NEOLITHIC PERIOD, NORTH-WESTERN SAUDI ARABIA

during the past four decades, the Neolithic period in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) had received little academic study, until recently. This was due to the previous widely held belief that the Arabian Peninsula had no sites dating back to this time period, as well as few local researchers and the scarcity of foreign research teams. The decline in this belief over the past years, however, has led to the realisation of the importance of the Neolithic in this geographical part of the world for understanding the development and spread of early farming. As well as gaining a better understanding of the cultural attribution of the Neolithic in KSA, filling the chronological gaps in this historical era in KSA is vital, as it is not well understood compared to many neighbouring areas. To address this gap in knowledge, this thesis aims to consider whether the Northwest region of KSA was an extension of the Neolithic developments in the Levant or an independent culture, through presenting the excavation of the Neolithic site of AlUyaynah. During the past four decades, the Neolithic period in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) had received little academic study, until recently. This was due to the previous widely held belief that the Arabian Peninsula had no sites dating back to this time period, as well as few local researchers and the scarcity of foreign research teams. The decline in this belief over the past years, however, has led to the realisation of the importance of the Neolithic in this geographical part of the world for understanding the development and spread of early farming. As well as gaining a better understanding of the cultural attribution of the Neolithic in KSA, filling the chronological gaps in this historical era in KSA is vital, as it is not well understood compared to many neighbouring areas. To address this gap in knowledge, this thesis aims to consider whether the Northwest region of KSA was an extension of the Neolithic developments in the Levant or an independent culture, through presenting the excavation of the Neolithic site of AlUyaynah. Despite surveys and studies that have been conducted in the KSA, this study is the first of its kind, because the site "AlUyaynah", which is the focus of this dissertation, is the first excavation of a site dating back to the pre-pottery Neolithic (PPN). Therefore, the importance of this study lies in developing an understanding of Neolithic characteristics in the North-Western part of the KS

Urban planning in Saudi Arabia with special reference to the Nitag Omrani Programme.

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Modeling Radiation Heat Transfer for Building’s Cooling and Heating Loads: Considering the Role of Clear, Cloudy, and Dusty Conditions in Hot and Dry Climates

The influence of transient factors such as sky long wave radiation exchange and atmospheric aerosols (i.e., smog, and dust – made up of sand, clay, and silt) are not carefully considered in current building design and simulation models. Therefore, the research objective was to better understand and account for such variables, resulting in improved radiative predictive capabilities, especially important for hot and dry climates under different sky conditions including clean, cloudy, and dusty. Overall, results of this dissertation provided a better prediction method for sky long wave radiation exchange with a building’s roof and the impact of dust accumulation on energy use, especially for poorly and uninsulated residential buildings. The two most significant results for this study were (1) a new absorptivity model was introduced in an effort to relate a building’s exterior roof solar and thermal properties (absorptivity, reflectivity, and emissivity) to monthly averaged dust accumulation, and (2) a new dusty sky temperature model was introduced as a function of atmospheric aerosol optical depth to better account for dust impact on sky temperature prediction

Domestic Window Design and Interior Daylight in Jeddah: Designing for Saudi Women

Architecture in Jeddah city in the western region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has gradually undergone a significant shift in style, a consequence of the implementation of contemporary Western architecture after the oil boom in the country in 1970. Contemporary buildings with letterbox windows have become popular in the area, replacing the traditional appearance of local buildings characterised by the Roshan (a type of window used in vernacular Jeddah architecture), and many of the characteristics of contemporary architecture do not seem to fit the local context. As a consequence, the needs of modern Muslim women have been disregarded in favour of a new aesthetic, in the course of implementing recent changes in technology and architecture. Research on the current trajectory which architecture has recently taken in the country is needed to explore these consequences. In particular, this study focuses on window design, considering openings as pivotal element between daylight control and cultural religious and personal aspects of today’s Saudi women. The aim of this study is to examine daylight and window design to better accommodate women’s needs in flats in Jeddah built from 1970 to 2016. The window is analysed in this study as a pivotal element of the transition between vernacular and contemporary architecture in Jeddah, with implications for the interior quality of space in blocks of flats, including wellbeing and daylight conditions and functional and symbolic values. The first part of my data collection is dedicated to survey photography and floor plan drawings for blocks of flats in Jeddah. Then, primary data are generated through interviews with women to understand their perceptions in relation to window design and daylight in their living room spaces. The third dataset is based on daylight calculation, which involved computer modelling applied to interviewees’ flats in Jeddah. These phases have unearthed a clear discrepancy between the design principles employed by the decision makers, and the wishes of the female population, who actually use the residential spaces for the majority of time. Whilst the former consider the amount of daylight which is sufficient, the latter perceive their homes to be dark and unhealthy. The fourth part of this study comprises interviews with architecture professionals (professors of architecture, municipality officer and architects) to determine where this discrepancy originates, and to what extent a reconsideration of design tenets or guidelines can help to resolve the issue. The study concludes with an examination of the reasons behind the current issues of inadequate daylight and privacy for Saudi women. It revealed daylight was less than 100 lux in most participants’ flats. The levels ranged between 50 lux and 70 lux, which does not meet the target for the Saudi climate. This has a negative effect on women’s wellbeing and satisfaction. It also reveals that women’s needs in home design are not a major consideration for architects. Also, it shows that the absence of detailed building regulations regarding window design and daylight levels is the major reason for this issue. The results show that there is a significant difference between the answers from women and the answers from professionals in terms of the small gap between buildings and daylight levels (P=0.005). Also, the results show that there is a statistical difference between women’s and professionals’ responses about whether daylight levels or measurements are considered when designing living room windows (P=0.019). In conclusion, this study proposes a set of guidelines to policy makers that building regulations should be updated to consider the findings of this study in order to provide better new regulations that consider women’s needs in the design of flat windows

The Neolithic Archaeology of the South west of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Although the archaeology of Saudi Arabia forms the basic chronological and geographical framework for the archaeology of the Arabian Peninsula as a whole, its later prehistoric sequence is still not well-defined. The aim of this thesis is to start defining this sequence in the southwest of the country by assessing the characteristics of some newly discovered sites, and surveying and sampling them. This research will attempt to designate a function to the sites, date their material culture, and define their relationship with other prehistoric sites in Arabia. The objectives of this thesis are firstly to define the term ‘Neolithic’, to consider the characteristics of its earliest affiliated sites in the Near East, and to outline the research aims, objectives and methodology; secondly, to survey the geographical and environmental background of the Near East and Saudi Arabia; thirdly to summarize the history of archaeology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Additional objectives are to define the Neolithic sequences, to discuss the climate change and sea level and the results on archaeological survey in the region. The core of the thesis presents the results of the archaeological survey and excavation in the Farasan Islands, the coastal plain and interior area and discusses the characteristics of its freshly recovered material culture, its date, and how it supports or refutes models for the spread of the Neolithic in the Near East as a whole. Archaeological survey is also used to introduce the archaeology of the Tihama mountains and the study and analysis of the rock art and to study the interior area with regard to the chronology of the south west of Saudi Arabia. The results demonstrate the significance of the shell middens of the Red Sea islands and coastal plain, and provide evidence for one of the earliest Neolithic sites in Saudi Arabia: Al-Majama