Search results

The concept of smart city has been adopted by various cities across the world. As urbanization is enlarging at a flying pace, the number of cities that engage the smart city concept is to rise, including in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. This chapter discusses issues related to the development of (Islamic) smart cities in the GCC countries to create sustainable well-being through ecological and environmental resilience. This issue starts from the conflict between economic and human development on the one hand and ecological and environmental resilience on the other hand as one of the fundamental challenges of sustainable development. The higher the Human Development Index (HDI),, the higher the ecological footprint. Likewise, in the GCC region, all member countries are classified as Very High Human Development; however, all of these countries have a high ecological footprint. Therefore, through a literature study, this chapter focuses on investigating the development of (Islamic) smart cities in the GCC countries in reducing ecological footprints through a circular economy innovation with the support of technology and a digitally-enabled community in creating ecological and environmental resilience. This chapter provides valuable insight into the implementation of the (Islamic) smart cities in the GCC region in taking a global strategic role in green transition through the circular economy to transform their region toward sustainable well-being and become a symbol of sustainable smart global Islamic civilization.

This review paper aims to provide a comprehensive retrospective analysis of the research landscape in the Halal industry through a threefold approach, including bibliometric analysis, latent theme identification and examination of driving factors of research citations.

A total of 2,510 research documents, identified from the Scopus through a systematic search, were considered for review. The review methods included bibliometric analysis of the domain, application of the machine learning structural topic modeling (STM) to identify latent themes and negative binomial regression to estimate the impact of paper, author and geographical characteristics on citation rates.

In addition to bibliometric insights, the STM uncovered 10 key topics within the Halal industry literature, including certification processes, dietary practices, consumer behavior, ethical considerations, supply chain management, market dynamics, Halal tourism, verification methods, regulatory frameworks and Halal food production and marketing. Positive associations with citation rates were found for abstract length, number of keywords, paper age, number of references, funding, number of authors and international collaboration, while a negative association was observed for authorship from Malaysia.

This paper, besides providing insights into research dynamics and citation patterns, also guides future research avenues in the Halal industry.

This paper aims to assess the economic, environmental, policy-related and social implications of establishing green hydrogen production in Jordan.

The comprehensive analysis has been investigated, including economic assessments, environmental impact evaluations, policy examinations and social considerations. Furthermore, the research methodology encompasses energy demand, sector, security and supply analysis, as well as an assessment of the availability of renewable energy resources.

The results indicate substantial economic benefits associated with green hydrogen production, including job creation, increased tax revenue and a reduction in energy imports. Additionally, the study identifies positive environmental impacts, such as decreased greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Noteworthy, two methods could be used to produce hydrogen, namely: electrolysis and thermochemical water splitting. As a recommendation, the study proposes that Jordan, particularly Aqaba, take proactive measures to foster the development of a green hydrogen industry and collaborate with international partners to exchange best practices and establish the necessary infrastructure.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is among the first to provide a comprehensive perspective on the potential of green hydrogen production as a driving force for Jordan’s economy, while also benefiting the environment and society. However, the research recognizes several challenges that must be addressed to materialize green hydrogen production in Jordan, encompassing high renewable energy costs, infrastructure development requirements and community concerns. Despite these obstacles, the study asserts that the potential advantages of green hydrogen production outweigh the associated risks.

This study investigates the factors influencing citizen attitudes toward e-government services and their effects on the adoption of e-government services in Saudi Arabia. It sheds light on the moderating role of citizen motivation in the relationship between factors influencing citizen attitudes in favor of e-government services and their adoption and usage behavior in the Saudi Arabian context. The study analyzes both the drivers propelling the uptake and the barriers impeding it.

A descriptive research design was employed in this study, which surveyed 487 respondents from Jeddah and Madina cities and the surrounding region. The research identifies key drivers, including cultural factors, digital literacy, government policy and interventions, privacy and security, technical infrastructure, support services and citizen trust, alongside barriers such as concerns about data security and digital literacy.

The findings reveal the complex interplay of these factors in shaping citizen attitudes toward e-government services and their effects on adoption in Saudi Arabia. The study indicates that citizen motivation toward e-government services moderates the relationship between, adoption and usage behavior.

