The Glass Web: Kinship Networks, Female Executives and Firm Outcomes in the Middle East

: GCC (Lower Oil Prices and Economic Cooperation between Korea and the Middle East)

Interpreting mortality trends in the GCC countries: The healthy migrant effect

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

In the GCC countries, date-palm sector is strategically important for the economic, social and environmental development. Therefore, markets globalization has had a huge impact on the comparative advantages of date exports from the GCC countries, highlighting a new range of necessary determinants for competitiveness of these countries on the international date palm date market. The current study is conducted in the framework of the “Development of sustainable date palm production systems in the GCC countries of the Arabian Peninsula” project funded by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and led by the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), and aims to provide updated estimates of competitiveness indicators of the GCC countries on the international market of date palm.The study starts by a summary description of updated figures concerning date’s production, yields, and consumption trends of the different GCC countries. This first part of the research paper also includes a presentation of the date trade matrix (destinations of exports and imports) of the considered countries. In a second part of this section, a set of competitiveness indicators were calculated to better reflect on the date trade balances performances of each of the GCC countries. The measures of competitiveness indicators conducted in this paper include: i) the Market Share (MS); ii) the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA); and iii) the Trade Balance Index (TBI). The Market share indicator was used to identify size advantages and the degree of specialization of a given country on the international market of a given commodity. The RCA has been defined as a measure of performance of international trade competitiveness of a given country for a given commodity. The TBI is used to analyze whether a country has specialization in export (as net-exporter) or in import (as net-importer) for a specific group of products. Data from both FAOSTAT and UN COMTRADE sources was used for the calculation of these indicators. Empirical findings show that GCC and North African countries are holding more than 70% of the international market of dates. The sum of market shares of the 6 GCC countries was about 30% of the international date market during 2015. This is showing that these countries together have strong potential for dominating the international date market. In terms of growth, it was clear that all GCC countries, including the least present on the international market are progressing quite positively with increasing shares from one year to another. In terms of RCA, the highest RCA value was recorded for Saudi Arabia (KSA). It was for about 43.5 in 2013, indicating that the country date export share for 2013 is 43.5% higher than its share in total world export of agricultural goods. Finally, TBI results show the existence of structural differences between KSA and UAE in terms of dates export and import patterns. These two countries are both the main players in date export in the GCC area. However, even though UAE is a net exporter of date palm, which its TBI is much lower than the TBI of KSA, showing that UAE is also importing a higher proportion of its exported dates compared to KSA. The date trade patterns among the GCC countries shows that there is a wide scope of coordination between the different trade strategies of these countries, through specialization and division of tasks. This can generate important opportunities for gaining more weight on the world market of dates.

The Glass Web: Kinship Networks, Female Executives, and Firm Outcomes in the Middle East

Although the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries are geographically in Asia, they are closely connected to the US and the West in terms of their strategic alignment. The focus of their relations with Asian countries has been on matters related directly to oil and the liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade and investment. They do not participate in most of the regional organizations in Asia (whether in East Asia or in South and Southeast Asia), whereas some other Middle Eastern countries, such as Turkey, Iran and Israel, are active in these organizations. Even after 2013 when the big shift in the structure of international trade occurred and when, for the first time, China replaced the European Union as the GCC’s main trade partner, they still showed little interest in political/strategic links with Asian countries. The author believes that, although it is important that the GCC countries maintain strong relations with Western countries, they should also strengthen their political, security and cultural ties with Asian countries. This would cohere with their strategic interests in the emerging global order. They should initiate such a move by endeavouring to build strong relations with the regional organizations (security, economic and political) in Asia, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). These organizations can serve as stepping-stones to developing closer relations with the states of the region. The mission of the SCO, in particular, aligns well with the interests of the GCC, because it covers a wide range of issues which are of concern to GCC countries such as security and stability, energy, economic cooperation, combating terrorism and extremism, conflict resolution, disaster management, civilizational and religious dialogue and combating epidemics. This article discusses the importance of the SCO to the Gulf countries and explores the reasons why they have so far kept aloof from the organization. Possible challenges arising from cooperation will also be covered. The article concludes with some recommendations for how cooperation between the SCO and the GCC could be developed.

