An adaptive relationship of thermal comfort for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries: The case of offices in Qatar

Oil price has played a prominent role in oil exporter economies and may also affect energy depletion in oil-dependent countries. Considering asymmetry, the relationship between oil price (OP) and energy depletion has been investigated in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region from 1970 to 2017. We find asymmetrical positive effects of OP on the energy depletion in the panel of the GCC region. To avoid aggregation biasness in the panel estimates, we also conduct a time-series analysis on each GCC country. We find a positive impact of increasing OP on the energy depletion in six GCC countries, and this effect is found to be elastic in the case of all countries except for Kuwait. Positive effects of decreasing OP on the depletion are also found in all the GCC countries, and these effects are found to be elastic or unit elastic in the case of all countries except Saudi Arabia. Asymmetry in the relationship of oil price and energy depletion is established for Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia in terms of the different magnitude of effects.

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Challenges and Prospects of Using Treated Wastewater to Manage Water Scarcity Crises in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries

Water ◽

10.3390/w12071971 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 1971

Author(s):

Asad Sarwar Qureshi

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Use ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Gulf Cooperation Council ◽

Treated Wastewater ◽

Regional Security ◽

Forage Crops ◽

Effective Response ◽

Groundwater Levels ◽

Gcc Countries ◽

The World

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are located in the driest part of the world with an annual per capita water availability of 500 m3 compared to the world average of 6000 m3. Agricultural water demand, which is more than 80% of the total water consumption, is primarily met through the massive exploitation of groundwater. The enormous imbalance between groundwater discharge (27.8 billion m3) and recharge (5.3 billion m3) is causing the excessive lowering of groundwater levels. Therefore, GCC countries are investing heavily in the production of nonconventional water resources such as desalination of seawater and treated wastewater. Currently, 439 desalination plants are annually producing 5.75 billion m3 of desalinated water in the GCC countries. The annual wastewater collection is about 4.0 billion m3, of which 73% is treated with the help of 300 wastewater treatment plants. Despite extreme water poverty, only 39% of the treated wastewater is reused, and the remaining is discharged into the sea. The treated wastewater (TWW) is used for the landscape, forestry, and construction industries. However, its reuse to irrigate food and forage crops is restricted due to health, social, religious, and environmental concerns. Substantial research evidence exists that treated wastewater can safely be used to grow food and forage crops under the agroclimatic conditions of the GCC countries by adopting appropriate management measures. Therefore, GCC countries should work on increasing the use of TWW in the agriculture sector. Increased use of TWW in agriculture can significantly reduce the pressure on freshwater resources. For this purpose, a comprehensive awareness campaign needs to be initiated to address the social and religious concerns of farming communities and consumers. Several internal and external risks can jeopardize the sustainable use of treated wastewater in the GCC countries. These include climate change, increasing costs, technological and market-driven changes, and regional security issues. Therefore, effective response mechanisms should be developed to mitigate future risks and threats. For this purpose, an integrated approach involving all concerned local and regional stakeholders needs to be adopted.

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Bridging the digital divide through ICT

Information Development ◽

10.1177/0266666913489987 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 358-365 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Adboulaye Kaba ◽

Raed Said

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Information Technology ◽

Digital Divide ◽

Significant Relationship ◽

Gulf Cooperation Council ◽

Arab Countries ◽

Government Support ◽

Global Information ◽

Gcc Countries ◽

Ict Infrastructure

Bridging the gap of the digital divide can play an important role in education, employment and economic growth of any country. The present study attempts to examine and analyze the digital divide status of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries compared with countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other Arab countries. It uses 19 indicators of four factors adapted from The Global Information Technology Report 2009–2010 to measure the digital divide. Findings of the study indicated that GCC countries have a better ICT infrastructure than the ASEAN and other Arab countries. Similarly, the results of the study revealed that GCC nations have more ICT users than the ASEAN and other Arab countries. However, the study found no significant differences among these groups of countries in regard to government support and usage of ICT. Findings of the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) show that, across the three groups of countries, the influence of ICT infrastructure is consistently significant in narrowing the digital divide. The regression results also prove a significant relationship between government support for ICT and government usage of ICT.