This study contributes valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners by offering a nuanced perspective on e-government service adoption in the Saudi Arabian context. It enhances our understanding of the factors influencing citizen attitudes and their impact on e-government adoption, highlighting the importance of citizen motivation as a moderating factor in this relationship.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the perceived level of Jordanian nurses’ competencies in offering care to the community during a disaster.

A correlational descriptive design was used to assess nurses’ competencies in offering care for the community during a disaster.

A total of 370 nurses (55 % males) aged 25−55 agreed to participate. The mean score of competencies of nurses who offer care to the community during the disaster was 2.11 (SD = 0.59) points. The results of correlation coefficient tests revealed a significant positive correlation between stated competencies level and nurses’ sex, receiving disaster education and training with rpb (371) = 0.13, p < 0.01; rpb (598) = 0.15, p = 0.004; rpb (598) = 0.21, p < 0.001, respectively. Furthermore, the “care of communities” subscale had a weak positive correlation with the.

Nurses play a critical role in disaster response. However, there was a gap in nurses’ competencies for disaster, which shows there is a crucial need to include disaster management courses in the nursing curriculum and update disaster management courses in hospitals based on nurses’ needs to improve their competencies during disasters.

This paper aims to identify the extent to which extreme events in the tourism and hospitality sector force artisan entrepreneurs to re-orient their entrepreneurial identity and how they respond to these extreme events.

The empirical data comprises of semi-structured interviews with 24 artisan entrepreneurs in Egypt, operating in the following fields: handmade dresses, carpets, papyrus design and sales. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse these interviews.

The findings indicate a marginal effect on the identity of dress-making artisans from the occurrence of extreme events because they mostly have a stable local demand for their products. Hence, they follow a separation strategy in response to extreme events. The findings further show a moderate influence on the identity of carpet-making artisans who supply a regular demand from mosques and churches for their carpets. At the same time, changing taste and the rise of artificial intelligence make them follow an integration strategy in response to extreme events and associated shocks. The strongest impact of extreme events is found on papyrus artisans who have been forced to re-orient their traditional working methods and expectations in response to extreme events (e.g. a decrease in tourists, Covid-19, the war in Ukraine). Papyrus artisans have no discernible local demand for their products and face decreasing tourist numbers and tough competition from Chinese products, while also lacking discernible government support.

This paper is one of the pioneering studies to link artisan entrepreneurship specific entrepreneurial identity dynamics with extreme events in a local context. This linkage significantly fills a gap in both entrepreneurship, tourism and management literature.

Digital health or digital healthcare, is a broad, multidisciplinary concept that includes concepts from an intersection between technology and healthcare. Digital health applies digital transformation to the healthcare field, incorporating software, hardware and services. The usefulness of digital health technologies such as digital contact tracing apps (CTAs) depends deeply on the acceptance to use them. Accordingly, the main purpose of this study is to explore the usage of CTAs by integrating the protection motivation theory (PMT) and technology acceptance model (TAM) in the Jordanian context.

Partial least squares structural equation modelling was employed to test empirically the integrated research model against data collected from 420 respondents, leading to the identification of the important determinants for the usage of CTAs.

The results reveal that perceived severity and perceived vulnerability have a significant positive impact on the perceived need for CTAs, which, in turn, affects the individuals’ intention to use CTAs. It also reveals that perceived trust in government, perceived privacy and perceived usefulness have a significant positive impact on individuals’ intention to use CTAs, which, in turn, affects the usage of CTAs. In contrast, perceived ease of use did not find any significant relationship, and hence hypothesis H7 was not supported. Lastly, social media awareness has a significant positive impact on perceived usefulness and ease of use.

This study is considered among the first studies in the Jordanian context that integrate the PMT and TAM to gain a better understanding of the critical determinants for the acceptance and usage of CTAs in the context of pandemics.

This paper aims to analyze the scientific trend of research on Islamic banking sustainability (IBS) through a bibliometric study. In particular, the paper extensively investigates all the articles issued through the Scopus database regarding the IBS.

The authors discovered 76 papers that met the function, subject and set requirements by using the phrase IBS. The authors used VOSviewer as an analytical tool and the Scopus website.

