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Higher education is challenged by workforce needs to transform its outcomes from "knowledge-based" to "competency-based" outcomes. High-impact educational practices, commonly referred to as HIPs, provide, among other benefits, efficacious development of workforce-ready specific competencies. Strategic implementation of HIPs has yet to be diffused at Saudi universities. The Northern Border University (NBU) has identified a set of core competencies graduate workforce-ready graduates. To effectively realize the intended outcomes of its core competencies, NBU selected a set of HIPs to increase student success. This paper discusses NBU's processes and implementation strategies in selecting core competencies and HIPs with ultimate aim of translating both to the local higher education culture and norms in order to effectively achieve desired outcomes.

Purpose: Municipal solid waste (MSW) consists mainly of several recyclable materials such as paper and cardboard. Inside the educational institutes, especially universities, MSW is generated from several facilities including offices and cafeterias. Without an effective management program, solid waste can have detrimental impacts on the environment. This paper aims to assess the solid waste management practices followed at the main campus of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), Dammam -- Saudi Arabia. Design/methodology/approach: The MSW samples were collected from different sources inside the IAU campus such as the college buildings (such as the teaching rooms and staff offices), the administrative buildings and services buildings (e.g. the main library, the photocopying center, the restaurant and cafeteria) at least one time per week during a full academic term (January-May) of the academic year 2017-2018. The collected MSW samples were segregated into seven categories, and the net amount of each category and the overall weight of the MSW were determined once every week. The MSW samples were characterized for physical and chemical properties including moisture, carbon and ash contents. Food product waste (FPW) of the main university restaurant was studied separately. Findings: Data on the composition of MSW samples revealed that 80% of wastes were recyclable, 19% as compostable materials, while only 1% of the materials were a non-recyclable waste. More than 73% of the recyclable materials include paper and plastic warranting dire need of an effective solid waste management program. The highest value of FPW was recorded for the breakfast meal. Originality/value: Most of the waste generated from the university campus was recyclable type that needs to be handled carefully to avoid its mixing with other types of the waste stream. Waste characterization is an important tool that helps in understanding the amount and pattern of waste generation. It can be used as a decision-making tool for implementing sustainable waste management programs for universities.

Purpose: This paper aims to report the current status of life cycle assessment (LCA) in Saudi Arabia. It summarizes the LCA studies conducted in academia and industry. It also examines LCA collaboration networks and training opportunities. It then points out current gaps in implementing LCA in Saudi Arabia. Finally, it delineates the steps required to promote LCA both as a research methodology and as a sustainability assessment tool in Saudi Arabia. Methods: Using Scopus database and the Internet, a state-of-the-art review was conducted for this paper. "LCA", "Life Cycle Assessment" and "Saudi Arabia" were the key words used for searching scientific studies, industrial reports, training courses and conferences related to application of LCA within Saudi Arabia. The search resulted in 32 scientific documents and one industrial report. Further scrutiny reduced the final sample considered for this paper to eleven scientific documents and one industrial report that used a complete LCA study to report environmental impacts. Results and discussion: Studies considered for this paper were related to fossil fuels, buildings, electricity generation, desalination, and food consumption. However, overall number of publications and industry reports related to LCA in Saudi Arabia is very little as compared to other advanced economies. This sheer lack of studies conducted in Saudi Arabia can be attributed to lack of educational programs, consultancies, and research projects related to LCA. This points to the vast potential for developing LCA both as a research tool and sustainability assessment tool in Saudi Arabia. There is a need to develop a local network of LCA researchers, a local LCI database, and training courses. Conclusions: This study revealed that use of LCA as a sustainability assessment tool is still in its early stages within Saudi Arabia. There are only a handful of LCA studies that are reported in scientific literature related to Saudi Arabia. Additionally, most of these studies relies on non-local databases rendering the results of these studies less reliable. There is an urgent need to promote LCA within Saudi Arabia and academia can play a leading role by offering short courses, training for industry, and participating in joint projects to conduct LCA studies. Furthermore, local LCA databases and consultancies should also be promoted. It is conjectured that in the future, the use of LCA will grow in Saudi Arabia as the county is targeting to become a net zero carbon economy by 2060. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent statistics indicate that as of 2023, the global renewable energy capacity has reached new heights, with Saudi Arabia significantly contributing to this growth through its strategic initiatives. The kingdom is particularly focusing on harnessing solar power, given its abundant sunlight, and is also exploring wind energy, leveraging its vast desert landscapes. These efforts are part of Saudi Arabia's broader strategy to become a global leader in renewable energy. This paper provides a detailed exploration of Saudi Arabia's ambitious journey from a fossil-fuel-dominated energy sector to a more sustainable, renewable-energy-driven future. Anchored in the broader context of global energy trends, the study emphasizes the critical shift toward renewable resources, with a particular focus on Saudi Arabia's unique position in this global movement. Key to this transition is Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, a strategic framework that guides the country's renewable energy policies and initiatives. A comprehensive review of these policies, including other governmental and international collaborations that support renewable energy development, is offered. The current state of renewable energy in Saudi Arabia is assessed, including an overview of existing projects and production statistics. The paper also explores emerging technologies such as energy storage systems and smart grid solutions, emphasizing their role in Saudi Arabia's energy transition. An impact assessment is conducted to understand the environmental, economic, and social effects of this energy shift. The paper also includes a comparative analysis of other countries' renewable energy transitions, extracting lessons and best practices applicable to the Saudi context. Strategic recommendations and reflections on Saudi Arabia's future role in the global energy landscape are provided for stakeholders in energy policy, environmental planning, and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of globalization and rapid economic changes, innovation became a necessity for all organizations. Innovation differs from one type of organization to another, and is considered more complex in the case of universities. This paper deals with innovation in Saudi universities, and searches to analyze its main features based on a number of pillars such as the quality of education, innovation in educational programs and teaching methods, innovation in applied research related to the industry, innovation in developing partnerships and networks, social innovation and innovation in achieving the university's financial sustainability. Results show that despite the increasing development of higher education, the reality of innovation in Saudi universities does not match the potential of the country. In general, the pace is low and some constraints persist. It appears that the huge amounts of financial resources allocated to the higher education sector are not sufficient to improve innovation. In effect, qualitative aspects remain influential.

