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Super-tall towers have surfaced as a pragmatic remedy to meet the escalating requisites for both residential and commercial areas and to stimulate economic growth in the Middle East. In this unique regional context, optimizing spatial usage stands as a paramount consideration in the architectural design of skyscrapers. Despite the proliferation of super-tall towers, there exists a conspicuous dearth of comprehensive research pertaining to space efficiency in Middle Eastern skyscrapers. This study endeavors to bridge this substantial gap in the literature.

The research methodology utilized in this paper adopts a case study approach to accumulate data regarding super-tall towers in the Middle East, with a specific focus on investigating space efficiency. A total of 27 super-tall tower cases from the Middle East were encompassed within the analytical framework.

Key findings can be succinctly summarized as follows: (1) average space efficiency was 75.5%, with values fluctuating between a minimum of 63% and a maximum of 84%; (2) average ratio of the core area to the gross floor area (GFA) registered 21.3%, encompassing a spectrum ranging from 11% to 36%; (3) predominantly, Middle Eastern skyscrapers exhibited a prismatic architectural form coupled with a central core typology. This architectural configuration mostly catered to residential and mixed-use functions; (4) the combination of concrete and outrigger frame systems was the most frequently utilized; (5) as the height of the tower increased, space efficiency tended to experience a gradual decline and (6) no significant discernible disparities were detected in the impact of diverse load-bearing systems and architectural forms on space efficiency.

Despite the proliferation of super-tall towers, there exists a conspicuous dearth of comprehensive research pertaining to space efficiency in Middle Eastern skyscrapers. This study endeavors to bridge this substantial gap in the literature.

The purpose of this paper is to study and specify to what extent Iran will succeed in being a regional hegemon. The paper is devoted to clarification of the constitutive elements for regional hegemony. These elements will be related to an actor’s perception of its role and regional perception, and how these hegemons exert power, do these work for the public good in the region (provision) and how this regional power projects power and exerts power to influence others’ preferences and values without reference to violence (projection). For the Middle East, Iran emerged as a key player in most regional conflicts and it tried to increase its sphere of influence as a regional hegemon. Therefore the question here would be: To what extend could Iran succeed in being a regional hegemon and what are the circumstances that could enhance or constrain this Iranian ambition? So the aim of the paper is to look at three dimensions in general and see whether Iran makes a plausible candidate for regional hegemony. The paper outlines the essential traits of a regional hegemon, and the main elements that constitute a regional hegemony such as perception, provision and projection, and then analyze how Iran follows those elements by analyzing internal perceptions of the Iranian elite about Iranian regional role, regional acceptance, provision of public good, projection and finally impact of the relation with external great powers. Through analyzing its regional strategy in Syria and Iraq since 2003, the year of invasion of Iraq, since ever a political vacuum was created, that enabled Iran to extend its regional influence, after the fall of its historical regional rival, Saddam Hussein baathi regime.

The study adopts an analytical framework of analyzing a regional hegemony strategy which is approached by Miriam Prys in her study “Hegemony, domination, detachment: differences in regional powerhood” to study and analyze Iran’s regional behavior as one of regional power that is seeking regional hegemony. This analytical framework is one of the most significant analytical tools that interests in the study of the behavior of regional power and identify the constitutive dimensions for regional hegemony such as self-perception, regional perception, provision and power projection.

The study concludes that there are obstacles completely in front of achieving the Iranian quest to regional hegemony over the Middle East. These are the continuing US involvement in the Middle East and the consequent tense relationship between Iran and the USA. It is most unlikely that Iran will be hegemonic state over the Middle East as long as there are refusal and resistance from other regional states for Iranian regional role; as each of regional powers has tools to contain the influence of the other. The Iranian regional behavior that is sectarianism-based, whether to protect Shiite shrines and holy places or to protect Shiites in the region, such policies deepen the ideological and sectarian conflicts. It also has not provided an attractive cultural model for the peoples of the region.

This paper enhances the deep analysis of the Middle East dynamics through the prospective of regional power. Also, the paper focuses on the analysis of the relation between great power and aspiring regional power and the impact on its strategies.

