Exploring the Demand and Supply Conditions of E-Commerce and E-Banking Services in Saudi Arabian Conventional and Islamic Banks

The extensive use of technology by banks and financial institutions aims to respond to customers’ demands by providing efficient, speedy and convenient financial services. After developing the e-banking services, banks have also expanded their online services into e-commerce. Developments of e-banking services and e-commerce have been the case with the majority of banks including Islamic banks in the GCC region. The main aim of this research is to explore the demand and supply conditions of e-commerce through e-banking services in Saudi Arabian conventional and Islamic banks. In doing so, this research aims to assess the level of customer awareness of e-commerce and to explore customers’ motivation in Saudi Arabian conventional and Islamic banks. In addition, this research further explores and evaluates customers’ use of e-commerce and e-channels banking services, and the obstacles faced including security issues. In an attempt to locate the supply side related issues, the study aims also to explore perceptions of the IT managers in the six banks. In the study, data were collected through a survey questionnaire to measure the opinions and perceptions of bank customers, and interview surveys were utilised for assessing the supply conditions. To achieve the aims of this research, firstly, this research presents the initial findings with the objective of developing a better understanding of customers’ preferences based on their opinions and perceptions, expressed through a questionnaire survey with a sample of 198 Islamic and conventional bank customers representing six banks in the country; secondly, to further the analysis of this research, an empirical study is presented by using a series of semi-structured interviews with IT managers at three different levels of the sampled banks in Saudi Arabia. The findings over five empirical chapters demonstrate that the majority of the respondents from both the banks appear to understand and have awareness of the importance of e-commerce especially and e-banking services in particular. The findings also indicate that the majority of the respondents from both banks tend to be equally motivated to deal with e-commerce using banking facilities available for them. In search of motivational factors, this research found that the benefits and the 24/7 availability of e-commerce and e-banking services were the main factors motivating participants to deal with e-commerce and use e-banking services. The findings also indicate that the customers of Islamic banks have a better understanding of using e-commerce and e-banking services. Furthermore, the findings show that customers experienced personal, institutional and macro level obstacles to using e-commerce in both the bank types. Moreover, the customers of Islamic and conventional banks appear to understand the importance of security issues in e-commerce through e-banking services as well as banks. The findings also show that the government of Saudi Arabia has played a key role to improve the environment of e-banking services in Saudi banks. Finally, the interviewees’ analysis indicates the weaknesses in the telecommunication infrastructure. Based on the findings this study suggests that e-commerce through e-banking services can play an important role in expanding business opportunities in Saudi Arabia, while they facilitate individual engagement with commercial activities. Since the technology is expanding and advancing rapidly, and to address the future challenges in IT especially in the e-banking services, it is essential that the necessary infrastructure should be developed to take advantage of the opportunity

Smoking Tobacco Prevalence Among College Students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION: During the last two decades, several studies have been published regarding the prevalence of tobacco smoking among college students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This systematic review and meta-analysis is intended to determine and examine the smoking prevalence in Saudi college students from 2010-2018. METHODS: PubMed, Science Direct, APA PsycNET, Web of Science, and CINAHL were used to search for published articles reporting the smoking prevalence among Saudi college students. After eliminating irrelevant articles, investigators independently assessed the quality of each article, based on Russell & Gregory guidelines. MetaXL software was used to calculate the pooled prevalence among included studies, using the IVhert model. Heterogeneity among the included studies was evaluated, using I2 statistic. Sensitivity analyses were conducted between male and female genders. RESULTS: Of the 295 published articles, 29 articles used a cross-sectional design to determine smoking prevalence among Saudi college students. Most of the studies were conducted in Riyadh at health-science-related colleges; the rest were performed in different cities and colleges. The meta-analysis showed that the pooled estimate of smoking prevalence among college students in the KSA was 17% (95% CI: 11-23%). Saudi male students had a prevalence rate of 26% (95% CI: 24-29%), whereas for Saudi female students the prevalence was 5% (95% CI: 3-7%). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking among Saudi college students was higher than in the majority of regional countries (e.g. Iran). Saudi male students had a higher smoking prevalence than Saudi female college students. Additionally, studies that reported a high prevalence targeted students in specific disciplines. Public health authorities in the KSA should develop a surveillance system that monitors the prevalence of tobacco smoking on campuses. A surveillance system of monitoring tobacco use among Saudi college students could be beneficial in determining the degree of the tobacco problem and in improving current tobacco control programs