Waste characterization is a fundamental step for the development of solid waste management plan. In this regard, understanding the waste generation and disposal patterns plays a crucial role in developing realistic waste reduction strategies. Presently, there exists no solid waste management plan for higher education institutes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Hence, this article details the fundamental study related to the waste generation and disposal behaviour. The study also dwells into the existing practices of solid waste management and sheds light on the new polices that can be adopted for waste reduction, along with highlighting barriers to optimization of solid waste management. Through investigation, it was found that by adopting E-learning system for examination and replacing paper towels with air dryers in washroom and by revising policy related to printing, considerable reduction in paper waste could be achieved. Furthermore, the adoption of the proposed sustainable drinking water solution led to 90% reduction in plastic pet bottle waste. The recommendations made by the presented investigation can be employed by other similar sized institutes in developing countries for the development of sustainable green campuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research paper is to engage with the ongoing scientific discourse surrounding the impact of electronic human resources management (EHRM) technology on organizational sustainability, performance, and innovation within the context of the dynamic Saudi Arabian hospitality industry. Drawing upon a quantitative research methodology, this study seeks to unveil the intricate relationship between the latent variable (e-HRM) and the dependent variables, namely, organizational innovation, organizational performance, and organizational sustainability. The systematic organization of literary sources and research approaches underpins the comprehensive nature of this study, which holds particular relevance against the backdrop of Saudi Arabia's ambitious Vision 2030 development plan. The plan envisions diversifying the economy, reducing dependence on oil, and fostering sustainable growth -- objectives that resonate strongly with the challenges and opportunities within the hospitality sector. The paper progresses logically, employing robust statistical software such as SPSS version 25 and SmartPLS 3.3.5 to rigorously evaluate and test the measuring and structural models. This meticulous approach includes hypothesis testing to assess indicators' reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. The study meticulously examines a sample of 438 employees within the Saudi hospitality industry. Methodological tools, including detection analyses and correlation analysis, are deployed to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the data. The Saudi hospitality industry is strategically selected for its pivotal role in job creation, economic prosperity, and overall image projection. Empirical analysis forms the crux of this paper, revealing compelling results that underscore the positive and significant influence of e-HRM technologies on organizational innovation, organizational performance, and organizational sustainability. The model's robust fit, as evidenced by the SRMR value of 0.074 and the NFI score of 0.911, accentuates the reliability and validity of the research. Furthermore, the paper employs the blindfolding technique to assess the model's predictive validity, revealing effect sizes of 0.223, 0.109, and 0.439 for organizational innovation, organizational performance, and organizational sustainability, respectively. This research not only empirically confirms but also theoretically substantiates the pivotal role of e-HRM technologies in shaping organizational outcomes. By delving into the mediating relationship between organizational performance and organizational innovation, this study contributes significantly to understanding how e-HRM technologies can be a catalyst for organizational sustainability in the unique context of the Saudi hospitality industry. Beyond the academic realm, the findings provide actionable insights for policymakers, industry professionals, and stakeholders, aligning with the overarching goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to foster sustainable growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environment is one of the critical elements of organisational sustainability. Green human resource management (GHRM) plays a crucial role in achieving sustainable competitive advantage. Since GHRM is a new and growing concept, current research aims to map the concept of GHRM development in Saudi Arabia to show the current development, gap and potential future direction. The current paper reviews the empirical research papers from the Saudi Arabia context and shows the growth and development of GHRM research. The findings show that GHRM research is still in the initial phase with seven empirical research papers with only four theories to contribute to the Saudi context. Initial research of GHRM has been conducted primarily on private sectors, with minimal focus on government sectors in Saudi. The current review contributes to the advancement of GHRM research practices in Saudi Arabia and provides some crucial direction for government, industry and researchers to conduct future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The empirical research for this paper was undertaken with leaders of early years setting in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The investigation sought to establish to what extent it was possible to behave in line with the concept of pedagogical leadership in the twenty-first century in an Arab Muslim monarchy, dominated by Islam, where directive leadership and control by the state has been the traditional norm. Education in KSA is now subject to reform, however, with leadership roles and responsibilities becoming a key issue and the early years sector being one of the major targets for development.

Buildings' sustainability can strongly contribute towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals which set forth a challenge for humanity in existing and modern Saudi societies. Recently, large numbers of initiatives and strategies have been recently developed and adopted with a focus on the green architecture which relates the real estate and clean energy industries in Saudi Arabia. This is considered as an important step to the diversity in the Saudi economy, which is not built on oil revenues and towards the achievement of Saudi Arabia's vision 2030. Consequently, the application of different passive sustainability strategies in residential building projects, e.g., green roofs technology, can boost sustainable building ratings. In the present paper, the feasibility and probable health and environmental benefits associated with green roofs technology in Saudi residential buildings have been described. Moreover, different perspectives have been presented related to the green roofs industry, such as: types, recent technology, and the current challenges. In addition, the contributions of green roofs to the sustainable building's certification via Saudi rating system, MOSTADAM, has been explored. The method adopted in the present research is based on relating the characteristics of the green roof technology and its environmental effects to the different categories of the "Mostadam" rating system. It is found that the green roofs technology can boost the sustainable building ratings through contribution to the major categories of MOSTADAM rating system a potential of 32% credits total. This encourages stakeholders to apply green roofs in Saudi residential buildings supporting the sustainable development goals of the Saudi government's ongoing initiatives that advocates for more sustainable and resilient cities considering vision 2030. Moreover, the present study would assist the "Mostadam" responsible in evaluating the sustainable buildings projects and making the right decisions on such projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing countries in hot climate regions such as Saudi Arabia have witnessed rapid population growth, which has led to greater resource consumption as a result of the increased demand for new buildings. This research proposes a multi-objective evaluation of the potential green engineering solutions to conserve energy using a building within the ROSHN housing project, which is one of the mega projects in Saudi Arabia, as a case study for this paper with the aid of simulation software, taking into consideration the context of the sustainability concept. The results showed that