Religious and Political Authority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Alfred Stepan’s “twin-tolerations” thesis (2000) is a model for explaining different ways that religious and political authority come to be reconciled. In this paper, we investigate some obstacles and challenges to realizing a reconciliation between religious and political authority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) that might result in a transition away from a theocratic monarchy to a more consultative form of political authority. Whereas most analyses of religion and politics in KSA focus on geopolitics, the rentier state model, or economic and military aid from the United States, we also consider local factors that emphasize the agency of political and non-political actors within KSA, focusing in particular on education policy and how this policy is a barrier to political reform. Our position is not meant to replace the standard models, but rather to supplement them by offering a multi-variable perspective on the challenges and prospects for meaningful political reform in KSA

Quality of care in University Hospitals in Saudi Arabia: systematic review

Objectives: To identify the key issues, problems, barriers and challenges particularly in relation to the quality of care in university hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and to provide recommendations for improvement. Methods: A systematic search was carried out using five electronic databases, for articles published between January 2004 and January 2015. We included studies conducted in university hospitals in KSA that focused on the quality of healthcare. Three independent reviewers verified that the studies met the inclusion criteria, assessed the quality of the studies and extracted their relevant characteristics. All studies were assessed using the Institute of Medicine indicators of quality of care. Results: Of the 1430 references identified in the initial search, eight studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria. The included studies clearly highlight a need to improve the quality of healthcare delivery, specifically in areas of patient safety, clinical effectiveness and patient-centredness, at university hospitals in KSA. Problems with quality of care could be due to failures of leadership, a requirement for better management and a need to establish a culture of safety alongside leadership reform in university hospitals. Lack of instructions given to patients and language communication were key factors impeding optimum delivery of patient-centred care. Decisionmakers in KSA university hospitals should consider programmes and assessment tools to reveal problems and issues related to language as a barrier to quality of care. Conclusions: This review exemplifies the need for further improvement in the quality of healthcare in university hospitals in KSA. Many of the problems identified in this review could be addressed by establishing an independent body in KSA, which could monitor healthcare services and push for improvements in efficiency and quality of care

An antenna-pointing mechanism for the ETS-6 K-band Single Access (KSA) antenna

Both the design philosophy for the Antenna Pointing Mechanism (APM) to be used for the K-band Single Access (KSA) antenna system and experimental results of the APM Engineering Model (EM) tests are described. The KSA antenna system will be flown on the Engineering Test Satellite 6 (ETS-6)

Access and utilisation of primary health care services comparing urban and rural areas of Riyadh Providence, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has seen an increase in chronic diseases. International evidence suggests that early intervention is the best approach to reduce the burden of chronic disease. However, the limited research available suggests that health care access remains unequal, with rural populations having the poorest access to and utilisation of primary health care centres and, consequently, the poorest health outcomes. This study aimed to examine the factors influencing the access to and utilisation of primary health care centres in urban and rural areas of Riyadh province of the KSA

The impact of organisational culture on WiMax adoption by Saudi SMEs

Although there is some research that examines Worldwide Inter-operability for Microwave Access (WiMax) adoption, the role of the organisational culture by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) has not been studied in the context of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This paper presents the outcome of a study carried out to examine the impact of organisational culture on the WiMax adoption by SMEs in the KSA. Based on Cameron and Quinn's Organisational Culture Assessments Instrument (OCAI), 63 questionnaires were distributed to different SMEs in Saudi Arabia. The results showed that there is a relatively low level of WiMax adoption by Saudi SMEs. Findings stated that Saudi SMEs are dominated by the clan culture where people are less innovative than the people in adhocracy culture

Program “Jari Peri” Sebagai Pelindung Anak Dari Kekerasan Seksual

Kekerasan Seksual terhadap Anak (KSA) merupakan bentuk pelanggaran hak anak dan menimbulkan berbagai dampak negatif pada anak. Demi melindungi anak, maka perlu dilakukan prevensi primer melalui pengembangan guru sebagai agen prevensi. Guru sebagai agen prevensi KSA membutuhkan efikasi mengajar prevensi KSA yang baik agar siswa yang diampunya dapat menguasai topik tersebut. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan efikasi guru dalam mengajarkan prevensi KSA kepada siswa. Penelitian ini akan menggunakan metode penelitian kuantitiatif dengan rancangan the untreated control group design with dependent pretest and posttest sample. Subjek yang digunakan untuk penelitian adalah guru SD yang dipilih secara purposif. Anava cam-puran digunakan untuk mengukur peningkatan efikasi guru dalam mengajar prevensi KSA kepada siswa sebelum dan sesudah intervensi. Efikasi guru dalam mengajar prevensi KSA kepada siswa pada kelompok eksperimen lebih tinggi daripada kelompok kontrol

Visión e intención emprendedora de Arabia Saudita 2030 entre estudiantes universitarios

The purposes of this study are to report the degree of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian 2030 Vision’s (KSA 2030 Vision) awareness among students, and to examine the association of entrepreneurial intention with the awareness of the KSA 2030 Vision in College of Business Administration at the Northern Border University. Using data from a self-administered survey, with a final sample of 266 students, the descriptive and Simple Regression results show that there is a low degree of awareness towards the KSA 2030 Vision among the students, and the entrepreneurial intention is negatively associated with the KSA 2030 Vision awareness. The results of this study give an alarming view as to the current low level awareness of the College of Business students towards the KSA 2030 Vision, and how this low degree of awareness can influence negatively the achievement of the country’s long-term vision. The results of this study should be useful to policy makers in Saudi Arabia at the country, ministry of education the university and elsewhere, as the KSA is aiming to achieve the ambitious KSA 2030 Vision.Los propósitos de este estudio son informar el grado de conocimiento de la Visión 2030 del Reino de Arabia Saudita (Visión KSA 2030) entre los estudiantes, y examinar la asociación de la intención empresarial con el conocimiento de la Visión KSA 2030 en la Facultad de Administración de Empresas en el Universidad de la Frontera Norte. Utilizando datos de una encuesta autoadministrada con una muestra final de 266 estudiantes, los resultados descriptivos y de Regresión simple muestran que existe un bajo grado de conciencia hacia la Visión KSA 2030 entre los estudiantes, y la intención emprendedora se asocia negativamente con la KSA. 2030 Conciencia visual. Los resultados de este estudio dan una alarma al bajo nivel actual de conciencia de los estudiantes de la Facultad de Negocios hacia la Visión KSA 2030, y cómo este bajo grado de conciencia puede influir negativamente en el logro de la visión a largo plazo del país. Los resultados de este estudio deberían ser útiles para los responsables políticos de Arabia Saudita en el país, el ministerio de educación y la universidad y en otros lugares, ya que la KSA tiene como objetivo lograr la ambiciosa Visión 2030 de la KSA

Understanding Islamic Sharia and the KSA Legal System

The promotion of the rule of law in the Middle East, particularly in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (the KSA), is becoming increasingly important due to globalization. The country operates within a conventional Islamic legal framework, a non-constitutional monarchy. However, the pace of reform and change in the KSA is slow. Understanding the essence and significance of law within the legal framework is crucial for advancing a rule of law system in the KSA and other Muslim and Middle Eastern nations. This study examines the legal framework of the KSA, which is based on monarchy, tribal organization, and traditional Islamic Sharīʿa. The study also investigates the feasibility of implementing change in a country like the KSA, where its legal system may be too entrenched in certain ideologies and traditions, hindering its ability to adopt necessary reforms for a rule of law system. The keywords: the KSA legal system; Islamic Sharīʿa; Primary sources; Secondary sources; statutory law. DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/138-07 Publication date: December 31st 202