Devonian miospore assemblages from 16 sections in Saudi Arabia and North Africa are studied in order to characterize the palynostratigraphy of the northern margin of western Gondwana which remains poorly known in Saudi Arabia. The preliminary taxonomic work identifies more than 200 miospore species, including a lot of new species endemic to western Gondwana. Numerous species have still to be more precisely circumscribed because of their large morphological variability. Others show continuous intergrading morphological variation. The morphological variability of each taxon is one of the main problems in any palynological study. It is due to phylogenetic evolution, ontogeny (maturation of sporangia) and taphonomic factors. Although the standard Devonian miospore zonations established in Euramerica (Richardson & McGregor, 1986; Streel et al., 1987) are commonly used in most of the palynological studies, they are not always easily recognizable in western Gondwanan localities because of the endemic nature of the assemblages. Therefore, a new local/regional biozonation based on the characteristics of the miospore assemblages described here was needed for a more accurate correlation. The new established biozonation consists of 9 assemblage zones, 8 interval zones and 2 acme zones, extending from the late Pragian to the late Givetian and possibly the early Frasnian. The new defined biozones are compared to other coeval biozones defined in the literature. Thanks to this new local/regional biozonation, reliable correlations are established between sections. Numerous oilfields occur in the Devonian from western Gondwana. A biozonation based on the first down-hole occurrence of species is developed for oil exploration. Thanks to this type of biozonation, only the top of a biozone has to be reached in order to be identified. The use of this biozonation is facilitated by the choice of easily recognizable and common index species. This provisional downward biozonation consists of 8 interval zones. Although it seems relatively reliable by comparison with the previously defined upward biozonation, it needs to be further tested on other drilled sections. The review of the Emsian-Givetian miospore assemblages from the literature allows to evaluate the provincialism of assemblages on a worldwide scale during this interval. Coefficient of similarity is calculated between palynofloras from northern Euramerica, southern Euramerica, eastern Gondwana, southwestern Gondwana and northwestern Gondwana. The resulting low values correspond to low to moderate similarity of miospore assemblages between the considered regions in the Emsian-Givetian interval. The provincialism may be explained by a latitudinal climatic gradient as no palaeogeographic barrier is known during this time interval. Indeed, both Euramerican and Gondwanan land masses were very close as soon as the earliest Devonian. Despite a certain degree of provincialism, floristic interchanges existed. Northwestern Gondwana constituted an intermediate warm temperate region with shared taxa mainly from more arid Euramerican localities in the North, and cooler southwestern Gondwanan localities in higher latitudes. However, it seems that a progressive homogenization of the vegetation took place in Middle Devonian as the standard Euramerican biozones are more easily recognized in Givetian than in Eifelian and Emsian. This transition from provincialism to cosmopolitanism during the Devonian is not only shown by palynofloras but also by the palaeogeographic distribution of many other fossil groups. It is likely due to a decrease of the latitudinal climatic gradient in Middle Devonian.

Preface: Traditionally, assembly plant establishment in foreign countries has been a way for corporations to avoid high import duties and/or gain access to free-trade zones. With World Trade Organization (WTO) membership rising, and consequently import duties falling, the role of the assembly plant is changing. Purpose Statement: This thesis concentrates on companies that contemplate on, or have ambitions of establishing industrial assembly facilities in the country of Saudi Arabia. The main purpose is to present the disadvantages and advantages associated with assembly plant establishment, as well as to discuss and give recommendations regarding suitable assembly plant goals (long-term) in Saudi Arabia. Research Process: Background information from Scania CV AB and literary sources have provided the foundation for this research’s empirical results, which have been based on interviews, observations and articles obtained in Saudi Arabia, as well as from Scania, Arabic news sources and the Internet. Results: For corporations that can lower their overall costs in Saudi Arabia, the country offers basic assembly prerequisites. For corporations looking for long-term production, the potentiality is limited to a few major industrial areas - namely oil-, gas-, mineral-, plastics-, and chemical related industries.

One of the central issues in international macroeconomics is relative price movements and their sources. One such price is the price of crude oil. An increase in oil price leads to a transfer of income from importing to exporting countries through a shift in terms of trade. The general mechanism by which oil prices affect the economic performance is well under-stood. However, the dynamics of these effects – especially the adjustment to the terms of trade – are uncertain. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of an increase in oil price on the terms of trade during the time period 1970 to 2004. The relationship between oil price and world business cycle as well as the relationship between oil price, GWP and Saudi Arabia’s export is also examined in this paper. The regression results show that an increase in oil price has a negative impact on terms of trade for the net importing country. Whether an increase in oil price has a positive or no effect at all on terms of trade for the net exporting country cannot be told form the regres-sion results.