traditional passive architectural design, whether courtyards or Mashrabiya, had the nearly greatest influence, with percentages ranging from −4% to −5.15% for varied parameters and designs compared to the base case energy usage. Furthermore, energy efficiency solutions for the building envelope's external insulation and finish system (EIFS) enabled a drop in the U-value that lowered energy usage to −5.40%. However, the wall insulation thickness beyond 300 mm in this system has no substantial influence on energy savings. This research's most clear finding is that a P2P system for PV panels on a district scale can supply enough energy to meet its needs after implementing the optimal strategy of the other proposed solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Saudi Arabia is a leading country endorsing a sustainable future, from policymaking and investment to infrastructure development. One of the rising concerns in Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 is solid waste management, especially in Makkah. The Solid Waste Collection Problem (SWCP) refers to the route optimisation of waste collection trucks visiting containers across various locations. Manually generated routes might contain some mistakes, and constructing and revising designed solutions can take a long time. Thus, there is a need to find optimal and fast solutions to this problem. Solving this problem demands tackling numerous routing constraints while aiming to minimise the operational cost. Since solid waste has a significant impact on the environment, reducing fuel consumption must be an objective. Methods: Thus, a mixed-integer programming model is proposed in this paper while using the time-oriented nearest neighbour heuristic. The goal is to investigate their performance on nine existing instances of SWCP in the city of Makkah. The proposed model is implemented in the Gurobi solver. The time-oriented nearest neighbour heuristic constructs the initial solution and is then re-optimised using Google OR-tools. Results: Using the greedy method to construct a solution for this problem generated better solutions when compared to the results obtained without the greedy method. Computational times are also improved by 55.7% on the problem instances. Conclusions: The findings confirm the competitive performance of the proposed method in terms of computational times and solution quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidst the growing emphasis on sustainable development, there is an emerging trend of companies actively pursuing the transition towards sustainability. This shift is driven by various factors, including heightened societal scrutiny and a greater focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations. As a result, companies are increasingly acknowledging the significance of incorporating sustainable practices into their operations to align with the expectations of the capital market. This paper investigates the association between ESG disclosures and stock price crash moderated by corporate governance (board size, independence, and gender diversity) for Saudi firms. Using a fixed effects regression method, we find that the coefficient of ESG is significant and negative (−0.0043 for NCSKEW and − 0.0006 for DUVOL) indicating a positive influence of ESG in diminishing stock price crash. The results also show that corporate governance positively and significantly moderate the ESG‐stock price crash risk. As additional analyses, we find a significant negative relationship between each aspect of ESG including social responsibility, environmental activities and governance practices and stock price crash risk. Moreover, the pandemic COVID‐19 has a dampening effect on the ESG‐stock price crash association. To ensure the validity of these conclusions, dynamic GMM models were employed to tackle any potential endogeneity issues, making the results even more robust. Our findings highlight that improving corporate sustainability positively impacts the stability of companies' stock prices. This study provides valuable insights and perspectives from the context of Saudi Arabia and offers theoretical and managerial implications that are relevant for policymakers and investors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the Saudi Vision 2030 programs is the Green Saudi Initiative, which aims to protect the environment, energy conversion, and sustainability projects to build a sustainable future. In the present paper, Green Infrastructures (GI) were assessed, analyzed, and mapped using GIS and Analytic Hierarchy Process-based-Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Method (AHP-MCDM). Ten criteria were selected to elaborate the GI suitability map (DEM, slope, topographic position index, rainfall, distance to the water lines, topographic wetness index, distance to the road, wind speed, housing income group high (high-income people) map, employment in the agricultural sector, and land use land change). The results revealed four classes of suitability: Poor, Fair, Good, and Excellent. The "Excellent" area for GI planning was estimated at 983 km2 (9%), whereas the "Good" area covered 36% (3987 km2). The excellent and good areas for GI were more localized in the central part of the Al Baha region in the areas of Al Bahah, Elmandaq, Alatawlah, and the central part of Buljurshi. According to the obtained results, the southern part of the study is not suitable for GI planning; this is explained by the large area of barren land and sand. The results obtained by this research may help managers and decision-makers in future planning for GI areas in the Al Baha region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the online discourses on "sustainability" and explores how environmental sustainability has been constructed within the Saudi online discourse. In doing so, the study focuses on the potential of the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI), along with Green Riyadh and King Salman Park, to promote sustainability awareness in the kingdom. The corpus of the study comprises news articles and Twitter hashtags. In addition, the study uses corpus-based discourse analysis to examine the keyness and intertextuality. The results of the study convey a contextualized national identity while communicating internationally within discursive circles. It is also identified that interdiscursivity is central in the corpus, although the discourse of action especially dominated other smaller discourses, such as consequences/risks, economy, and tourism. The results also indicate the prominent construction of officials, which could be linked to the dynamics of change in the Saudi scene. Finally, the study emphasizes the action-oriented nature of such discourse while drawing attention to some of the challenging issues to long-term advocacy in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 pandemic influenced the environment, animal health, and food security. Due to reduced human mobility, the air and water quality increased. Other environmental consequences were the personal protective types of equipment and their haphazard disposal. Atmospheric pollution could be a cofactor leading to an increased COVID-19 mortality rate. Lockdown, however, caused a reduction in air and water pollution. Noise pollution affects the health of individuals and communities in terms of cardiovascular disorders and sleeping problems. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 lockdown controls human activities that reduce noise pollution. Municipal waste affects the environment. Recycling has been reduced in some countries but not in Saudi Arabia. COVID-19 had a drastic effect on livestock production on national, regional, and global levels, affecting countries' capacities to prevent and control diseases of animals and increasing global poverty, becoming a threat to the sustainability of global food security and safety. Many lessons have been learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, so it is wise to study and analyze the previous lessons and shed some light on past pandemics such as the Spanish flu to understand the readings and earn experiences. This paper is focused on the interaction between the pandemic and environmental health from the public health concern rather than other health classifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to investigate the impacts of tourism development at the Al-Hijr Archaeological Site, Saudi Arabia. Al-Hijr was inscribed as the country's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 but received little attention as a tourist destination until the launch of the Saudi Vision 2030 strategy in 2016, which positioned heritage tourism sites as important catalysts in the long-term transition to a post-oil economy. Via the implementation of semi-structured interviews with local tourism SME owners and senior managers between January and February 2020, several exploratory observations were made. According to study participants, who typically framed the impacts of tourism development from the perspective of their local communities as well as those of businesses, the genesis of tourism had presented several paradoxes. Whilst the UNESCO listing helped foster community support for tourism due to new economic opportunities, the opening of Al-Hijr to international tourists and the proposed scale of development proposals raised numerous concerns, including fears of 'cultural erosion' and unsustainable growth. This paper therefore positions itself as an important and novel step in identifying local SME stakeholder perspectives on embryonic tourism development at Al-Hijr and offers recommendations to mitigate emerging concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns about climate change and rising energy demands have grown as a result of fast population rise and global industrialization. The construction industry has a huge impact on the energy and environmental sectors, accounting for about 40% of global energy consumption and a large portion of overall territorial emissions. There is a need for a shift in mindset when it comes to energy usage, as well as enhanced energy efficiency approaches and radical energy efficiency initiatives. As an energy-saving solution, the green roof, also known as the living roof has suitability and environmental benefits on many levels, while also strengthening aesthetic features and provoking structural innovation. Moreover, drought-prone areas, e.g. Saudi Arabia, have significant household energy demands. The Saudi building sector consumes more than 76% of the country's total electric power generation. As a result, the purpose of this study is to provide a general overview of living roof technology and its potential in Saudi Arabia as an energy-saving strategy. An overview of the building envelope, the impact of cladding design considerations on power usage, the benefits of a living roof, costbenefit analysis, green policies, and examples from other countries are included in the paper. Other environmental benefits, besides the energy-saving potential of living roofs, were shown to boost the quantitative benefits of the living roof idea. A more detailed study is needed, among other things, to evaluate the energy-saving potential of living roofs based on the weather of various locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability as a concept is tackled a lot in contemporary urbanism due to its importance; consequently, this led to the development of global trends toward achieving it. The current research attempts to identify how sustainability could be achieved in urban design and how to comply with the global concerns. This paper tackles the experiences of the global trends toward sustainability concepts in terms of its application by examining a range of contemporary global urban examples. It depends on a comparative analytical assessment using the 'Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Neighborhood Development, LEED-ND' assessment system in order to address the criteria measuring the sustainability indicators for these examples. These criteria are mainly grouped under the following categories: sustainable planning and design, water management, energy management, waste management, transportation and construction materials and resources. The research mainly aims to identify strategies and criteria assisting in achieving sustainability concept and implementation in urbanism at international level and their role in achieving sustainable urban settlements in Saudi Arabia. In order to achieve this aim, the research methodology includes the following: review of the global sustainability assessment tools, review of the 'LEED-ND' assessment system, analytical comparative assessment of 'King Abdullah University of Science and Technology' and 'Masdar City' according to the 'LEED-ND' system as case studies and identifying strategies and criteria that achieve sustainability in urban design and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital health transformation (DHT) has been deployed rapidly worldwide, and many e-health solutions are being invented and improved on an accelerating basis. Healthcare already faces many challenges in terms of reducing costs and allocating resources optimally, while improving provided services. E-solutions in healthcare can be a key enabler for improvements while controlling the budget; however, if the sustainability of those solutions is not assessed, many resources directed towards e-solutions and the cost of adoption/implementation will be wasted. Thus, it is important to assess the sustainability of newly proposed or already in-use e-health solutions. In the literature, there is a paucity of empirically driven comprehensive sustainability models and assessment tools to guide practices in real-world cases. Hence, this study proposes a comprehensive sustainability model for e-health solutions to assess the essential sustainability aspects of e-health solutions and anticipate the likelihood of their sustainability. To build the model, a systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to extract the e-health sustainability dimensions and elements. In addition, the SLR analyzes the existing definitions of sustainability in healthcare and sustainability assessment methods. The proposed sustainability model has five dimensions, namely; technology, organization, economic, social, and resources. Each dimension has aspects that provide another level of required detail to assess sustainability. In addition, an assessment method was developed for this model to assess the aspects of each dimension, resulting in the overall prediction of the e-health solution's sustainability level. The sustainability model and the assessment method were validated by three experts in terms of comprehensiveness and applicability to be used in healthcare. Furthermore, a case study was conducted on a Hospital Information System (HIS) of a hospital in Saudi Arabia to evaluate the sustainability model and its assessment method. The sustainability model and assessment method were illustrated to be effective in evaluating the sustainability of e-solutions and more comprehensive and systematic than the evaluation used in the hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goal 17 of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) attracted attention to the importance of partnerships between governments, the private sector, and nonprofit organizations (NPOs) for sustainable development. This paper aims to analyze the processes of establishing and operating the partnerships between NPOs and other actors in terms of governance. The best practices for partnership governance were examined according to the partnering life cycle framework. A simple random sample of 184 NPOs in six regions of Saudi Arabia was selected for data collection. These organizations were analyzed according to their governance practices in 937 partnerships established during 2016–2018. The findings showed that the organizations had strongly implemented the phases of building and scoping and managing and maintaining, while their governance practices regarding phases of reviewing and revising and sustaining outcomes ranged between moderate and low levels. The results also revealed significant differences between the overall implementation of the partnering life cycle practices and the NPO's year of establishment. It was concluded that analyzing the current situation of implementing the best practices of partnership governance is useful to explore the efficiency and effectiveness of partnerships between NPOs and other actors, as well as the existing policy gaps, so as to create and implement sustainable-oriented partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saudi Arabian citizens, including university students, are in an interesting and precarious situation – they care for sustainability, but their economy thrives because of oil production. This study used an author-developed instrument to briefly explore 135 Saudi university students' (nine disciplines) knowledge, awareness, evaluation and convictions of how to facilitate the nation to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) per Vision 2030 despite living in an oil-based economy. Within this context, the paper then reports 31 female Saudi pre-service teachers' (also university students) experience with and reaction