arabia. The emergence of the NCAAA represents the central focus of this thesis, specifically in relation to the NCAAA’s role in improving the educational process in Saudi higher education institutions (HEIs). The overarching objective was to explore and describe the present engagement within Saudi higher education with the recommendations made by the NCAAA directed towards the enhancement of the quality of student learning, with the intention of identifying whether the attributes of the Saudi higher education system were consistent with these recommendations. This overarching objective was further divided into the following three more specific objectives: a) To explore administrators’ (i.e. faculty deans’) perceptions of the extent to which the recommendations made by the NCAAA have been adopted in two public Saudi universities. b) To explore teachers’ perceptions of their practice, considering comparisons between the two institutions. c) To explore the students’ experiences, again considering comparisons between the two institutions. The above objectives drove the data collection process, and these data constituted the empirical base of the study. The research was conducted in two public universities located in two geographically distinct provinces of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from three groups of stakeholders, including senior administrators, teachers and students. This was done by means of individual interviews with 11 senior administrators and the collection of survey data from 78 teachers and 430 students, who were recruited from 11 faculties across the two institutions. Semi-structured interviews with senior administrators focused on their personal views and opinions of the educational process with respect to student learning, in order to identify the extent to which their faculty/unit was engaged with the NCAAA recommendations. The questions in the teacher and student surveys were derived from the recommendations published by the NCAAA with regard to the improvement of the educational process, and focused on their teaching practice and learning experiences respectively. The qualitative analysis of the administrators’ data suggested some differences in terms of how the two institutions engaged with the NCAAA’s recommendations and thus I adopted a comparative approach to the analysis of the teachers’ and students’ responses. A factor analysis was carried out to further clarify the themes present in the surveys from the perspectives of both teachers and students, and descriptive analyses were then used to explore the extent of resonance with the recommendations of the NCAAA. Inferential statistics were applied to investigate any differences between the two institutions against the outlined themes. The administrators’ responses at both institutions indicated that there was room for improvement in adopting the NCAAA’s recommendations. While the perceptions of teachers at both institutions seemed to suggest compliance with these recommendations, the statements of the students were more congruent with those of the administrators. The findings of the study indicate that there is yet some way to go towards the realisation of the aspirations of the NCAAA. They further suggest the desirability of a greater degree of student involvement in the evaluation of the quality of the educational process. Finally, the transformation of a series of recommendations for quality enhancement into a culture of quality within an individual institution is a process that can be expected to take some time. The study, while indicating a degree of commitment to, and espousal of, the recommendations of the NCAAA, suggests that there is some considerable way to go before this will be seen to impact directly and significantly on the student experience.

An area of research that has witnessed an enormous surge of research studies as well as extensive debates in the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), is the Written Corrective Feedback (WCF) concept and practices in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) or English as a Second Language (ESL) contexts. Over the past three decades, there has been a plethora of research studies on WCF, however, most studies had few limitations which necessitated a wider prospect into the various issues concerned with WCF. This research study, following an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, which was conducted in the Saudi context, brought a new angle into this heavily debatable area of research where a link was sought to bridge the gap between the teachers and students’ perceptions of WCF and their preferred WCF type in an EFL context taking advantage of a large number of participants to take part in a single study on WCF. Online teacher and learner questionnaires were utilised with the participation of 320, both male and female, EFL teachers, and 840 EFL male and female learners from Preparatory Year Program (PYP) at six government universities in Saudi Arabia. Then, semi-structured interviews with 10 EFL, male and female teachers and 10, male and female learners were conducted to explore their perceptions, attitudes and practices (in the case of the EFL teachers) towards this important issue in TESOL and where differences as well as agreements among the teachers and learners exist, so as to attempt to enlighten EFL/ESL professionals on various aspect of WCF as seen by both teachers and learners. Data analysis included quantitative analysis of the teacher and learner questionnaires as well as qualitative and thematic analysis of the transcribed interviews. The teachers, as well as the learners expressed high level of interest towards WCF. Similarly, the learners also believed that their overall language learning can be elevated by having a well-structured WCF which they need to be familiar with. Results of the data analysis also indicated that there are still some differences in the way teachers and learners perceive the WCF in general where teachers prefer coded WCF, whereas, learners prefer unfocussed WCF. There were positive unified agreements, however, between the EFL teachers and learners which gave the indication that there should be more discussions and research studies in order to reach a mutual understanding and a beneficial solution that aims to elevate the scope of TESOL teaching and learning. Furthermore, establishing writing centres at universities in Saudi Arabia where WCF is fully detailed for learners, may also represent an area for continued focus. Recommendations and suggestions for future research include conducting a similar research study in a different EFL context and compare the results to the outcome in this study.

