Prevalence of drug resistance in clinical isolates of tuberculosis from GCC: a literature review from January 2002 to March 2013

Introduction: The prevalence of drug resistance in clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates [UAE]) countries was appraised using reports published between January 2002 and March 2013. Methodology: A total of 11,393 tuberculosis (TB) isolates from the GCC were studied through published literature and were analyzed statistically. Results: Most of the isolates were resistant to isoniazid, followed by streptomycin, rifampin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide. The highest prevalence rate of multidrug-resistant-TB (MDR-TB) was found in UAE (9.2%), followed by Kuwait (5.9%) and Saudi Arabia (4.3%). The overall MDR-TB prevalence rate was recorded as 4.0% in the entire GCC region. Automated linear modeling revealed that isoniazid resistance had a strong relationship with the prevalence of MDR-TB in all the GCC countries and was found to be the strongest predictor for MDR-TB. Interestingly, rifampicin resistance was significantly associated with the prevalence of MDR-TB in Oman, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, while isoniazid was identified for UAE. On the basis of a number of reports and isolates, the principal component analysis showed that, among all GCC member countries, the highest burden of TB was in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and maximum drug resistance was present in UAE. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that the prevalence of MDR-TB in GCC countries is almost equal to other developing and developed countries, and requires immediate attention for surveillance and control.

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Analysis of Zakat System in High-Income Islamic Countries

The Journal of Muamalat and Islamic Finance Research ◽

10.33102/jmifr.v16i2.219 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Izlawanie Muhammad

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Modern Technology ◽

High Income ◽

Added Value ◽

Brunei Darussalam ◽

Analysis Technique ◽

Islamic Countries ◽

Modern Technologies

Many Islamic countries are facing zakat governance issues including transparency, trust, inconsistency of zakat law with al-Quran and hadith, non-compliance and bureaucracy. Despite of the ongoing issues, little is known about zakat system in Islamic countries particularly the high-income Islamic countries. The high-income Islamic countries should be exemplary models to other Islamic countries as they have unlimited resources to build a dynamic zakat system that includes participation from renowned Islamic scholars to give opinions and fatwa on zakat law and the use of modern technologies to promote transparency and compliance. This study adopts a content analysis technique to analyse zakat system in seven high-income Islamic countries – Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. The data of zakat governance, zakat collection, zakat distribution, transparency, use of modern technology, issues and recognitions for each country were collected and analysed. This study added value to the minimal zakat system literature in Islamic countries. It is hoped that a harmonized zakat system can be adopted by Islamic countries and a strong commitment by all Islamic countries members to help asnaf particularly those who live in the under-developed countries.

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Prospects for the Gulf states to end-2017

Emerald Expert Briefings ◽

10.1108/oxan-db221288 ◽

2017 ◽

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Gulf Cooperation Council ◽

Content Type ◽

Gcc Countries ◽

Oil Revenue ◽

Gulf States

Subject Prospects for the Gulf states to end-2017. Significance Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries agree on the need to check Iran’s regional aspirations, but differ radically on how to achieve this goal -- pushing Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to open confrontation with Qatar and leaving Kuwait and Oman caught uncomfortably in the middle. At the same time, they face the major challenge of adjusting their economies to long-term expectations of lower oil revenue.

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Differential Expression of Resistant and Efflux Pump Genes in MDR-TB Isolates

Endocrine Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets ◽

10.2174/1871530319666191009153834 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 271-287 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Manaf AlMatar ◽

Işıl Var ◽

Begüm Kayar ◽

Fatih Köksal

Keyword(s):

