scholarly journals Why Don’t People Ride Bicycles in High-Income Developing Countries, and Can Bike-Sharing Be the Solution? The Case of Qatar

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khaled Shaaban
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Arabian Gulf ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
High Income ◽  
Public Agencies ◽  
Gulf Region ◽  
Arabian Gulf Region ◽  
Societal Pressure ◽  
Bike Sharing ◽  
Barriers And Motivators

Although cycling is increasing in developed regions, such as Europe and North America, high-income developing countries in the Arabian Gulf region still have low cycling activities. Limited research has investigated the barriers to cycling in these countries. In this study, the barriers and motivators in Qatar, a high-income developing country, were investigated. Respondents were asked to report their bicycle usage during the last 12 months. The results indicated that approximately 15% used a bicycle during this period, but only 1.7% bicycled for transportation purposes. The analysis revealed the different barriers to cycling and their relative strengths. The study also compared the perceived challenges of cycling between males and females. The questionnaire results indicated that both groups considered the issues related to the weather conditions, bicycle ownership, lack of paths or connections, and driver behavior as important barriers to cycling. However, the female participants identified clothing, parental consent, and cultural and societal pressure as far more important. When asked about motivators for cycling, the results revealed that improving intersections, adding additional infrastructure facilities, planting trees for shading, affordable bicycles, and campaigns targeting potential cyclists and drivers are needed in order to increase cycling. To better understand how bike-sharing will be perceived if implemented in the future, the feedback was obtained from the participants, and their opinions indicated that there is a great deal of acceptance for this type of service. The outcome of this study can be of benefit to public agencies in developing countries that have the goal of increasing cycling use among their populations.

Branding of Germany’s Transnational Education and its Potentials in the Arabian Gulf Region

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanaa Ashour
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Arabian Gulf ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Transnational Education ◽  
Gulf Region ◽  
Demand For Education ◽  
Financial Gain ◽  
Arabian Gulf Region ◽  
Global Demand ◽  
Foreign Education

Transnational education (TNE), responding to the growing global demand for education, plays a fundamental role in the current debate on the internationalisation and globalisation of higher education. Conducting a systematic literature review, this paper examines the characteristics of German transnational education, which has little in common with the American and British models, the reasons for its limited presence in the Gulf and its potential for having a stronger footprint. Since education for Germany is a public good, financial gain has never been a decisive factor for German universities to venture abroad. Whilst the Gulf Region is the largest importer of foreign education, German TNE is only represented by one university there, compared to the overwhelming number of US, UK and Australian higher education institutions. Although the Gulf Region is considered as a lucrative and appealing market for foreign education, lack of engagement of German TNE there could be interpreted through public policy-related reasons. Since Germany has already established its footprint in creating a unique brand of TNE, the paper recommends to build upon the country’s expertise in low-risk option for Germany to invest in the Gulf. For this to materialise, Germany must build awareness of its unique brand to stand out among the competition. 

Web Accessibility Research and Practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-49
Author(s):  
Mona M. Alnahari ◽  
Joyram Chakraborty ◽  
Mona Mohamed
Keyword(s):  
Arabian Gulf ◽  
Web Accessibility ◽  
Gulf Region ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Wcag 2.0 ◽  
Arabian Gulf Region ◽  
The World ◽  
Accessibility Issues ◽  
Arabic Speaking

Web accessibility is the practice of having websites that are accessible to all people, including persons with disabilities. Several research studies have been done around the world to improve web accessibility. However, advances in Arabic web accessibility studies are limited. Research has indicated that a significant number of Arabic websites have accessibility issues, which becomes a restraint to people with disabilities from accessing and using the web. This research reviews current studies in web accessibility presented within the cultural background of several Arabic-speaking countries, particularly the Arabian Gulf region of Gulf Cooperation Council, and addresses services offered by the countries. The authors evaluate 54 websites in the Gulf region regarding accessibility issues. The results show that all websites do not satisfy WCAG 2.0 (AA). This paper highlights the deficiencies in Arabic web accessibility and provide some recommendations and suggestions for improvements.

scholarly journals Diet and Food Allergy as Risk Factors for Asthma in the Arabian Gulf Region: Current Evidence and Future Research Needs

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (20) ◽  
pp. 3852 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naser A. Alsharairi
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Food Allergy ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Arabian Gulf ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Gulf Region ◽  
Arabian Gulf Region ◽  
Mediterranean Countries ◽  
Increased Risk

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease which is associated with higher levels of systemic inflammation. The causes of asthma remain poorly understood. Unhealthy diet and food allergy are potential risk factors for developing asthma. The prevalence of asthma in the Arabian Gulf region (AGR), and Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar in particular, is higher than in other Eastern Mediterranean countries. In the AGR, diets tend to be of low nutritional value due to high levels of total energy, cholesterol, sodium, added sugars and saturated fat, and low levels of fiber, fruit and vegetables. A few studies that include children and adults in the AGR have suggested a potential link between unhealthy diets/specific food allergens and increased risk of asthma, however, the association of food allergy with asthma is still a controversial issue. The aim of this commentary is to consider the evidence from the AGR regarding the effects of diet/food allergy on asthma risk that may be used to make recommendations for future research.

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