No description available.

Reverse logistics has become a part of many governmental agendas in developed countries. It offers enormous opportunities in reducing the negative impact on the environment from industrialization and the enormous quantities of waste produced by industry and households, as well as saving material resources. The recovery of used products and materials is receiving growing attention as a result of limited landfill and incineration capacity. However, the evolution of reverse logistics initiatives in developing countries is relatively slow, indicating that there are still huge obstacles and concerns that need to be explored. The main aim of this study is to investigate the reverse logistics practices in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The key forces of reverse logistics in more developed countries are compared with those in the KSA context. In particular, the current legislative framework and reverse logistics operations are evaluated against best practices in order to identify opportunities for KSA industries to improve their reverse logistics operations. For this purpose, qualitative research using a case study approach has been designed to collect data from different government agencies and thirteen organizations in KSA. These organizations were drawn from the oil, petrochemical and metal processing industries, all of which provide potential for the closed loop supply chain applications which are widely practiced outside KSA. Secondary data collection, direct observation and semi-structured interviews were conducted in order to facilitate comparison with the literature. A conceptual framework was developed from the literature. A template analysis approach was employed to analyze the gathered data. The framework was then applied to the research context to establish an overall view of the reverse logistics process as well as the key forces that influence the implementation of reverse logistics in KSA. The results revealed that the implementation of reverse logistics in KSA is at an early stage, with the exception of the oil processing industry. Applications of reverse logistics appear to be driven mainly by economic factors and are highly dependent on the capability provided by third-party logistics service providers. Supply chains tend to operate as open loops with recycled/reusable products being supplied to secondary markets and/or locations outside KSA. Furthermore, the adoption of best practice is hindered by the country's logistics infrastructure and by local legislation that does not appear to encourage waste recovery or promote the awareness or control of the reverse logistics process. Both government and industry need to collaborate to implement best practice in reverse logistics in KSA. Economic and environmental benefits can be achieved, especially through improved infrastructure provision, legislation and reverse logistics design. This study makes several contributions to knowledge. First, the framework and strategies will make an important contribution to the literature of reverse logistics by identifying the key forces, represented in a force field analysis diagram; and to general reverse logistics operations in developing countries in general and in Saudi Arabia in particular. Secondly, the findings identify further studies for reverse logistics in KSA and, possibly, for other emerging countries with a similar context. Thirdly, this study is distinguished from existing empirical work on reverse logistics in developed countries as it examines the framework in the context of KSA, and may be applicable to other developing countries. Fourthly, the study motivates changes in practice as it provides recommendations and guidance for practitioners and leaders on how to apply the best practices of reverse logistics in different sectors.