Drug Resistance ◽

Target Genes ◽

Efflux Pump ◽

Gene Mutations ◽

Clinical Isolates ◽

Pomegranate Juice ◽

Drug Efflux ◽

Mdr Tb ◽

Drug Efflux Pump

Background: Numerous investigations demonstrate efflux as a worldwide bacterial mode of action which contributes to the resistance of drugs. The activity of antibiotics, which subjects to efflux, can be improved by the combined usage of efflux inhibitors. However, the efflux role to the overall levels of antibiotic resistance of clinical M. tuberculosis isolates is inadequately comprehended and is still disregarded by many. Method: Here, we assessed the contribution of resistant genes associated with isoniazid (INH) and rifampin (R) resistance to the levels of drug resistance in the (27) clinical isolates of MDR-TB. Additionally, the role of the resistance for six putative drug efflux pump genes to the antibiotics was investigated. The level of katG expression was down-regulated in 24/27 (88.88%) of MDR-TB isolates. Of the 27 MDR-TB isolates, inhA, oxyR-ahpC, and rpoB showed either overexpression or up-regulation in 8 (29.62%), 4 (14.81 %), and 24 (88.88%), respectively. Moreover, the efflux pump genes drrA, drrB, efpA, Rv2459, Rv1634, and Rv1250 were overexpressed under INH/RIF plus fresh pomegranate juice (FPJ) stress signifying the efflux pumps contribution to the overall levels of the resistance of MDR-TB isolates. Conclusion: These results displayed that the levels of drug resistance of MDR-TB clinical isolates are due to combination among drug efflux pump and the presence of mutations in target genes, a truth which is often ignored by the specialists of tuberculosis in favour of the almost undoubted significance of drug target- gene mutations for the resistance in M. tuberculosis.

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Epidemiology of Antituberculosis Drug Resistance in Saudi Arabia: Findings of the First National Survey

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy ◽

10.1128/aac.02403-12 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 57 (5) ◽

pp. 2161-2166 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Sahal Al-Hajoj ◽

Bright Varghese ◽

Mohammed M. Shoukri ◽

Ruba Al-Omari ◽

Mais Al-Herbwai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drug Resistance ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

National Survey ◽

Drug Susceptibility ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

Drug Susceptibility Testing ◽

Control Measures ◽

Foreign Born ◽

Primary Drug Resistance ◽

Mdr Tb

ABSTRACTThe real magnitude of antituberculosis (anti-TB) drug resistance in Saudi Arabia is still unknown because the available data are based on retrospective laboratory studies that were limited to hospitals or cities. A representative national survey was therefore conducted to investigate the levels and patterns of anti-TB drug resistance and explore risk factors. Between August 2009 and July 2010, all culture-positive TB patients diagnosed in any of the tuberculosis reference laboratories of the country were enrolled. Isolates obtained from each patient were tested for susceptibility to first-line anti-TB drugs by the automated Bactec MGIT 960 method. Of the 2,235 patients enrolled, 75 cases (3.4%) were lost due to culture contamination and 256 (11.5%) yielded nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Finally, 1,904 patients (85.2% of those enrolled) had available drug susceptibility testing results. Monoresistance to streptomycin (8.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7.2 to 9.1), isoniazid (5.4%; 95% CI, 4.7 to 6.2), rifampin (1%; 95% CI, 0.7 to 1.3) and ethambutol (0.8%; 95% CI, 0.5 to 1.2) were observed. Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) was found in 1.8% (95% CI, 1.4 to 2.4) and 15.9% (95% CI, 15.4 to 16.5) of new and previously treated TB cases, respectively. A treatment history of active TB, being foreign-born, having pulmonary TB, and living in the Western part of the country were the strongest independent predictors of MDR-TB. Results from the first representative national anti-TB drug resistance survey in Saudi Arabia suggest that the proportion of MDR-TB is relatively low, though there is a higher primary drug resistance. A strengthened continuous surveillance system to monitor trends over time and second-line anti-TB drug resistance as well as implementation of innovative control measures, particularly among immigrants, is warranted.