Computer Forensics: Dark Net Forensic Framework and Tools Used for Digital Evidence Detection

As the development of technology increases and its use becomes increasingly more widespread, computer crimes grow. Hence, computer forensics research is becoming more crucial in developing good forensic frameworks and digital evidence detection tools to deter more cyber-attacks. In this paper, we explore the science of computer forensics, a dark web forensic framework, and digital evidence detection tools

A New Zn(II) Metal Hybrid Material of 5-Nitrobenzimidazolium Organic Cation (C7H6N3O2)2[ZnCl4]: Elaboration, Structure, Hirshfeld Surface, Spectroscopic, Molecular Docking Analysis, Electric and Dielectric Properties

The slow solvent evaporation approach was used to create a single crystal of (CHNO)[ZnCl] at room temperature. Our compound has been investigated by single-crystal XRD which declares that the complex crystallizes in the monoclinic crystallographic system with the P2/c as a space group. The molecular arrangement of the compound can be described by slightly distorted tetrahedral ZnCl anionic entities and 5-nitrobenzimidazolium as cations, linked together by different non-covalent interaction types (H-bonds, Cl…Cl, π…π and C–H…π). Hirshfeld’s surface study allows us to identify that the dominant contacts in the crystal building are H…Cl/Cl…H contacts (37.3%). FT-IR method was used to identify the different groups in (CHNO)[ZnCl]. Furthermore, impedance spectroscopy analysis in 393 ≤ T ≤ 438 K shows that the temperature dependence of DC conductivity follows Arrhenius’ law. The frequency–temperature dependence of AC conductivity for the studied sample shows one region (E = 2.75 eV). In order to determine modes of interactions of compound with double stranded DNA, molecular docking simulations were performed at molecular level

Efficacy of metformin monotherapy in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus patients treated at Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Background: Metformin monotherapy is the primary therapeutic approach in most cases of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) as it is safe, efficient, and is known to lower risks like vascular complications in patients. Previous studies have shown that glycemic control provided by metformin monotherapy is not consistent and needs to be monitored in association with other factors. Due to the complex nature of the disease and other factors like genetic predisposition, ethnicity, and geographic distribution, it is crucial to investigate its effect on the Saudi population. This study aimed to evaluate the glycemic response of metformin monotherapy in individuals with newly diagnosed T2DM who had not previously taken any other medications. Methods: A retrospective study model was followed to determine metformin monotherapy in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients. The efficacy of the metformin monotherapy was evaluated in the patients who were drug naive and had undergone treatment for six months. Results: HbA1c levels for our study population (n=136) before and after metformin monotherapy for a period of six months was collected from patient records. The study cohort included both male (n=71) and female (n=67) patients. There was a significant difference in the HbA1c levels of all diabetes patients before (Mean=9.1, SD=2.84) and after (Mean=7.13, SD=1.51) medication; 2-tailed significance p<0.001. Conclusions: Metformin monotherapy was effective in reducing the HbA1c levels across both genders and all age groups in the present study. These results suggest that metformin monotherapy could be the first line of therapy for newly diagnosed T2DM individuals

Crystal structure of 1,1-dimethyl-3-(2-phenylethyl)urea, C11H16N2O

Abstract C11H16N2O, orthorhombic, Pbca (no. 61), a = 10.7388(6) Å, b = 9.8449(5) Å, c = 21.1259(14) Å, V = 2233.5(2) Å3, Z = 8, R gt (F) = 0.0582, wR ref (F 2) = 0.1795, T = 293 K.</jats:p

Response of crude oil deposited organic layers to brines of different salinity:An atomic force microscopy study on carbonate surfaces

The various microscopic processes that take place during enhanced oil-recovery upon injecting low salinity brines are quite complex, particularly for carbonate reservoirs. In this study, we characterize the in-situ microscopic responses of the organic layers deposited on flat Iceland spar calcite surface to brines of different salinity using Atomic force Microscopy (AFM). Organic layers were deposited from crude oil at the end of a two-step aging procedure. AFM topography images reveal that the organic layers remain stable in high-salinity brines and desorb upon exposure to low-salinity brines. In addition, the organic layers swell in low-salinity brines, and the stiffness of the organic layers is found to directly proportional to the brine salinity. These observations are explained in terms of ‘salting-out’ effects, where the affinity of organic layers to solvent molecules increases upon reducing the brine salinity. The swelling and desorption of organic materials provide access for the brine to mineral surface causing dissolution and change in wetting properties of the surface. Our results show the significance of de-stabilizing the organic layer on rock surfaces in order to design any successful improved oil recovery (IOR) strategy