IBS publications were found in the period 2005–2022, and the publication trend of IBS research demonstrates that it is growing exponentially after 2018. Malaysia is the leading country in terms of productive authors, universities, number of documents, citations and collaboration research on IBS. The current research trends are summarized into five cluster maps for future research directions: sustainability measurement, sustainability practices, risk and governance, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and IBS theory. The Maqashid al Shariah approach conceptually influences the framework for constructing the dimensions and indicators used to measure the IBS.

The authors retrieved data for their research from the Scopus database; using other databases might result in totally different research patterns with this IBS bibliometric research.

The research encompasses valuable implications for Islamic banking as it offers valuable insights on how to assess the performance of IBS. Particularly, it contributes to identifying the dimensions and indicators needed to measure IBS performance. Furthermore, this research provides strategic initiatives to promote sustainable practices in Islamic banking in terms of green financing taxonomy, services, operations, risk management and governance.

This research is valuable for other scholars as it offers a foundation for the future growth of IBS research, focusing on important sustainability clusters obtained from selected reputable journals. This research is beneficial for regulators in enhancing the roadmap for establishing and enhancing long-term IBS with impacts on socio-economic, environmental and governance.

The study presents a concise review of the bibliometric study in IBS and provides recommendations for future research directions in cluster mapping of themes and subthemes. There is still insufficient research that examines the IBS, in particular, complete insights into the IBS literature review.

This paper aims to validate and adapt the Arabic version of Holden Communication Scale (HCS) for assessing communication skills among old people with dementia in care home.

A study involving 210 elderly residents from Jordanian care homes was conducted, where they completed the Arabic version of the HCS. Internal consistency and factor analysis techniques were precisely used to assess the scale's reliability. Additionally, cognitive function evaluation used the Arabic iteration of the Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS) questionnaire, while communication skills were comprehensively appraised using the HCS.

The Arabic HCS has strong content validity, with a one-component structure accounting for 60% of the variation and a three-factor structure accounting for 77.2% of the variance. The original three-subgroup structure of the scale was recreated, and internal consistency varied from 0.85 to 0.87, indicating good reliability.

This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the HCS among old people with dementia residing in care homes. The authors conducted examination of its psychometric properties within this unique population.

This study aims to examine magnetohydrodynamic mixed convective phenomena and entropy generation within a semicircular porous channel, incorporating impinging jet cooling and the effects of thermal radiation. The present study analyzes the complex flow dynamics and heat transfer characteristics of a highly diluted 0.1% (volume) concentration Cu–Al₂O₃/water hybrid nanofluid, based on findings from previous studies. The investigation is intended to support the development of effective thermal management systems across diverse industries, such as cooling of electronic devices and enhanced energy system applications.

This study incorporates a heated curved bottom wall and a cooling jet of Cu–Al₂O₃/water hybrid nanofluid impinging from the central top inlet, with two horizontal exit ports along the rectangular duct. Finite element-based simulations are conducted using COMSOL Multiphysics, using a single-phase homogeneous model justified by earlier works. This method uses experimental data of effective thermal conductivity and viscosity, emphasizing the evaluation of thermal performance in scenarios involving intricate geometries and multiphysical conditions. The study analyzes nondimensional variables such as Reynolds number (Re), modified Rayleigh number (Ra_m), Hartmann number (Ha), Darcy number (Da) and radiation parameter while maintaining a constant nanofluid volume fraction. A grid independence study and code validation were performed to ensure numerical accuracy.

The analysis indicates that elevated Re contribute to a lessening in the thermal boundary layer thickness, prompting flow separation and significantly amplifying the average Nusselt number. The mixed convective heat transfer enhancement, coupled with an overall reduction in total entropy generation, diminishes with a rising Ha. However, optimized combinations of higher values for modified Ra_m and Da yield improved heat transfer performance, particularly pronounced with increasing Ha. Radiative heat transfer exerts a detrimental impact on both heat transfer and entropy production.

While the single-phase model captures key macroscopic effects differentiating nanofluids from base fluids, it does not provide insights at the nanoparticle level. Future studies could incorporate two-phase models to capture particle-level dispersion effects. In addition, experimental validation of the findings would strengthen the study’s conclusions.

This work represents innovative perspectives on the development of efficient hydrothermal systems, accounting for the influences of thermal radiation, porous media and hybrid nanofluids within a complex geometry. The results offer critical insights for enhancing heat transfer efficiency in real-world applications, especially in sectors demanding advanced cooling solutions.