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Diversification of Domestic Politics of the GCC Member States After the Second Gulf War

Acta Orientalia Vilnensia ◽

10.15388/aov.2000.18326 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 1 ◽

Author(s):

Egdūnas Račius

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Persian Gulf ◽

Domestic Politics ◽

Gulf War ◽

Arab Countries ◽

Member States ◽

Gcc Countries ◽

Primary Focus ◽

The Persian Gulf

This paper will concentrate on exploring how the domestic politics of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have been redirected and reshaped as a consequence of the Second Gulf War. Although the war affected directly only Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, it has also been experienced by other GCC member states: Bahrain, next to Saudi Arabia, was a major base of Allied forces, United Arab Emirates had sent its jet–fighters to the operations against Iraqi troops. Therefore, white Kuwait and Saudi Arabia will be the primary focus of the paper, the rest of the Persian Gulf Arab countries will receive partial attention too.

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Father Involvement and Education in the GCC

10.18502/aqf.0160 ◽

2020 ◽

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Life History ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

North Africa ◽

Father Involvement ◽

Educational Achievement ◽

Gulf Cooperation Council ◽

Mena Region ◽

Gcc Countries ◽

Education Environment

This policy brief builds on a larger father involvement study that encompasses 10 countries in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region to identify some of the key challenges of father involvement in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Using mixed methods with a modified Fatherhood Scale survey and life history interviews, the study found notable differences in father involvement in education across geographic, gender, and generational factors. Overall, fathers in GCC countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) tend to be perceived as more encouraging of their children’s education, especially for their daughters, but are less engaged in the types of quality involvement that are key to educational achievement. Based on the findings of this study, this policy brief highlights some of the key challenges of GCC fathers’ involvement. We conclude by offering recommendations to create and support an education environment in the GCC that values quality father involvement.

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Visioning “smart city” across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries

foresight ◽

10.1108/fs-11-2017-0068 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 237-251 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Stuti Saxena ◽

Tariq Ali Said Mansour Al-Tamimi

Keyword(s):

United Arab Emirates ◽

Smart City ◽

Smart Cities ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Gulf Cooperation Council ◽

Economic Diversification ◽

Public And Private ◽

Content Type ◽

Gcc Countries ◽

Public And Private Sector

Purpose The study aims to underscore the initiatives taken by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in spearheading their drive towards creating “smart” cities. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a qualitative approach by invoking documentary analysis supplemented by responses provided by 13 interviewees from public and private sector. Findings All the six GCC countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates) are keen on building upon their infrastructure to push their “smart city” agenda which would go a long way in furthering the economic diversification objective of their region besides improving the quality of public services. Originality/value Hitherto, research has been focused on appreciating the “smart city” initiatives of developed countries; this study seeks to build upon the literature on “smart cities” by contextualizing the research setting in the developing countries. Second, the study shows that with the ongoing oil prices crisis in the GCC, the “smart city” initiatives of the countries are conceived as possible avenues of economic diversification and competitiveness.

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Re-Examining Government Revenues, Government Spending And Economic Growth In GCC Countries

Journal of Applied Business Research (JABR) ◽

10.19030/jabr.v29i3.7777 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 737 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Helmi Hamdi ◽

Rashid Sbia

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Government Spending ◽

Temporal Relationship ◽

Econometric Model ◽

Gulf Cooperation Council ◽

Government Expenditures ◽

Font Size ◽

Gcc Countries ◽

Toda And Yamamoto

The aim of this paper is to examine the inter-temporal relationship between government revenues and expenditures within a trivariate framework by modeling them together with gross domestic product. Our sample is based on a panel of 6 countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) i.e. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain, for the period from 1990 to 2010. We perform an econometric model based on the Toda and Yamamoto procedure. Our empirical results show that government expenditures Granger cause government revenues for Qatar and the United Arab Emirates only, while government revenues Granger cause government expenditures for Saudi Arabia only. We also found a unidirectional causality running from government expenditures to GDP in Bahrain only. Regarding Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, GDP Granger cause government revenues while GDP Granger cause government expenditures for Oman and Qatar.