to using inquiry-based learning (IBL) to teach sustainability. Their feedback as emergent educators is invaluable for Saudi initiatives concerned with Education for Sustainability (EfS). Study participants were from Saudi's Eastern Province (convenience and snowball sampling) with data collected in fall 2019. Recommendations include integrating IBL into teacher education, supporting IBL with Saudi cultural and religious practices, and communicating anthropogenic impact to Saudi citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing attention on the role of rapidly growing developing countries in mitigating climate change, especially in curbing the emissions of greenhouse gases. Estimates show that in the year 2011, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from developing countries constituted about 63% of the world's total, compared with only 37% for developed countries. Thus, developing countries must be an integral part of global actions toward combating climate change. In Saudi Arabia, the energy use per capita of 6937.23 kg of oil equivalent in 2014 was 3.6 times the global average and the per capita CO2 emission of 19.53 metric tons was the seventh highest. With sensitive ecosystems, limited freshwater resources and substantial coastal developments, the country is vulnerable to climate change. As such, the country has recently initiated some sustainable urban planning strategies in its major urban centers as part of its climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. However, few studies have assessed the extent of the implementation of the strategies. Based on secondary data analysis, this article found that the implementation of the strategies is at infancy with urban greening, public transportation, and green building projects gradually gaining prominence. The paper recommends more focus on rising building and population density, mandating mixed land uses, as well as public enlightenment and engagement about climate change impacts and energy choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the people's perceptions of sustainable housing in Saudi Arabia using Riyadh as a case study. Riyadh was chosen as a case study for two reasons: it is the capital city of Saudi Arabia and the largest city in the country; and there are no major differences between the characteristics of people in Riyadh and other major Saudi cities. Design/methodology/approach: The questionnaire survey technique was used in this study to achieve the main purpose. The study used descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage) with the aid of the Statistical Package of Social Science Software (SPSS) to analyze the data. Findings: The findings reveal that there is a lack of people's awareness about the sustainable housing. However, it shows a positive response regarding people's willingness to live in sustainable housing in the future as well as to adjust their current houses to be more environmentally friendly houses. Research limitations/implications: The thoughts of stakeholders who are involved in the housing field, including policymakers and real estate developers, are very significant, however, due to the time limitation it has not been explored in this study. Therefore, future research is recommended to investigate the opinions of different stakeholders to have better insights for delivering sustainable housing. Originality/value: The study contributes to exploring the people's perceptions of sustainable housing in Saudi Arabia using Riyadh as a case study. Only a few studies have discussed this issue, so this study was conducted to bridge this research gap and build upon the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explore the industrial environment of petrochemicals and technical textile in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where it links the abundant availability of synthetic polymer, as a "national wealth" of high quality and sustainability standards, with its importance in the technical textile industry. The paper discusses the future trend and economic relevance of polymers and technical textile, as well as the challenges that face this industry in Saudi Arabia. Findings of this research, have pointed out that abundant availability of raw polymers in the Kingdom contributes to accelerating the manufacturing process of technical textile. In addition, it has also indicated that the Kingdom has natural and economic environment, favorable to the technical textile industry that relies on cutting-edge technology which eliminated the need to hire great number of technicians. In addition, the manufacturing process of technical textile now relies on thermal processes instead of water as an alternative to preserve the water wealth, thus, making the Saudi natural and economic environment favorable to this industry. The research has also highlighted the Kingdom's development plans as well as its future vision that aims to promote the petrochemical industries and enhance various respective products, given their economic and investment strength that contributes to the growth of non-oil industries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the relationship between Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and environmental performance improvement within the Saudi chemical industry. Against the backdrop of global sustainability imperatives and Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which promotes sustainability for economic diversification, this research aims to assess the effectiveness of KPIs in driving environmental sustainability practices. The motivation for this study stems from the identified gaps in the systematic implementation and utilisation of KPIs and the lack of awareness regarding certain aspects of environmental impact management within the industry in the Kingdom. The methodology involved a structured survey administered to a diverse range of chemical manufacturing companies, followed by rigorous data analysis using descriptive evaluation, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), reliability analysis, and t-tests. The results revealed insights into pollution areas, KPI utilisation, methods for pollution assessment, alignment with strategic goals, and governance regulations. Descriptive analysis highlighted air quality management as a priority, with notable attention to water and land pollution, while quantitative analysis confirmed the significance of KPIs in driving environmental performance improvement in the area. However, it also unveiled the absence of a systematic approach to implementing and utilising KPIs effectively, coupled with a lack of awareness regarding certain aspects of environmental impact management, consequently leading to uncertainty. Overall, this study contributes to advancing sustainability efforts within the Saudi chemical sector, providing actionable insights for industry stakeholders and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal reclamation for residential, tourism, and commercial developments in the Arabian Peninsula and other global regions has dramatically increased in recent decades. This phenomenon is undoubtedly innovative and novel; however, it disrupts the natural balance of marine environments and degrades coastal and marine resources. Moreover, the long-term sustainability of such developments might be undermined by rising water levels, earthquakes, and the behavior of filling material and others. This paper analyzed the extent of land reclamation in the Dammam Metropolitan Area (DMA) along the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia within the last two decades and its environmental sustainability impacts. The study used satellite images to compare the coastal boundary of the study area from 2000 to 2020. The study analyzed five major reclamation projects and found that a total of 6081 hectares of land has been reclaimed from the Arabian Gulf, thereby altering the coastal profile of DMA significantly. The environmental sustainability implication of these projects includes the degradation and loss of ecosystem services and marine habitat, urban sprawl, and flood risk. Therefore, environmental regulations, such as the strict prohibition of coastal reclamation, and ecosystem-based urban planning, are needed for sustainable coastal land development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saudi Aramco conducted comprehensive a field-testing program of produced water desalination technologies primarily targeted for produced water reuse as process/utility water and other industrial purposes with low total dissolved solids (TDS) (<1,000 mg/L). The main driver for the produced water re-use program was due to, firstly