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Board gender diversity and firms' social engagement in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries

Equality Diversity and Inclusion An International Journal ◽

10.1108/edi-02-2021-0041 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Mohammad Jizi ◽

Rabih Nehme ◽

Cynthia Melhem

Keyword(s):

Social Engagement ◽

Generalized Least Squares ◽

Governance Structure ◽

Gulf Cooperation Council ◽

Foreign Direct Investments ◽

Corporate Boards ◽

Female Representation ◽

Content Type ◽

Gcc Countries ◽

Thomson Reuters

PurposeThe Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries form a unique socioeconomic environment that makes the conclusions of the prior literature not likely to be applicable. GCC countries have huge oil reserves, yet they are aiming at reducing oil dependency through enhancing transparency, increasing foreign direct investments and reforming their governance structure. Their firms are mainly family owned and have low female representation in leadership positions. The study seeks to fill a literature gap by providing a business case supporting the call for gender diverse boards for better governance.Design/methodology/approachThe study examines a sample of GCC-listed firms for the years 2009–2018. Three measures are used to proxy for firm social engagement, namely, CSR strategy score, environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure score and social pillar score. To ensure whether the presence of women on board or the number of women on board is influential on social engagements, the authors use the existence of women on board and the percentage of women on board variables. Data are collected using Thomson Reuters, and generalized least squares (GLS) panel data regression is used to estimate relationships.FindingsThe authors find that female representation on GCC corporate boards is increasing, yet in a slow path. The reported results support the role of women on boards in prompting firms' social agenda and enhancing the level of sustainability reporting. The results also show that female board representation supports the implementation of climate change policy, business ethics policy and health and safety policy.Originality/valueThe paper evidence the add value of women participation on GCC corporate boards in enhancing boards' functionality and governance. The empirical findings encourage firms and policymakers in the GCC countries to increase the share of females on corporate boards to improve firms' citizenship and facilitate attracting foreign investors.

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Impact of Design on Emotional, Psychological, or Social Well-Being for People With Cognitive Impairment

HERD Health Environments Research & Design Journal ◽

10.1177/1937586718813194 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 220-232 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Elizabeth Karol ◽

Dianne Smith

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Literature Review ◽

Thermal Comfort ◽

Well Being ◽

Design Expertise ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

Aim:The objective of this article is to identify and analyze what is known about characteristics in and around the home that support well-being for those with cognitive impairment. This could provide direction for designers of homes in general, but specifically for designers trying to meet the needs of people with cognitive impairment.Background:It has been established that there is a relationship between psychological well-being and a person’s environment. Research also shows that particular design aspects can reduce the impact of cognitive impairment. However, there is limited design expertise in the Australian housing market to create supportive spaces which will help to reduce the impact of the disability for those with cognitive impairment.Method:A literature review was carried out to determine the extent and details of what is known about the relationship of home design and its impact on emotional, psychological, or social well-being for people with cognitive impairment.Conclusions:The study indicates that researchers in various disciplines understand that pragmatic design inputs such as thermal comfort and adequate lighting are important for people with cognitive impairment. In addition, some researchers have shown or surmise that there are other “intangible” designer-controlled elements that have beneficial impacts on people with cognitive impairment. Details of these intangible elements are sparse, and how much they might improve the quality of life for a person with cognitive impairment is not well understood. Further research is required to meet a growing need.

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Corporate Disclosure and Reporting Practices in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries

The GCC Economies ◽

10.1007/978-1-4614-1611-1_15 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 177-187

Author(s):

Haider Madani

Keyword(s):

Gulf Cooperation Council ◽

Corporate Disclosure ◽

Reporting Practices ◽

Gcc Countries

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India’s Labour Agreements with the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: An Assessment

International Studies ◽

10.1177/00208817211055344 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 002088172110553

Author(s):

Sameena Hameed

Keyword(s):

Gulf Cooperation Council ◽

Specific Reference ◽

Special Focus ◽

Construction Sector ◽

Host Countries ◽

Bilateral Coordination ◽

Gcc Countries ◽

Return Home

Despite the Indian government's proactive initiatives and reforms in the labour laws in the host countries, the welfare of Indian workers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries remains compromised. The Indian workers continue to face exploitation, often left stranded or forced to return home penniless. In line with best global practices, India’s Bilateral Labour Agreements (BLAs) and Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with all the GCC countries need to make specific reference to the host countries' labour laws and facilitate bilateral coordination in the governance of the full migration cycle. Special focus is needed in the construction sector, where a vast majority of low-skilled Indian workers are employed. The article examines the effectiveness of India’s BLAs and MoUs with the GCC countries in protecting the low-skilled Indian workers in the region.

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