This study enhances the understanding of how Iranian decision-makers perceive their regional Iranian and the threats. Moreover, the tools that Iran uses its hard power and ideational one to create regional followers and change its allies’ normative and value systems to come in line with its national interests. Moreover, the study tries to measure the actual Iranian influence, its weakness and strength so that the Arab states and the West could behave in a fruitful way.

In the final analysis, the paper offers an insight into the regional behavior and the importance of external power in regional dynamics and to what extent the regional hegemon is applicable to Iran.

This paper aims to examine the regional dynamics that further consolidated Israel’s national security in the Middle East in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, reflecting upon the nuclear challenge between Iran and Israel and Iran's expanding activities in the region.

To prove the central argument, the study uses a conceptual framework that centers on deterrence as the main approach used by states to consolidate their influence in the Middle East region.

Iran's nuclear progress and influence in the region has strengthened Israel’s security and fostered an unprecedented open rapprochement led by USA efforts with the Gulf regimes.

The paper draws particular attention to the Iran–Israel nuclear competency, and the Israeli preferred policy options regarding Iranian activities in the region amid turbulent Middle East. In addition, the paper offers insight to the regional dynamics that further consolidated Israel’s national security in the region while maintaining a status of Arab vulnerability and backwardness.

Previous research provides adequate evidence on performance management (PM) for hospitals and healthcare providers; however, less is known about their individual and PM appraisal process. Additionally, there is limited research exploring PM in the Middle Eastern context. This study investigates PM practices in the Middle Eastern healthcare industry.

This study adopts the qualitative research methodology through semi-structured interviews of healthcare professionals in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Thematic analysis was adopted for analyzing this qualitative data.

The main findings have uncovered different facets of appraisal challenges for both the appraiser (i.e. manager) and the appraisee (i.e. employee). These challenges include communication deficits, lack of goal setting standards and regular meeting updates in order to ensure employee satisfaction and motivation in the workplace.

This study has significant implications for policymakers in Middle Eastern hospitals in terms of implementing PM for their staff. Moreover, future studies can conduct in-depth analysis and provide comparison between public and private sectors in the Gulf countries.

This study is one of the first to portray challenges involved in conducting PM in the Middle East healthcare sector specifically in the UAE and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), both from the perspectives of the appraiser and appraisee.

This paper reports results of analyses made at an all-female Gulf Arab university measuring the nature and extent of biases in students' evaluation of faculty. Comparisons are made with research reporting the nature of similar relationships in North America. Two issues are investigated: 1) What variables (if any) bias faculty evaluation results at an all-female Arab university? 2) Are biasing variables different in nature or magnitude to those reported at North America universities? Using the population of 13,300 faculty evaluation records collected over two school years at Zayed University, correlations of faculty evaluation results to nine potentially biasing factors are made. Results show biases to faculty evaluation results do exist. However, biases are small, and strikingly similar in nature to those reported at North American universities.

Very little work has been published on teaching for social justice in the Middle East. This paper demonstrates how a group of Arab women’s reading and writing of their world was facilitated by using a social justice pedagogy based on Gutstein’s (2006) model. The study involved 20 Middle Eastern women (ages ranging from 16-36). The findings suggest that the students have developed significant abilities to use mathematics as a tool to read and write their world. In addition, the findings show that, like their counterparts elsewhere in the world, these young women are also interested in social justice issues. This is particularly significant because of current ongoing social developments in the Middle East.

This paper discusses the importance and benefits for students of an outside the classroom learning experience, attending an event presentation and workshop organized as part of a class assignment with the Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) and industry guest speakers. This study showcases MEPRA’s outreach attempts to students of public relations and communications, which turned into a learning process for the students where not only was the learning outcome of the course achieved, but also the engagement with the MEPRA empowered the students. Data was obtained from an exploratory questionnaire sent to all students who attended the event. The sample included 75 surveys, of which 57 were deemed usable. The results of the survey indicate that the greatest gain for the students was related to awareness and knowledge (information and cognition) about the subject matter gained from the presentation by industry guest speakers at the event. This paper provides insights into the importance of fostering collaborations between a professional association and students of a federal government university in Dubai (United Arab Emirates). The study suggests that future activities driven by students, the professional association and faculty can contribute to developing professionalism in a growing profession in the UAE, ultimately leading to an effective learning environment. This study also emphasizes the importance of experiential learning in an environment where students come from conservative, close-knit families.