This dissertation addresses early British intelligence activities and Anglo-Ottoman relations by viewing the activities of army officers and private individuals as a collective pursuit to safeguard British imperial interests. It offers a new understanding of the relationships between intelligence, grand strategy, and diplomacy before the Great War. It also examines the role that pre-1914 intelligence played in that conflict. The Boer War had shown that the geographic expanse of the British Empire was a source of strategic danger as well as a foundation of global power. The revelation of weakness propelled Britain to begin collecting intelligence on possible sources of conflict in preparation for the next war. A 1906 border incident between Egypt and Turkey marked turning points in Anglo-Ottoman relations and British intelligence efforts. Intelligence began to focus on railways that threatened Britain’s commercial position, on the disposition of Arab tribes who might revolt against Turkish authority, on the state of the Turkish army, and on the extent of European activity in Turkey. In 1914, British policy in the Middle East was unco-ordinated. Needing an effective means of combatting the Turco-German Jihad proclaimed in 1915, London created the Arab Bureau as an advisory organ based in Cairo. It became the central repository for much of the intelligence gathered before 1914. Officials in Cairo and London created new maps, compiled route reports, and assembled intelligence handbooks for distribution. Once the Arab Revolt began in 1916, intelligence helped marshal Britain’s resources effectively in pursuit of victory. Placing pre-1914 intelligence in the context of British imperial concerns extends our understanding of Anglo-Ottoman relations by considering strategic and diplomatic issues within a single frame. It demonstrates the influence of the Boer War in initiating intelligence-gathering missions in the Ottoman Empire, showing that even those undertaken before the establishment of a professional intelligence service in 1909, although lacking organization, were surprisingly modern, and ultimately successful. Analysis of under-utilized sources, such as the handbooks created by the Arab Bureau and the Royal Geographical Society, demonstrates the value of pre-war intelligence in detailed ways. It deepens understanding of the role British intelligence played in the defeat of the Ottoman Empire and shows how one nation’s intelligence, military, and diplomatic bodies operated separately and collectively in an era that presented them with unprecedented challenges and opportunities.

This dissertation addresses early British intelligence activities and Anglo-Ottoman relations by viewing the activities of army officers and private individuals as a collective pursuit to safeguard British imperial interests. It offers a new understanding of the relationships between intelligence, grand strategy, and diplomacy before the Great War. It also examines the role that pre-1914 intelligence played in that conflict. The Boer War had shown that the geographic expanse of the British Empire was a source of strategic danger as well as a foundation of global power. The revelation of weakness propelled Britain to begin collecting intelligence on possible sources of conflict in preparation for the next war. A 1906 border incident between Egypt and Turkey marked turning points in Anglo-Ottoman relations and British intelligence efforts. Intelligence began to focus on railways that threatened Britain’s commercial position, on the disposition of Arab tribes who might revolt against Turkish authority, on the state of the Turkish army, and on the extent of European activity in Turkey. In 1914, British policy in the Middle East was unco-ordinated. Needing an effective means of combatting the Turco-German Jihad proclaimed in 1915, London created the Arab Bureau as an advisory organ based in Cairo. It became the central repository for much of the intelligence gathered before 1914. Officials in Cairo and London created new maps, compiled route reports, and assembled intelligence handbooks for distribution. Once the Arab Revolt began in 1916, intelligence helped marshal Britain’s resources effectively in pursuit of victory. Placing pre-1914 intelligence in the context of British imperial concerns extends our understanding of Anglo-Ottoman relations by considering strategic and diplomatic issues within a single frame. It demonstrates the influence of the Boer War in initiating intelligence-gathering missions in the Ottoman Empire, showing that even those undertaken before the establishment of a professional intelligence service in 1909, although lacking organization, were surprisingly modern, and ultimately successful. Analysis of under-utilized sources, such as the handbooks created by the Arab Bureau and the Royal Geographical Society, demonstrates the value of pre-war intelligence in detailed ways. It deepens understanding of the role British intelligence played in the defeat of the Ottoman Empire and shows how one nation’s intelligence, military, and diplomatic bodies operated separately and collectively in an era that presented them with unprecedented challenges and opportunities.