The objective of this research is to participate in improving the quality of education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) by developing the skills of Saudi female science teachers in writing higher cognitive demand (HCD) questions of exemplary quality. It is an evaluative study that follows the descriptive method of research design by depending on a combination of both quantitative and qualitative inquiry. Therefore, various instruments for collecting data were employed. The sample size of 409 represents all of the female science teachers who work in the girls' schools in the urban area of Al Ahsa, a city in KSA. A suggested program called HCD/CAIAT is introduced and the main objective of the present evaluative research is to examine this project's functional potential to improve the researched sample related practices. The project includes an innovative software package, the Computer Aided Item Analysis Technique (CAIAT) designed purposely for this research in the Arabic language to provide the sample teachers with the two parameters of classical item analysis that indicate the strengths or weaknesses of a test question (difficulty and discrimination). This package is introduced through a training course that also trains the teachers in skills of question construction and teaching on HCD level. The CAIAT is intended to stimulate the teachers' professional development (PD) by raising their awareness of the validity of their HCD test items and encouraging/assisting them to improve their HCD questions over time which is anticipated to help improve their instruction. This concept of utilising CAIAT for improving teachers' practices is breaking new ground and establishing a basis for further development in the field of study. The main purpose of the research is to answer the following two major questions. The first is to what extent can the HCD/CAIAT project assist female science teachers in Saudi schools to improve their ability to analyse their test questions, so as to write exemplary HCD test items and to teach at HCD level (Effectiveness dimension)? And the second is, to what extent could this be reflected in their on-going practice both for the test construction and for teaching (Adoption dimension)? The findings have indicated that the sample teachers' prior background in the researched concepts and skills (HCD and IAT) are limited. However, the effectiveness dimension findings showed that the teachers have successfully acquired all of the project's abilities/skills: knowledge of HCD concepts, skills of writing HCD instructional objectives and HCD questions, and using/utilising CAIAT successfully for assessing their test items. For the adoption dimension, the HCD/CAIAT package was successful in encouraging the teachers to adopt HCD and IAT which was a result of the successful role of the CAIAT software in stimulating the teachers' PD for learning (on their own) how to improve their assessment skills for HCD levels. Furthermore, the research has identified ten study variables, which are the teachers' background characteristics, in order to test the statistical significance of their role in the reported differences amongst the results found for the various aspects measured by the research data collection instruments. These teachers' characteristics are: educational qualification, prior training on test construction skills, prior training on IAT, key stage (intermediate/secondary), level of graduation (GPA/equivalent), years of experience in teaching, specialisation subject, prior experience in using computers, possess of a PC at home and ability to use some mainstream software packages. Statistically, the impact of these variables on the teachers' acquisition or adoption of the project's concept and skills was found very limited; which supports generalizability of the research findings. It is recommended that the Ministry of Education (MoE) at KSA adopt the HCD/CAIAT package in order to encourage all KSA female science teachers to tackle HCD levels in their instruction and assessment, which is very likely to have a positive impact on their efforts in teaching thinking and inducing creativity. Ten other recommendations were also suggested.

In an era of increased global investment in the use of technology in education generally, Saudi Arabia has intensified its quest to incorporate E-learning as a supplementary tool for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at the high school levels. The benefits of this paradigm shift are obvious because the growth of the Internet and the proliferation of computers appear to have had a direct impact on the steady increase in popularity of E-learning, especially for EFL, in Saudi Arabia. This research is premised on the assumption that the successful implementation of E-learning in Saudi Arabia will require the readiness of students and teachers in particular, ahead of the adoption and use of the technology for teaching and learning. This study adopts a mixed method approach using both qualitative and quantitative methods at three stages in order to achieve distinct research objectives. The first stage of the research involved qualitative interviews with students and teachers that explored the underlying factors of readiness of students and English teachers. The second stage of the research involved surveys with students and English teachers that examined their current level of readiness, as well as any age and/or gender differences in their readiness to use E-learning as a supplementary tool for EFL in Saudi Arabia. The third and final stage involved in-depth qualitative interviews with national and regional government officials as well as heads of families in order to develop a deeper understanding of the current level of readiness for students and English teachers. Overall, the present study provides an alternative perspective to understanding the readiness of students and teachers to use E-learning, particularly in the Saudi context. The study establishes that in developing societies where institutions are less established and considered thinner, the introduction of E-learning in such societies will require more than the availability of financial resources and political will. The research outcome demonstrates that the readiness of students and teachers for E-learning in Saudi Arabia is indicated mainly by a set of underlying personal factors which are influenced by a set of external factors. In terms of the current level of readiness of the respondents, there is a mixed outcome. Further, there are also some differences and similarities in the readiness of respondents to use E-learning for EFL based on age and gender. Finally, this study contributes to the existing body of international literature on E-learning readiness by proposing an expansive new framework that takes into account both personal and external factors in exploring readiness. More so, the propose new framework incorporates the significant role the wider cultural and social context plays as well as the importance of gender issues and their particular centrality in the Saudi context in relation to individual and organisational E-learning readiness.

This thesis investigates corporate governance in Saudi Arabia by examining the perceptions of different stakeholder groups. The study examines the understanding of corporate governance, the current practice, the corporate governance framework and the impact of the social, cultural and economic aspects on the situation on corporate governance in Saudi Arabia. The study uses semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire survey with wide groups of stakeholders and an accountability perspective is adopted to interpret the results. The findings suggest that corporate governance in Saudi Arabia is in its early stages and is characterised by a lack of accountability, a weak legal framework and poor protection of shareholders. The influence of the social, cultural and economic factors is evident and boards of directors are dominated by major shareholders; thus good corporate governance practices have many challenges.