Academic integrity is of great importance to insure a consistent determination of what constitutes plagiarism across regions of the world. Academic integrity research spans a global scale and regardless of where the researcher is from, they are building on a pool of research findings that have no physical boundaries. Basic agreed upon research standards and fundamentals must be established to ensure the validity and reliability of the body of academic research. Problematic to the situation are differences in cultural definitions of what constitutes plagiarism. Therefore, this study aimed to build the body of knowledge on the current condition of plagiarism levels as well as perform a sample comparison of some patterns in Eastern and Western culture. A document analysis was conducted for two universities, one in the USA and one in Saudi Arabia. In addition, a survey was conducted in an academic context in Saudi Arabia to investigate students’ and faculty’s understanding of what constitutes plagiarism. It was predicted that Saudi Arabia is shifting towards a Westernized definition of plagiarism; results partially supported this hypothesis.

ﺗﻌ ﺗﺑ ر اﻟﻧز ا ھﺔ ا ﻷﻛﺎ دﯾ ﻣﯾﺔ ذا ت أ ھﻣﯾ ﺔ ﻛﺑﯾ رة ﻟ ﺿ ﻣﺎ ن ﺗ ﺣدﯾد ﺛﺎﺑ ت ﻟ ﻣﺎ ﯾ ﺷﻛ ل ا ﻻﻧﺗ ﺣﺎ ل ﻋﺑ ر ﻣﻧﺎ طق اﻟ ﻌﺎﻟ م. ﺗ ﻣﺗد أﺑ ﺣﺎ ث اﻟﻧ زا ھﺔ ا ﻷﻛﺎ دﯾ ﻣﯾ ﺔ ﻋﻠ ﻰ ﻧ طﺎ ق ﻋﺎﻟ ﻣ ﻲ وﺑ ﻐ ض اﻟﻧ ظر ﻋن اﻟ ﻣﻛﺎ ن اﻟذ ي ﯾﻧﺗ ﻣ ﻲ إﻟﯾﮫ اﻟﺑﺎ ﺣ ث، ﻓﮭ ﻲ ﺗ ﻌﺗ ﻣد ﻋﻠ ﻰ ﻣ ﺟﻣوﻋﺔ ﻣ ن ﻧﺗﺎﺋ ﺞ ا ﻷﺑ ﺣﺎ ث اﻟﺗ ﻲ ﻻ ﺗ وﺟد ﻟ ﮭﺎ ﺣد ود ﻣﺎدﯾﺔ. ﯾ ﺟ ب و ﺿﻊ اﻟﻣﻌﺎﯾﯾر ا ﻷﺳﺎ ﺳﯾﺔ اﻟﻣﺗﻔ ق ﻋﻠﯾﮭﺎ وا ﻷﺳﺎ ﺳﯾﺎ ت ﻟ ﺿﻣﺎ ن ﺻﺣﺔ وﻣوﺛوﻗﯾﺔ ھﯾﺋﺔ اﻟﺑ ﺣث ا ﻷﻛﺎدﯾﻣﻲ. ا ﻹﺷﻛﺎﻟﯾﺔ ﻓ ﻲ اﻟﻣو ﻗ ف ھ ﻲ ا ﺧ ﺗ ﻼ ﻓﺎ ت ﻓ ﻲ اﻟ ﺗ ﻌر ﯾﻔﺎ ت اﻟ ﺛﻘ ﺎﻓﯾ ﺔ ﻟ ﻣﺎ ﯾ ﺷ ﻛ ل ا ﻻ ﻧﺗ ﺣ ﺎ ل . وﻟ ذﻟ ك ، ھدﻓ ت ھذه اﻟ د را ﺳﺔ إﻟ ﻰ ﺑﻧﺎ ء ﺟﺳد اﻟ ﻣﻌرﻓﺔ ﺣول اﻟ ﺣﺎﻟ ﺔ اﻟ را ھﻧ ﺔ ﻟﻣﺳﺗ وﯾﺎ ت ا ﻻﻧﺗ ﺣﺎ ل وﻛذﻟ ك إ ﺟرا ء ﻣﻘﺎ رﻧ ﺔ ﻧ ﻣوذ ﺟﯾ ﺔ ﻟﺑﻌ ض ا ﻷﻧﻣﺎ ط ﻓ ﻲ اﻟﺛﻘﺎﻓﺔ اﻟ ﺷرﻗﯾ ﺔ واﻟ ﻐرﺑ ﯾ ﺔ. ﺗم إ ﺟرا ء ﺗ ﺣﻠﯾ ل ﻟﻠ وﺛﺎﺋ ق ﻟ ﺟﺎ ﻣﻌﺗﯾ ن، وا ﺣدة ﻓ ﻲ اﻟ وﻻﯾﺎ ت اﻟ ﻣﺗ ﺣدة ا ﻷﻣرﯾ ﻛﯾ ﺔ ووا ﺣدة ﻓ ﻲ اﻟ ﻣﻣﻠ ﻛﺔ اﻟ ﻌرﺑ ﯾ ﺔ اﻟ ﺳﻌودﯾ ﺔ. ﺑﺎ ﻹ ﺿ ﺎﻓﺔ إﻟ ﻰ ذﻟ ك، أ ﺟرﯾ ت د را ﺳﺔ ا ﺳﺗﻘ ﺻ ﺎﺋﯾ ﺔ ﻓ ﻲ ﺳﯾﺎ ق أﻛ ﺎ دﯾﻣﻲ ﻓ ﻲ اﻟ ﻣﻣﻠﻛﺔ اﻟ ﻌرﺑﯾ ﺔ اﻟ ﺳﻌودﯾ ﺔ ﻟﻠﺗ ﺣﻘﯾ ق ﻓ ﻲ ﻓﮭم اﻟ طﻼب وھﯾﺋ ﺔ اﻟﺗد رﯾ س ﻟ ﻣﺎ ﯾ ﺷﻛ ل ا ﻻﻧﺗ ﺣﺎ ل. ﻛﺎ ن ﻣ ن اﻟ ﻣﺗ وﻗ ﻊ أ ن ﺗﺗﺟ ﮫ اﻟﻣﻣﻠ ﻛﺔ اﻟﻌر ﺑﯾ ﺔ اﻟﺳ ﻌو دﯾ ﺔ ﻧﺣو ﺗﻌرﯾ ف اﻟ ﻐرﺑﯾﯾ ن ﻟ ﻼﻧﺗﺣ ﺎ ل وﻗ د د ﻋﻣ ت اﻟ ﻧﺗ ﺎﺋﺞ ھذه اﻟﻔ ر ﺿ ﯾﺔ ﺟز ﺋﯾﺎ.

