Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council Research Articles

Assessing the Need for Pediatric Palliative Care in the Six Arab Gulf Cooperation Council Countries.

Palliative care is an essential element of universal health coverage. However, palliative care services, particularly pediatric palliative care (PPC) services, are still inadequately developed in many countries, not least members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates). Advocating for palliative care services requires data-driven estimates of the number of patients needing these services. To estimate the number of children living with life-threatening illnesses in the GCC countries requiring specialist and/or generalist palliative care service provision. Descriptive analysis of published cross-sectional epidemiological data. Subjects were from general and age-specific populations from individual GCC countries. The quantitative data on child population and mortality were collected from 2019 primary and secondary data sources. The need for PPC was estimated using mortality, incidence, and prevalence data from the Institute for Health Metrics and the Global Cancer Observatory. Our conservative analysis revealed that just under 22,000 children needed PPC in GCC countries in 2019, a minimum of 17.5 for every 10,000 children. There is a significant need for PPC services, suggesting that the medical needs of the pediatric population are currently not being fully met. Nationwide PPC services are essential to improve the quality of life of thousands of children in GCC countries by changing policies, professional education, and providing funding to palliative programs. To our best knowledge, this is the first study to highlight the clear and urgent need for the development of PPC services in the GCC countries.

Turkey’s security role in the Gulf region: exploring the case of a newcomer

ABSTRACT This study explores Turkey as a newcomer to Gulf security. It addresses why Turkish decision-makers want Turkey to play an elevated security role in the Gulf. It offers a holistic yet detailed outlook of Turkey’s potential enhanced security role and develops a systematic argument that assesses Ankara's aspiration, will, and capacity to play such a role. Finally, it adopts a comparative perspective to show how the regional actors (Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and Iran) might perceive an enhanced Turkish security role in the Gulf; and where Turkey stands vis-à-vis the capacity of other extra-regional actors (the U.S., China, India, and Russia) concerning Gulf security.

The Challenges in Diagnosis and Management of Acquired Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura: Consensus Report from Three Gulf Countries.

Acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (aTTP) is a rare hematological emergency characterized by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, fever, and multiorgan failure due to autoimmune-mediated deficiency in ADAMTS-13 activity. Currently, plasma exchange, with or without steroids, is the frontline option for the management of aTTP. The treatment should be started promptly once the disorder is clinically suspected. Besides, immunomodulators were studied in patients with aTTP to achieve stable remission and reduce the risk of relapse in patients with suboptimal response to plasma exchange; however, clinical trials showed equivocal results. Published data on early diagnosis, referral, and treatment patterns of aTTP patients in the member nations of the Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are still lacking. Therefore, the present consensus report aimed to present an overview of aTTP situation in GCC by bringing together a panel of experts from three GCC nations, to share their views on current trends and practices regarding aTTP. The experts discussed challenges including the lack of reliable data regarding the incidence of aTTP in GCC and delayed results of ADAMTS-13 activity testing. Limited patient access to tertiary centers and low level of awareness about the aTTP clinical spectrum among general practitioners are other challenges. The experts agreed that there is a need for national and regional consensus regarding the diagnosis and treatment of aTTP in the Gulf region.

Wholesome Coin: A pHealth Solution to Reduce High Obesity Rates in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries Using Cryptocurrency

Obesity is considered one of the leading causes of chronic and noncommunicable diseases; these include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. The obesity prevalence is threefold higher in the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) population than the rest of the world and leaves healthcare providers within the region with no alternative than to offer continuous and sustainable healthcare services. Obesity prevention would be more economical for governments than providing treatment. Preventing obesity is challenging because it requires motivating individuals to live a healthy lifestyle. Personal health (pHealth) has recently been actively involved in finding solutions to encourage healthy living. However, pHealth does not address the high percentage of people lacking the desire to maintain healthy living plans, which could have a negative effect on attempts aimed at reducing obesity prevalence. This study sheds light on the challenges faced by the GCC governments in reducing high obesity rates using pHealth; we propose a solution, Wholesome Coin, which incorporates advanced technologies to help governments reduce high obesity rates. Wholesome Coin has two components: one uses wearable IoT (WIoT) to help patients manage their behavior by tracking their physical activities and diet, and the other utilizes blockchain technology to help healthcare payers to incentify patients to maintain a healthy living plan by awarding digital coins that can be redeemed for real goods and services. GCC governments’ adoption of Wholesome Coin could improve the quality of life of obese patients in a seamless, secure, and self-motivated manner, resulting in a healthier tomorrow, especially amid challenging times featuring global social distance campaigns.