The prospective cohort Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) initiated data collection in national samples of hemodialysis (HD) units (total of 41 study sites) in all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) in late 2012. Here, we report initial results regarding mineral bone disorders (MBDs) and its management in the GCC countries. Forty-one randomly selected HD facilities, treating >23 HD patients each, were sampled and represent care for >95% of GCC HD patients. Descriptive results for the GCC countries based on a random sample of 20-30 HD patients in each study facility. Initial results for the GCC are from 931 HD patients treated at 41 dialysis units (ranging from 1 unit in Bahrain to 21 in Saudi Arabia). Results are presented as weighted estimates, accounting for the sampling fraction in each unit. Baseline descriptive statistics (e.g., mean, median, or percentage), weighted by facility sampling fraction were calculated for the study sample. For analyses examining the percent of facility patients having (a) serum phosphorus >6.0 mg/dL or (b) parathyroid hormone (PTH) >600 pg/mL, analyses were restricted to facilities having at least 10 HD patients with a reported serum phosphorus or PTH measurement, respectively. Logistic regression analyses of the indicated binary outcomes were based on the use of generalized estimating equations and were adjusted for GCC country, patient age category (<45 years, 45-65 years, and >65 years old), sex, and whether the patient was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. Logistic models accounted for clustering of patients within facilities, assuming an exchangeable working correlation matrix. Mean age of HD patients in the GCC countries was 53 years vs. 61-64 years in the three other DOPPS regions. MBD markers showed slightly lower mean serum Calcium in the GCC countries, similar mean serum phosphorus, and intermediate median PTH levels compared with the three other DOPPS regions. Among GCC countries, the country mean value of MBD markers ranged from 8.6-9.0 mg/dL for serum calcium, 4.4-5.4 mg/dL for serum phosphorus, whereas median PTH ranged from 163-389 pg/mL. Similar to other DOPPS regions, PTH was higher among patients who were younger or without diabetes, and serum phosphorus was lower with older age (P <0.001 for each). History of parathyroidectomy was lower in the GCC countries versus other regions but did not differ when adjusted for age and dialysis vintage. Among treatments used for managing MBD, the GCC countries showed one of the highest uses of cinacalcet (24%) and phosphorus binder use (81%), whereas intravenous Vitamin D use (24%) was slightly higher than that in EURANZ. A much larger fraction of HD patients in the GCC countries had a dialysate calcium bath ≥3.5 mEq/L (43%) versus 0-4% in the three other DOPPS regions. Although many aspects of MBD management and MBD marker achievement are similar in the GCC countries to that seen in other DOPPS study regions, large variability was seen across countries and facilities in the GCC. Mean serum calcium was lower in the GCC despite the much greater use of dialysate Ca of ~3.5 mEq/L which may be due to the relatively low use of vitamin D and higher cinacalcet use, meriting further study. Future work will focus on GCC facility HD practices and patient characteristics most strongly related to the achievement of MBD target levels and associated outcomes.

BackgroundAsthma control is influenced by multiple factors. These factors must be considered when appraising asthma interventions and their effectiveness in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates [UAE]). Based on published studies, the most prevalent asthma treatment in these countries are fixed dose combinations (FDC) of inhaled corticosteroid and long-acting beta-agonist (ICS/LABA). This study is a rapid review of the literature on: (a) factors associated with asthma control in the GCC countries and (b) generalisability of ICS/LABA FDC effectiveness studies.MethodsTo review local factors associated with asthma control and, generalisability of published ICS/LABA FDC studies, two rapid reviews were conducted. Review 1 targeted literature pertaining to asthma control factors in GCC countries. Eligible studies were appraised, and clustering methodology used to summarise factors. Review 2 assessed ICS/LABA FDC studies in conditions close to actual clinical practice (i.e. effectiveness studies). Eligibility was determined by reviewing study characteristics. Evaluation of studies focused on randomised controlled trials (RCTs). In both reviews, initial (January 2018) and updated (November 2019) searches were conducted in EMBASE and PubMed databases. Eligible studies were appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) checklists.ResultsWe identified 51 publications reporting factors associated with asthma control. These publications reported studies conducted in Saudi Arabia (35), Qatar (5), Kuwait (5), UAE (3), Oman (1) and multiple countries (2). The most common factors associated with asthma control were: asthma-related education (13 articles), demographics (11articles), comorbidities (11 articles) and environmental exposures (11 articles). Review 2 identified 61 articles reporting ICS/LABA FDC effectiveness studies from countries outside of the GCC. Of these, six RCTs were critically appraised. The adequacy of RCTs in informing clinical practice varied when appraised against previously published criteria.ConclusionsAsthma-related education was the most recurring factor associated with asthma control in the GCC countries. Moreover, the generalisability of ICS/LABA FDC studies to this region is variable. Hence, asthma patients in the region, particularly those on ICS/LABA FDC, will continue to require physician review and oversight. While our findings provide evidence for local treatment guidelines, further research is required in GCC countries to establish the causal pathways through which asthma-related education influence asthma control for patients on ICS/LABA FDC therapy.