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Forecasting the SARS COVID-19 pandemic and critical care resources threshold in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries: population analysis of aggregate data

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044102 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. e044102

Author(s):

Amira K Al-Aamri ◽

Ayaman A Al-Harrasi ◽

Abdurahman K AAl-Abdulsalam ◽

Abdullah A Al-Maniri ◽

Sabu S Padmadas

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Critical Care ◽

Disease Management ◽

Human Resources ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Gulf Cooperation Council ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Control Measures ◽

Cumulative Number ◽

Gcc Countries

ObjectiveTo generate cross-national forecasts of COVID-19 trajectories and quantify the associated impact on essential critical care resources for disease management in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.DesignPopulation-level aggregate analysis.SettingBahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.MethodsWe applied an extended time-dependent SEICRD compartmental model to predict the flow of people between six states, susceptible–exposed–infected–critical–recovery–death, accounting for community mitigation strategies and the latent period between exposure and infected and contagious states. Then, we used the WHO Adaptt Surge Planning Tool to predict intensive care unit (ICU) and human resources capacity based on predicted daily active and cumulative infections from the SEICRD model.Main outcome measuresPredicted COVID-19 infections, deaths, and ICU and human resources capacity for disease management.ResultsCOVID-19 infections vary daily from 498 per million in Bahrain to over 300 per million in UAE and Qatar, to 9 per million in Saudi Arabia. The cumulative number of deaths varies from 302 per million in Oman to 89 in Qatar. UAE attained its first peak as early as 21 April 2020, whereas Oman had its peak on 29 August 2020. In absolute terms, Saudi Arabia is predicted to have the highest COVID-19 mortality burden, followed by UAE and Oman. The predicted maximum number of COVID-19-infected patients in need of oxygen therapy during the peak of emergency admissions varies between 690 in Bahrain, 1440 in Oman and over 10 000 in Saudi Arabia.ConclusionAlthough most GCC countries have managed to flatten the epidemiological curve by August 2020, trends since November 2020 show potential increase in new infections. The pandemic is predicted to recede by August 2021, provided the existing infection control measures continue effectively and consistently across all countries. Current health infrastructure including the provision of ICUs and nursing staff seem adequate, but health systems should keep ICUs ready to manage critically ill patients.

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The Impact of the 2020 Oil Production Fluctuations on Methane Emissions over the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries: A Satellite Approach

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos13010011 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 11

Author(s):

Ashraf Farahat

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Oil Prices ◽

Oil Production ◽

Gulf Cooperation Council ◽

Methane Emissions ◽

Data Set ◽

Oil Refineries ◽

Gcc Countries ◽

The Impact

The COVID-19 outbreak has significantly affected global industrial and transportation markets. Airlines, rails, and cars’ industries and their supporting energy sectors have been substantially disrupted by the pandemic. This has resulted in undermined energy demand around the world during 2019 and 2020. The organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) led by Saudi Arabia failed to persuade Russia to cutback oil supplies to deal with the loss of demand from the COVID-19 pandemic. On 8 March 2020, Saudi Arabia announced a raise in its oil production and offered a large discount on its crude oil sales. By April 2020, Saudi Arabia increased its oil production to about 12 million-oil barrels/day. This rise in oil production has not only resulted in the biggest fall in oil prices since the 1991 Gulf War but also increased methane emissions over the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regions. Here, we report 2019 and 2020 data set of average seasonal methane-mixing ratio retrieved from TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) on board of S5P spacecraft over 19 refineries and oil fields in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Bahrain. Low methane emissions were recorded over western and central Saudi Arabia compared to the eastern side of the country. In general, high methane emissions were observed in 2020 compared to 2019 around oil refineries and fields in western, central, and eastern regions of Saudi Arabia as well as over other GCC countries. This could be attributed to the oil high production associated with the oil prices fluctuation during 2020.

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