transition from linear model of economic growth, which is based on "take-make-dispose", which is not sustainable to circular economy model supporting "closing the loop" of recovering value from produced water considered waste stream and secondly the conservation of Saudi Arabia's precious non-renewable ground water resources which are currently used for crude washing in desalting across Saudi Aramco. The program will reuse produced water in its oil operations, with potential ground water savings up to several billion gallons annually post implementation and also enable circularity sustainably in its oil operations. The objectives of the program were to evaluate the produced water desalination with minimum 70% recovery factor as performance for two different configurations, that is, desalination of low salinity (TDS) produced water (<15,000 mg/L) and high salinity (TDS) produced water (<120,000 mg/L). A US patent 10,703,989 was also granted for the concept of produced water reuse. Produced water desalination testing was conducted at two different produced water streams in Arab Light crude oil at two different sites with gravities of 36-41 API, to determine the desalination performance and challenges with pre-treatment. Variation in feed conditions such as flow rate, temperature, inlet oil in water concentration and H2S in water, recovery factor were introduced to establish operating envelopes for the produced water desalination systems. The performance of two field produced water desalination technologies was evaluated by determining the salinity (TDS) and oil in water concentration at different operating conditions. Prior to piloting the laboratory bench test were conducted at lab scale to characterize the performance of produced water. The lab test helped identify the challenges during pilot testing and demonstrated that produced water desalination for sustained flow conditions. This paper presents the key results of produced water re-use program along with two field tests as well as the path forward to deployment of these technologies to unlock the value for produced water as resource in circular economy. The implications of this program success extend beyond Saudi Aramco. By increasing produced water reuse in the oil and gas processing, more groundwater will be available for non-industrial applications in Saudi Arabia, which reduces reliance on seawater desalination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The GCC presents a unique model of cooperation in the Middle East region and in the world. This cooperation and coordination was established in 1981 and went through long evolutional process that resulted in engagement of member states in actual and deep integration in different fields and levels. In spite of the contemporary and accelerated evolution of this Council; it has faced different issues and difficulties that threatened its permanence and sustainability, especially in view of the GCC crisis in which Gulf break among Qatar and its neighbours, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain - all U.S. partners - alongside non-Gulf Egypt. This crisis was the first manifestation of the fragmentation of the GCC and constituted the greatest threat to its continuation. It was followed by another and bigger threat to the Council's continuity, which was carried out by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, through their decision of the formation of joint cooperation committee between them. This research paper presents an investigational attempt to shed light on and review some of the prominent researches and literature that studied the GCC nature, its achievements, challenges and prospects, in addition to the literary review of the new alliance between Saudi Arabia and UAE and its expected effect on the GCC from the political analysts and experts' perspective. It was concluded that this alliance could be considered as threatening to the continuity of the GCC and could put the GCC's future at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the application of remote sensing, based on the Vegetation-Impervious surface-Soil (V-I-S) model and spatial metrics, in an urban analysis for promoting sustainability and understanding urban growth theory. In order to improve the accuracy of land-cover classification, spectral angle mapping (SAM), spectral mixture analysis (SMA) and band ratioing were applied on satellite images for land-cover classification and comparison of the discrimination efficiency of these techniques. For the SMA, subsets of the Landsat (2, 3, 4, 5, and 7) and ASTER (1, 2, and 3N) images were selected. After endmember extraction and purification, the Bayesian probability of each component was computed and used for spectral unmixing. The classified images of different years were compared to analyze the changes in land-use and spatial pattern using V-I-S, a form of percentage of landscape (PLAND) and annualized urban sprawl index (AUSI). The result indicates that the performance of band ratioing (69% accuracy) is not as good as that of SAM (75%) and SMA (86%) in discriminating between vegetation and agricultural land. It is concluded from the land-use analysis that the growth dynamics substantiate the urban theory of diffusion and coalescence and urban growth management strategies have not been completely successful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seaport management environment has continually changed over the last few decades due to increasing external pressure for seaports to be more competitive, active, dynamic and growing sustainably. These changes have created the need to manage organisational effectiveness in order to monitor port performance and achieve organisational objectives. While organisational effectiveness has been well known in organisational management and important in port management, its application to the seaport sector is limited. This paper presents exploratory research into critical factors of Saudi Arabian seaports' organisational effectiveness. A Delphi method was applied. Data were collected from a two-round survey of the Saudi Arabian seaports, and interviews of 43 senior staff from Saudi Arabian seaports. A mixed method combining quantitative and qualitative analysis was conducted. A total of thirty-one (31) factors from six different dimensions, namely human resource management, customer service, finance, operation, marketing, research & development, were identified to be influential to OE. The gathered data are no doubt important to seaports because only limited research has been conducted on the application of the organisational effectiveness concept to the seaport sector. Findings of this research regarding selecting and evaluating the most influential factors of OE are relevant to decision makers in managing seaport organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring progress toward water and sanitation provision requires a sharper focus on intranational disparity in access. This paper analyses access levels to electricity, drinking water and sanitation in Saudi Arabia's thirteen provinces from an equity perspective. Substantial disparity in access to piped water and sewerage services exists across the provinces. While access to national electricity grid slightly varies from 98.6% of dwellings in the Eastern province to 95.3 in Hail province, the percentage of dwellings connected to piped water ranged from only 10% in Al-Baha province to 90.1% in the Eastern province. Only 3.6% and 5.0% of dwellings in Al-Baha and Najran provinces respectively were connected to public sewer systems, compared with 77.4% in the Eastern province. The paper concludes that key to more equitable delivery of basic public services in Saudi Arabia is to decentralize infrastructure development to provincial and municipal governments, formulate and implement water and sanitation policies with an emphasis on expanding coverage in the underserved regions and to build decentralized sewer systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geoinformation and Communication Technology (GeoICT) is being increasingly adopted to foster urban sustainability and smart cities. Despite the burgeoning utilization of GeoICT, the development of frameworks of components and guidelines is still at the infancy. This is due to the fact that GeoICT implementations are guided by contextual factors and there is no one size fits all approach. This paper focuses on the topic of leveraging GeoICT for smart sustainable cities by examining the Saudi Arabian experience using information from the literature, government websites, official documents, newspaper articles and personal interviews. This study reviews the definitions, typologies, and