Sickle Cell Health Awareness, Perspectives, and Experiences (SHAPE) Survey: Findings on the Burden of Sickle Cell Disease and Impact on the Quality of Life of Patients and Caregivers in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

In the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, liberal economic policies of the government have created an economic structure that is highly dependent on an expatriate workforce, thus marginalizing the citizens in terms of the economy and demography. This chapter deals with questions such as “If the profit motive of the private sector is leading to possible social crises in the GCC countries, what is the CSR of the private sector?” and “How are the six GGC governments positioned in influencing CSR?” With an overview of business and its social responsibility in the GCC countries, this chapter undertakes a case study of CSR in the UAE. It shows that social responsibility of business entities in the GCC countries is limited to complying with the corporate governance reporting regulations of the government. The chapter, however, concludes that because the economic and political power structures are entwined (being connected to the social and tribal systems), the GCC governments can influence the business community only through persuasion, not legislation. Therefore, it is unlikely that the character and extent of CSR in the GCC countries will change any time soon.

In terms of natural water resources, the GCC countries are ranked among the poorest and least secure in the world. During the past 50 years, and as a result of the oil boom, these countries have relied almost entirely on seawater desalination (reliance on desalination to produce freshwater in the GCC countries ranges from 50−90%) to meet the freshwater needs of the various consumption sectors. However, such reliance on desalination comes at a very high price. The extremely high capital and operational costs of seawater desalination have weighed heavily on the financial resources of these countries at the expense of other developmental plans and strategies. For example in Kuwait, the government spends 1.3 billion KD (US$4.55 billion) annually to operate and maintain water desalination and energy production plants. According to a recent study conducted by the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), Kuwait currently uses about 12% of its oil production to provide the fuel needed to operate these plants. This percentage is expected to increase to about 50% by 2050 (El-Sayed et al. 2010). In addition to the high financial burden, these plants pose a serious environmental threat in terms of gaseous emissions into the atmosphere (for example, seawater desalination and power generation plants in Kuwait emit 230 metric tons of nitrogen, sulphur and carbon annually into the atmosphere; El-Sayed et al. 2010). Furthermore, these plants are vulnerable to unexpected shutdowns and/or periodic maintenance, particularly in cases of seawater pollution, environmental catastrophes and war. Therefore, the GCC countries should relentlessly explore all possible avenues to find additional sources of freshwater supplies to meet the increasing demand. Despite its limited quantities and mostly poor quality, groundwater is an indispensable source of water for the GCC countries. It is used for blending with desalinated water to make it potable, as well as in numerous agricultural and some oil-related activities (with the need to enhance recovery and to produce heavy oil reserves, oil companies in the GCC countries are relying more and more on injecting either groundwater or steam produced from it into the oilbearing aquifers to increase their pressure and/or the mobility of oil, thereby increasing the quantity of oil produced). The aforementioned activities have resulted in a significant drop in the groundwater levels and deterioration of its quality. Treated wastewater is one of the emerging water resources in the GCC countries. Dependence on this source of water has increased significantly, particularly during the past few years. The produced water is used for agricultural and landscaping purposes as well as various non-potable activities. Despite the fact that this source of water is the only source that increases with the increase in population, its utilization has been constrained by the “impure” stigma attached to it.

India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have age old relations. Indians and people from these countries have frequently travelled to each other’s countries for trade as well as other activities. Indians have been traced in GCC countries for a long time. Indians going to those countries for business, work and other purposes have been a very old phenomenon. Even in pre-oil era, thousands of Indians went to earn a livelihood in GCC countries and many of them settled there forever. However, Indians going to work on a massive scale to these countries is a post-1973 oil era phenomena. The massive inflow of oil revenues consequent to the high rise in global oil price saw unprecedented level of economic development in these countries. However, such development required massive level of manpower, which these countries did not have and this is why these countries are characterized as capital rich labour scarce countries. The economic development in post-1973 oil era in these countries resulted in large scale import of manpower from abroad. As Indians were not new to these lands, the Indian workers also started migrating to these countries in search of employment and better life. Today Indians are present in each sector of economies of GCC countries. Millions of Indian migrant workers abound the GCC countries and contribute their bit in building those economies. However, this benefits them also as well as the Indian economy. These Indian migrant workers are crucial for both Indian as well as GCC countries. This study is a detailed probe into this phenomenon.