Background: In today’s business climate, a growing number of corporations have chosen to explore markets outside their national boundaries. There has been a shift in marketing strategies from a domestic perspective to a global one. Of all the methods available for firms to internationalize, Foreign Direct Investment possesses several advantages; it stimulates employment; raises wages, and replaces declining market sectors. It acts as a stimulant for infrastructure development and technology transfer. For Sweden Saudi Arabia is the most important export market in the Middle East. As Saudi Arabia is a country that presents both huge business opportunities and challenges for Swedish firms, it is important to study how some firms have succeeded in entering this market and what attracted them there in the first place. Purpose: The author’s intent is to identify the advantages and disadvantages for Swedish firms of carrying out FDI in Saudi Arabia. Method: this thesis is based on a case study of two Swedish firms with operations in Saudi Arabia. The author has chosen to use a qualitative research method. Empirical data was gathered by e-mails and phone interviews. Conclusions:  To author answers the research questions; Why did Swedish firms decide to establish themselves in Saudi Arabia? & How did they manage to establish themselves through FDI in that region?  Swedish firms get into the Saudi market because of advantages related the economy, the considerable market size and revenue, improved business climate, business opportunities, their global marketing strategy and their ownership specific advantages. As for how they succeeded to establish their FDI, it was through an incremental approach aided by a good knowledge of the market, the ability of the firm, proactive steps to reduce the impact of cultural differences and the country of origin effect. Suggestions for future research: Future research could focus on doing broader studies involving a larger sample, focusing on one or a few FDI determinants to investigate how they affect the investment decision as well as the managerial implications of cultural distance.

<p>One of the central issues in international macroeconomics is relative price movements and their sources. One such price is the price of crude oil. An increase in oil price leads to a transfer of income from importing to exporting countries through a shift in terms of trade. The general mechanism by which oil prices affect the economic performance is well under-stood. However, the dynamics of these effects – especially the adjustment to the terms of trade – are uncertain.</p><p>The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of an increase in oil price on the terms of trade during the time period 1970 to 2004. The relationship between oil price and world business cycle as well as the relationship between oil price, GWP and Saudi Arabia’s export is also examined in this paper.</p><p>The regression results show that an increase in oil price has a negative impact on terms of trade for the net importing country. Whether an increase in oil price has a positive or no effect at all on terms of trade for the net exporting country cannot be told form the regres-sion results.</p>

Thesis (M.A. in National Security Affairs)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2003. / Thesis advisor(s): Maria J. Rasmussen, James A. Russell. Includes bibliographical references (p. 61-62). Also available online.

The tiny nation-state of Lebanon has been marred by political instability and violence over the past 35 years. Most scholars blame the consociational structure of the bureaucratic system as the main culprit for the precarious state of the republic. It is an understatement to say that the delicate power-sharing balance divided between the Christian and Muslim sects has been one of the most detrimental elements to government stability and socioeconomic development. Underneath these sectarian affiliations, however, lie numerous patronage systems all vying for power and control over the Lebanese system. These systems not only act to support their Lebanese sectarian leader, but many have reached across the border and found the open hands of foreign powers. The actions of these foreign entities have also constituted a divisive role in undermining the unification of the nation into a cohesive and functioning state, particularly during the post-civil war time period. The end of the 15 year civil war through the passage of the National Reconciliation Accord heralded in a sense of promise for a future free of war and political mismanagement through the abolition of the consociational system. This promise, however, has yet to be fulfilled. This thesis is an examination into the role and impact of Syrian and Saudi Arabian patronage ties in the Lebanese system. By looking at the states through the actions of their clients we can come to a better understanding of both why and how the goals of Ta'if have yet to be achieved and potentially come to understand the needs facing Lebanon's future. / text

Following the 1973 rise in the price of oil, the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations of the Middle East became hosts to hundreds of thousands of foreign workers taking part in the economic development of the region. From the beginning, the employment of migrant workers was seen as a temporary measure, necessary to compensate for the small indigenous populations in the Gulf. The numbers of foreign workers has become so great, that the migrants now constitute a majority of the population in several of the GCC countries. The relative permanence with which foreign workers have now established themselves is of great concern to the host governments. It appears that the insufficient skill-levels and sizes of the national workforces, together with the position the extensive and growing migrant communities hold in the growing Gulf economies point to the continued presence of large foreign populations for some time to come.