frameworks of implementing GeoICT and smart cities. It highlights case studies of smart city development in Saudi Arabia. A comparison of the Saudi case studies with frameworks and practices found in the literature is presented. This paper concludes with policy implications for Saudi Arabia and lessons for GeoICT and smart city development. It is concluded that local context has an influence on the implementation of smart cities, ICT infrastructure is necessary but not sufficient for developing smart cities and blending top-down with bottom-up approaches is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient management of hospital resources is essential for providing high-quality healthcare while ensuring sustainability. Length of stay (LOS), measuring the duration from admission to discharge, directly impacts patient outcomes and resource utilization. Accurate LOS prediction offers numerous benefits, including reducing re-admissions, ensuring appropriate staffing, and facilitating informed discharge planning. While conventional methods rely on statistical models and clinical expertise, recent advances in machine learning (ML) present promising avenues for enhancing LOS prediction. This research focuses on developing an ML-based LOS prediction model trained on a comprehensive real-world dataset and discussing the important factors towards practical deployment of trained ML models in clinical settings. This research involves the development of a comprehensive adult cardiac patient dataset (SaudiCardioStay (SCS)) from the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSH&RC) hospital in Saudi Arabia, comprising 4930 patient encounters for 3611 unique patients collected from 2019 to 2022 (excluding 2020). A diverse range of classical ML models (i.e., Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LGBM), artificial neural networks (ANNs), Average Voting Regression (AvgVotReg)) are implemented for the SCS dataset to explore the potential of existing ML models in LOS prediction. In addition, this study introduces a novel approach for LOS prediction by incorporating a dedicated LOS classifier within a sophisticated ensemble methodology (i.e., Two-Level Sequential Cascade Generalization (2LSCG), Three-Level Sequential Cascade Generalization (3LSCG), Parallel Cascade Generalization (PCG)), aiming to enhance prediction accuracy and capture nuanced patterns in healthcare data. The experimental results indicate the best mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.1700 for the 3LSCG model. Relatively comparable performance was observed for the AvgVotReg model, with a MAE of 0.1703. In the end, a detailed analysis of the practical implications, limitations, and recommendations concerning the deployment of ML approaches in actual clinical settings is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing renewable energy sources to produce hydrogen is essential for promoting cleaner production and improving power utilization, especially considering the growing use of fossil fuels and their impact on the environment. Selecting the most efficient method for distributing power and capacity is a critical issue when developing hybrid systems from scratch. The main objective of this study is to determine how a backup system affects the performance of a microgrid system. The study focuses on power and hydrogen production using renewable energy resources, particularly solar and wind. Based on photovoltaics (PVs), wind turbines (WTs), and their combinations, including battery storage systems (BSSs) and hydrogen technologies, two renewable energy systems were examined. The proposed location for this study is the northwestern coast of Saudi Arabia (KSA). To simulate the optimal size of system components and determine their cost-effective configuration, the study utilized the Hybrid Optimization Model for Multiple Energy Resources (HOMER) software (Version 3.16.2). The results showed that, when considering the minimum cost of energy (COE), the integration of WTs, PVs, a battery bank, an electrolyzer, and a hydrogen tank brought the cost of energy to almost 0.60 USD/kWh in the system A. However, without a battery bank, the COE increased to 0.72 USD/kWh in the same location because of the capital cost of system components. In addition, the results showed that the operational life of the fuel cell decreased significantly in system B due to the high hours of operation, which will add additional costs. These results imply that long-term energy storage in off-grid energy systems can be economically benefited by using hydrogen with a backup system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their strong emotional interest and ownership control, family firm owners significantly influence their firm's strategies and governance, which has consequences for their business sustainability practices. The failure to establish or maintain formal organizational structures, and adopt good governance principles, may hinder family firms in their pursuit of long-term sustainability. This study empirically investigated the impact of corporate governance on family firms' sustainability, with women's empowerment and culture as moderating and mediating factors, respectively. Data for the study were obtained from a sample of 126 family firms from Saudi Arabia. The study adopted the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) method. The study results empirically confirmed that corporate governance is positively associated with women's empowerment, which also assists in achieving business sustainability in family-controlled firms. The adoption of good corporate governance policies, and empowerment of women through their appointment on corporate boards operating in a supportive culture, can reinforce an organization's mission, purpose and strategies, which can create an enabling environment for family business sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic security of each country is determined by array of different factors. Some factors seem obvious and are measurable, while other factors, such as entrepreneurship and, especially social entrepreneurship, are tacit and hard to measure. Anyway, social entrepreneurship is accepted globally as a bridge between business and benevolence. It attempts to find solution to local sustainability issues that are normally not addressed by traditional organizations. The problems faced by the Middle East society in general and Saudi Arabia in particular is unique in nature. Most of such problems cannot be addressed by the Government or the traditional organisations. The utility of social entrepreneurship arises here. There are many social enterprises in Saudi Arabia that have succeeded in nurturing a band of new leaders who are attempting to enhance the region's global competitiveness, with a social touch. The present paper presents a few social entrepreneurs who have made their mark in Saudi society, and provides suggestions for nurturing and sustaining social entrepreneurships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For thousands of years mud houses have represented the practical wisdom and spirituality of people, particularly those of desert regions, who learned how to use local materials to build homes that fitted the environmental and cultural conditions, in which they lived. As a case study, the central region of Saudi Arabia exhibits a tradition of earth architecture that is unique in style, culture and sustainability. Aiming to contribute towards the local debate of the suitability of the traditional mud architecture for today's lifestyle of Saudis, this paper explores the sustainable nature of the traditional adobe architecture of this hot arid region from environmental, social and technical points of view. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Global focus: Clean hydrogen production and utilization. • KSA's commitment: Saudi Green Initiative for net-zero by 2060. • Review: Hydrogen energy, production, storage, and UHS in KSA. • Suitable geologic media: Sandstone reservoirs, sedimentary formations in KSA. Hydrogen (H 2) production and its large-scale utilization as a clean energy source have gained considerable global attention to address the perspective on climate change. Approximately half of the global hydrogen production is achieved through the steam methane reforming (SMR) method. Among various methods, additional energy from renewable sources, particularly wind, and solar, is of great importance for green hydrogen production via electrolysis. A giant depleted gas field can store H 2 to fulfil the domestic energy requirements. In 2021, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) announced the Saudi Green Initiative as one of the key pillars to reach net-zero carbon released by 2060. Aramco has produced and shipped blue ammonia to Japan for hydrogen production to support climate change perspective. The purpose of this paper is to review hydrogen energy in terms of production, transportation, storage, and suitable geologic media for underground hydrogen storage (UHS) technology in the KSA. Notably, the KSA possesses abundant resources and well-established infrastructure, enabling it to efficiently and competitively produce clean hydrogen. We highlight that the production, transportation, storage, and the challenge of leakage are important factors to implement UHS in geologic media. Furthermore, depleted reservoirs composed of sandstone rocks offer lesser challenges in terms of storage capacity and injectivity compared to other types of storage media. The country has large underground reservoirs (igneous and sedimentary rocks) that can be used for hydrogen storage, however, the geological structures need a thorough characterization to ensure economic injectivity and containment security. Specifically, the western region is predominantly composed of igneous rock, and carbon mineralization is highly suitable. In contrast, the eastern part is enriched in sedimentary formations with potential for UHS. This review, including an assessment guideline, helps to understand and advance the deployment of UHS in the KSA and provides a framework for a comprehensive assessment of qualified reservoirs for large-scale storage projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of pesticide residues in agricultural soils is an essential prerogative in maintaining environmental health standards. Intensive vegetable cultivation is practiced in the Al-Kharj area of the eastern Najd region of Saudi Arabia, where excessive applications of agrochemicals are reported to pollute vegetable-growing soils, challenging the sustainable management of soils and groundwater resources. This study aimed to monitor the levels of thirty-two types of pesticide residues in the soils of vegetable fields and the estimated potential health risk for humans due to non-dietary exposure to pesticides in soils in the Al-Kharj region. Pesticide residues were evaluated at 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm depths at 20 sampling sites from Al-Kharj. Gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry, coupled with a quadrupole mass spectrometer with a GC column, was used in the analysis. The results indicated that agrochemical residues show prolonged soil pollution that may cause adverse impacts on human and environment. Herbicides Atrazine, Isoproturpon, and Linuron have been detected in the soils, and these pose many problematic environmental threats. Bromoxynil, Pendimetholin, and Diclofop-methyl could be used as per the recommendations to sustainably manage soil and water resources in the Al-Kharj area. Resmethrin, Methidathion, Ethoprophos, Tetramethrin, Bromophis-methyl, Bifenthion, Permethrin, Fenoxycarb, Cyfluthrin, Phosmet, and Azinophos-methyl can be used safely in the Al-Kharj agricultural area, maintaining sustainable soils and water resources. Applications of Carbaryl require sufficient care, while Endosulfan, Deltamethrin, Lindane, Chlorpyrifos, Chlorpyrifos-methly, Dimethoate, Heptachlor, and Mevinphos, which are detected in soils, require policy guidelines to limit the use to ensure sustainability. Policy interventions need to be formulated to increase the sustainability of soil management and groundwater resources in the Al-Kharj region to ensure the safety of people who are in direct contact with the agrochemicals used and to ensure the safety of agricultural products generated in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability in higher education involves the integration of sustainable principles, practices, and values into the fundamental functions of educational institutions, addressing environmental, social, and economic dimensions. This study aims to evaluate sustainability practices in Saudi higher education institutions, focusing on faculty members' perceptions. The primary objective is to assess the extent of sustainability implementation across academic, research, social, and environmental dimensions in Saudi universities. By leveraging faculty members' insights, the study seeks to identify areas of strength and weakness in current sustainability practices. The research adopts a descriptive and analytical approach, utilizing an electronic questionnaire as the primary data collection tool. A random sample of 275 faculty members from diverse Saudi universities actively participates in the study. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods are applied for data analysis and hypothesis testing. The findings indicate a limited implementation of sustainability practices within Saudi universities across various dimensions, as perceived by faculty members. Weaknesses are identified in academic, research, social, and environmental spheres. The study recommends that universities prioritize sustainability by establishing dedicated committees and drawing inspiration from successful institutions in the field. A clear strategic vision for sustainability is crucial for advancing these practices within higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a wind turbine service sustainability is achieved by assessing grounding grids under steady-state and lightning-based transient conditions. An effective grounding grid is designed concerning IEC61400-24 standard, where Taif city, Saudi Arabia is considered a farming place. However, high soil resistivity is a challenge during the design. To accomplish the study, apparent resistivities are measured using Wenner method, in the field. A framework of multi-layer soil modeling is performed using the Sunde model, and it is optimally solved using the genetic algorithm. Using the optimal stratified soil, the wind turbine grounding system is assessed considering grounding resistances, electric potentials, and step voltages. The break-point effect is evaluated considering the designed grounding system. Then, the lightning-based transient study is investigated for both the healthy grid and break-point considerations. COMSOL Multiphysics and ATP/EMTP were used to accomplish simulations and modeling. The results ensure the effectiveness design of the assessed grounding system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to highlight the shortcoming of the standard macroeconomic framework when environment is ignored in the implementation of traditional policy practices. Many studies have identified pollution by commenting on the damages inflicted on the environment. In response, regulatory policies have been proposed to rectify and address the economic and health impacts. However, there have been very few studies centred on valuing environmental degradation and internalizing the cost of degradation to selected macroeconomic frameworks. The empirical illustration in this paper seeks to demonstrate the ease with which environmental degradation is internalized in a simple Keynesian framework with reference to a leading Gulf State - Saudi Arabia. The analysis of environmental degradation is confined to air shed depreciation in terms of carbon dioxide emissions from greenhouse gases and data is from World Development Indicators for the years 1980 to 2012. By utilizing the Keynesian framework, two income levels can be identified that is, the standard income (Y*) and sustainable income (Y**) which takes into consideration environmental depreciation. It is observed that the Kingdom's environmental depreciation is rising for the time period on a trend basis. One important observation is the clear divergence of Y* and Y** where Y* is overstated relative to Y**. This supports the observation that Saudi Arabia's standard income (Y*) may not be sustainable for future economic development and the Kingdom should employ sustainable income (Y**) to measure economic progress for the formulation of sustainable development policies. There are two key policy implications for the Kingdom from this study. Firstly, the Kingdom should shift away from non-renewables to renewables and whilst the renewables are being assessed for their reliability and feasibility as sources of energy; the immediate priority should focus on enhancing non-renewables efficiency and minimizing environmental degradation. Secondly, environmental capital should be maintained by investing in environmental technologies and reviewing energy options as these could potentially expand the Kingdom's capacity through aggregated expenditure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]