This study involved a group of Middle Eastern Muslim women (ages ranging from 16-36) learning mathematics through social justice pedagogy. One of the important lessons from this experience is that, despite some of the unique challenges associated with teaching for social justice, in this context this method of teaching is doable and beneficial. However, in the current atmosphere throughout the Middle East it is a very challenging task: it needs courage and commitment on the part of the teacher/researcher, as well as support and even protection by the head of the college or policymakers to ensure that it leads to positive learning outcomes.

This paper examines the association between corporate governance and financial inclusion in terms of correlation. This paper examines whether countries that have a strong corporate governance environment also experience better financial inclusion outcomes.

The indicators of financial inclusion are automated teller machines (ATMs) per 100,000 adults, bank accounts per 1,000 adults and bank branches per 100,000 adults, while the indicators of corporate governance are extent of corporate transparency index, the extent of director liability index, the extent of disclosure index, the extent of ownership and control index, the extent of shareholder rights index, minority investors protection index and ease of shareholder suits index. The association was analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis and granger causality test.

Strong corporate governance is significantly associated or correlated with better financial inclusion outcomes. The regional analyses show that corporate governance has a significant positive association with financial inclusion in Asian countries and in Middle East countries. However, a positive and negative association was observed between some indicators of corporate governance and financial inclusion in European countries, North American countries, South American countries, African countries and in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, implying that strong corporate governance has a positive and negative association with financial inclusion depending on the indicators of corporate governance and financial inclusion used. There is also evidence of uni-directional granger causality between corporate governance and financial inclusion.

Little is known about the association between corporate governance and financial inclusion. This paper is the first to examine this association.