This study aims to investigate Saudi female academics' information behaviour (IB) within their work and everyday life contexts. A qualitative research approach was adopted to investigate the range of information behaviour that the research participants engaged in. The data for this study were collected via in-depth semi-structured interviews and diaries. Participants' accounts were then subject to a rigorous thematic data analysis process. The research findings indicated that female academics who participated in this study engaged in three main categories of information behaviour: information acquisition, information avoidance, and information sharing. The motivations and the strategies associated with each category have been depicted in a taxonomy of information behaviour. In addition, a detailed analysis of participants' IB as an action-oriented process has been presented visually, leading to the development of a model that depicts IB as a contextual process.

In recent decades, inclusion has gained increasing international currency. In the Gulf region, Saudi Arabia in particular has made a sustained commitment to leadership in the humane, equitable inclusion of individuals with disabilities in its communities and the provision of appropriate, free public education for students with disabilities. Despite these achievements, students with disabilities remain segregated from general education students in separate classrooms, regardless of degree of disability. This study examined the perspectives of parents of students with and without disabilities in Saudi Arabia on placing their children in general education classrooms that are comprised of children with and without disabilities. Prior to this study, there were no quantitative data to indicate to what extent parents of children with and without disabilities in Saudi Arabia are receptive to inclusion. In order to address the gap in the quantitative data, this study used a quantitative, cross-sectional survey designed to examine the perspectives of parents. Knowing parents’ perspectives about inclusive education provides vital information to the public, researchers, and key decision-makers that could lead to advances in inclusive education. The study used a quantitative, cross-sectional survey to examine parents’ perspectives regarding inclusion in general and across four specific dimensions of inclusive practice, including impact on students with disabilities, impact on students without disabilities, impact on parents and families of students with disabilities, and impact on parents and families of students without disabilities. The study sought to answer questions about differences in parents’ perspectives based on five variables: whether the parent is the parent of a student with disabilities or the parent of a student without disabilities; severity of students’ disabilities; type of students’ disabilities; gender of the child; and academic level of the child. Additionally, the study sought to answer questions about differences in the respective impact of these variables and to determine which variables have the most significant role in shaping perspective toward inclusion. Although the methods of the study were quantitative, it also at times drew upon limited qualitative analysis of a single open-ended questionnaire item to supplement and explain aspects of the quantitative data. The findings of the study show that parents in Saudi Arabia hold generally positive perspectives regarding inclusion, but that these perspectives are often dependent on the severity and type of disability, as well as the training and staffing of qualified teachers and accessible school environments. In general, perspectives among both parents of students with and without disabilities were supportive of inclusion, indicating broad support in terms of global perspective, perspective of potential positive impact on students with disabilities, perspective on potential positive impact on students without disabilities, perspective on potential positive impact on families of students with disabilities, and perspective on potential positive impact on families of students without disabilities. Although both parents with and parents without indicated generally supportive global views towards inclusion, parents of students with disabilities tended to agree more strongly with statements supportive of inclusion than parents of students without disabilities. Parents of students with severe disabilities expressed the least agreement with statements supportive of inclusion. Both parents with and without expressed concerns regarding the preparation and provisioning of qualified teachers and paraprofessionals as a key factor in the success of inclusion. Respondents had concerns about the preparedness of teachers to instruct students with disabilities and students without disabilities in an inclusive general education classroom. Perspectives of the current study, however, placed greater and more strenuous emphasis upon concerns related to teacher preparedness, classroom accessibility, and classroom staffing. According to parents’ perspectives and comments in this study, the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Education must ensure that inclusive classrooms are staffed with qualified paraprofessionals, teaching assistants, and special education teachers for inclusion to be successful. Additionally, the successful implementation of inclusion would require adequate professional development and pedagogical training for classroom teachers, as well as adequate resources and support staff. Given the results of this survey, perhaps the first step in moving educational practices forward in Saudi Arabia will involve an open conversation between the Ministry of Education and parents of students with and without disabilities regarding what they want for their children. Educational policy and curriculum in Saudi Arabia are currently designed from a top-down model. The results of this study, however, show that there are grounds for a partnership between parents and the Ministry that advances educational goals for all students. In addition to continuing to expand opportunities for integration in public schools, experimental inclusive classrooms could be trailed in key regions to gather data and insights into what policies, teaching and instructional models, and models of parent-school collaboration and partnership could best advance classrooms and schools that effectively and humanely include all their members in the academic and social life of Saudi Arabia schools.