Effects of ions on the characteristics of monolayer at brine/oil interfaces

The advanced waterflooding technologies through salinity and ionic content adjustment can make favorable impacts on rock wettability and oil recovery. In carbonate reservoirs, SmartWater at low ionic strength showed strong chemical interactions with carbonate minerals and oil components. As a result, several hypotheses are proposed in literature as ionic exchange, rock dissolution, surface charges and others. The applied macroscopic and microscopic technologies have certain limitations in identifying the structures at interfaces especially at monolayers. In this paper, advanced Sum Frequency Generation (SFG) spectroscopy is utilized for the first time to characterize the chemical structures of molecules at the brine/oil interfaces. Different brines recipes and model oil are tested to determine the effects of individual and combined ions on the monolayer structures. Stearic acid is also mixed with hydrocarbons to mimic the acidity condition of fluids in the reservoir. The change in the chemical structure is mo nitored with time at a broad wavenumber range from 1,000 to 3,800 cm-1. Distinct spectral signatures of oil components and water ions are detected at different pH conditions. The SFG data is compared with the previous macroscopic wettability results to predict the components that are highly affected during waterflooding and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes. This study brings new insights on understanding the chemical structures at the thin monolayers of flat and curved geometric at different aqueous interfaces. The measured spectra, coupled with a wide range of laser polarization settings, and signal intensity trends are discussed in terms of composition, and structure of organic and inorganic components. For example, the intensity for SmartWater at certain wavenumber is three folds higher when compared to high salinity water. This indicates that the interactions at oil/water interfaces are enhanced at lower ionic strengths. In addition, these findings are also confirmed with similar behaviors at a higher salinity brine as connate formation brine. The novelty of this interfacial study can provide better understanding of the reaction mechanisms altering the ionic strength and salinity of injection water and its impact due to the changes in geometric interfaces. Such understanding is also crucial to optimize the chemistry of injection water and its interaction with oil components and carbonate rock, to ultimately alter wettability toward water-wet

Time-Dependent Physicochemical Changes of Carbonate Surfaces from SmartWater (Diluted Seawater) Flooding Processes for Improved Oil Recovery.

Over the past few decades, field- and laboratory-scale studies have shown enhancements in oil recovery when reservoirs, which contain high-salinity formation water (FW), are waterflooded with modified-salinity salt water (widely referred to as the low-salinity, dilution, or SmartWater effect for improved oil recovery). In this study, we investigated the time dependence of the physicochemical processes that occur during diluted seawater (i.e., SmartWater) waterflooding processes of specific relevance to carbonate oil reservoirs. We measured the changes to oil/water/rock wettability, surface roughness, and surface chemical composition during SmartWater flooding using 10-fold-diluted seawater under mimicked oil reservoir conditions with calcite and carbonate reservoir rocks. Distinct effects due to SmartWater flooding were observed and found to occur on two different timescales: (1) a rapid (&lt;15 min) increase in the colloidal electrostatic double-layer repulsion between the rock and oil across the SmartWater, leading to a decreased oil/water/rock adhesion energy and thus increased water wetness and (2) slower (&gt;12 h to complete) physicochemical changes of the calcite and carbonate reservoir rock surfaces, including surface roughening via the dissolution of rock and the reprecipitation of dissolved carbonate species after exchanging key ions (Ca2+, Mg2+, CO32-, and SO42- in carbonates) with those in the flooding SmartWater. Our experiments using crude oil from a carbonate reservoir reveal that these reservoir rock surfaces are covered with organic-ionic preadsorbed films (ad-layers), which the SmartWater removes (detaches) as flakes. Removal of the organic-ionic ad-layers by SmartWater flooding enhances oil release from the surfaces, which was found to be critical to increasing the water wetness and significantly improving oil removal from carbonates. Additionally, the increase in water wetness is further enhanced by roughening of the rock surfaces, which decreases the effective contact (interaction) area between the oil and rock interfaces. Furthermore, we found that the rate of these slower physicochemical changes to the carbonate rock surfaces increases with increasing temperature (at least up to an experimental temperature of 75 °C). Our results suggest that the effectiveness of improved oil recovery from SmartWater flooding depends strongly on the formation of the organic-ionic ad-layers. In oil reservoirs where the ad-layer is fully developed and robust, injecting SmartWater would lead to significant removal of the ad-layer and improved oil recovery