This study seeks to explore the initiatives of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to launch smart cities through developing a framework of smart cities consisting of five pillars namely: infrastructure, health and primary education, technological readiness, innovation and finally, macroeconomic environment. These five pillars are measured using data collected from the Global Competitiveness Report over ten years from 2009 to 2018. Concerning the first pillar, the infrastructure pillar, the results show that the GCC countries achieved a global advanced rank among 138 countries although there is a relative stability in the trend of the rank of the GCC countries during the study period from 2009 to 2018. However, the results reveal that there is an improvement in the rank of the GCC countries in two more pillars which are macroeconomic environment and health and primary education during the study period. Concerning technological readiness and innovation pillars, the GCC countries achieved significant improvement and progress in the trend of their global rank among 138 countries in the world. Furthermore, there is a rapid increase in the GCC countries in adopting modern technology. Finally, it can be argued that the GCC countries have initiatives and basic foundations to launch smart cities.

BackgroundThere is a worldwide shortage of health care workers. This problem is particularly severe in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries because of shortages in certain medical disciplines, due to a lack of nationally-trained professionals and a less developed educational system compared to other high income countries. Consequently, GCC countries are heavily dependent on an expatriate health care workforce; a problem exacerbated by high turnover. We discuss challenges and potential strategies for improving and strengthening capacity building efforts in health care professions in the GCC.Main textIn the GCC, there are 139 schools providing professional health education in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, midwifery, and other specialties. Health education school density reported for the GCC countries ranges between 2.2 and 2.8 schools per one million inhabitants, except in Oman where it is 4.0 per one million inhabitants. The GCC countries rely heavily on expatriate health professionals. The number of physicians and nurses in the GCC countries are 2.1 and 4.5 per 1000 respectively, compared to 2.8 and 7.9 among member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Interestingly, the number of dentists and pharmacists is higher in the GCC countries compared to OECD countries. A nationally trained health care workforce is essential for the GCC countries. Physiotherapy and occupational therapy are two identified areas where growth and development are recommended. Custom-tailored continuing medical education and continuing professional development (CPD) programs can augment the skills of health practitioners, and allow for the expansion of their scope of practice when warranted.ConclusionCapacity building can play an essential role in addressing the major health challenges and improving the overall quality of health care in the region. Efforts aimed at increasing the number of locally-trained graduates and developing and implementing need-based CPD programs are vital for capacity building and lifelong learning in health care professions.

Purpose This paper aims to examine the level of Islamic social reporting (ISR) disclosure of Islamic banking in Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) countries using a checklist based on Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institution (AAOIFI) standards. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative method – Tobit Model – is adopted in this study. The unweighted disclosure method used to measure the ISR disclosure checklist consist of 51 items in Islamic banks (IBs) in the GCC countries. The stakeholder theory and legitimacy theory are used to investigate the possible banking performance factors affecting the accounting practices such as ISR disclosure in IBs. Findings The findings show that the ISR disclosure index is linked to the IBs’ performance indicators in GCC countries. The result indicates both Islamic banking profitability and age establish positive and statistically significant relationship with ISR disclosure while leverage establishes significant negative relationship with ISR disclosure. This implies that Islamic banking profitability, leverage, and age are essential bank performance indicators that make ISR disclosure worthy of doing even in the presence of Islamic bank stakeholders in GCC countries. This finding linked compliance with the mandatory disclosure recommendations of AAOIFI Standard No. 7, as well as voluntary disclosure. Research limitations/implications This study used cross sectional data for the year 2019, which is considered more recent despite its being a year data analysis. However, future research should consider mix method as well as more analysis tools provided their number of observations are sufficient enough. Social implications The study identifies the factors that may enhance Islamic financial institutions, including Islamic banking in GCC countries, to comply with ISR disclosure. The application of this study supports Accounting standards setters to consider standards that support ISR disclosure in Islamic banking in different countries. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is novel in exploring the level of ISR disclosure in Islamic banking in GCC countries by using a checklist based on AAOIFI standard No. 7 and establishes the relationship between ISR disclosure index and IBs profitability, leverage, as well as age of Islamic banking in operation.