Navigating the digital revolution and crisis times: humanitarian and innovation-inspired leadership through the pandemic

PurposeThis article examines the leadership vision, values and vigilance of an emerging markets logistics firm in managing customer and humanitarian concerns and critical supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study explores how an emerging markets firm has contributed to global supply chain mobility and vaccine distribution in the pandemic – keeping cargo moving – drawing on vision, values and vigilance, including attention to the innovation momentum of the firm.Design/methodology/approachThe article concentrates on an exemplar firm, leader and management team to illustrate challenges of helmsmanship during the pandemic for an emerging markets firm, Agility, that operates worldwide in numerous developed and developing economy markets. The article develops a case study analyzing how Agility has met the simultaneous challenges for innovation and transformation in the digital revolution and navigation through the crisis times of the global pandemic. The analysis derives from direct management communications, corporate documents and media sources.FindingsThe vision, values and vigilance of the leadership, with emphasis on digital innovations and disruptions, digital supply chains, humanitarian partnerships, focusing both globally and on emerging markets, and nurturing smaller as well as larger businesses, have enabled the firm to thrive. Given the importance of global supply chains during COVID-19, Agility is a pivotal example of partnering with governments and pharmaceutical companies worldwide in delivering the new array of vaccines, as well as personal protective equipment and other medical supplies, in the battle against the pandemic. Agility in addition illustrates the strategic value of partnering with other logistics firms in humanitarian collaborations as well as in business strategy transactions.Research limitations/implicationsThe article contributes to the emergent research stream on leadership, innovation and internationalization in the Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council and Middle East North Africa (GCC/MENA) region and more generally on the strengths and proficiencies of emerging market firms and leaders. Future research could examine additional firms, industries or regions of the world during the pandemic or other crisis contexts. Further data sources and analyses can be used in validating and extending the findings.Practical implicationsDigital supply chains, humanitarian partnerships and an emphasis on digital communications, storage and transportation innovations can benefit firms from all regions of the world during the global pandemic and other crises, as well as in normal operations.Social implicationsEmerging markets represent the majority of global population and economic growth, as well as of pandemic cases and mortality risk, signifying the importance of leadership, collaboration and innovation around issues such as vaccine delivery into emerging markets regions of the world.Originality/valueThe article takes a revelatory case perspective in the pandemic crisis context from a unique foundation of immersive field research and data access in the GCC/MENA) region.

Prevalence and reasons of increased type 2 diabetes in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries.

Arab Gulf Cooperation Council countries are considered as one of the most regions exhibiting a high prevalence of diabetes including the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and United Arab of Emirates, which have similar population characteristics (for example, religion, language, lifestyle, diet, and income). The frequency rate of diabetes in these countries ranged from 8 to 22% according to the last International Diabetes Federation (IDF) report. Many factors impact the prevalence in this region including obesity, unhealthy lifestyle, increased life expectancy, increased healthcare expenditures, increased the incidence of type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) among children and young persons, and genetic susceptibility. This study aims to review the published papers on the incidence of T2DM and explore the most reasons behind elevated incidence of T2DM in these countries.

Assessment of nutritional quality of snacks and beverages sold in university vending machines: a qualitative assessment

PurposeVending machines (VMs) provide quick access for snack foods and beverages for students during their study days. These vended foods have been reported to affect the student's nutritional status and contributing to obesity by increasing the caloric intake. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional value of snacks and beverages provided by VM at the university campuses.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional observational study in one large urban university with four campuses was conducted. In total, 55 VMs were found distributed over 50 buildings of the four university campuses. Of the vending slots surveyed, only 57 snacks and beverage food items were found repeated. These items were vended and analyzed using nutrient databases, and their nutritional quality was assessed using nutrient adequacy ratio and nutritional quality score.FindingsMost vended snacks were salty (77%) and sweet (23%). Neither snacks nor beverages were nutrient-dense, and the majority (65%) of snacks and beverages were calorie-dense, with high contents of sugar, sodium and saturated fat; while they were low in vitamins C and A, calcium, iron, sodium, protein and dietary fibers. None of the vended beverages met the low calorie, low sugars and high-fiber criteria.Research limitations/implicationsOne limitation of the current work is represented in the fact that VM snacks and beverages are not fixed throughout the year days, and exposed to continuous changes, depending on the customers' attitudes and economic and financial considerations related to the operating contractor company and the customer students. Thus, a continuous, long-term evaluation is suggested to be conducted for a more representative and reflective evaluation of the nutritional quality of vended snacks and beverages.Practical implicationsPoor nutritional quality has been found for vended foods. Healthier food options should be provided to improve students' dietary intake.Social implicationsAttention has to be directed toward the nutritional quality of VM foods, and how to provide adolescents and young adults with healthy options.Originality/valueThis is the first study conducted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC) assessing the nutritional value of vending machine foods in university settings.

Depressive disorders in the Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council countries: a literature review.

ObjectiveTo determine the contributions from the six Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to the national scientific literature on depressive disorders.MethodsThis literature review identified all of the published studies on all major depressive disorders as cited on the PubMed® and APA PsycInfo® databases from inception to 31 December 2016 from the six GGC countries. Data were extracted using a standardized form. The study compared the volume of research production between the countries by calculating an index that allowed for the country population size.ResultsA total of 28 studies met the inclusion criteria. Saudi Arabia headed the list of publications (10 articles) followed by the United Arab Emirates (n = 6), Kuwait (n = 5), Qatar (n = 3); and Bahrain and Oman produced two articles each. Only six out of the 28 (21.4%) studies included a random sample or adopted good sampling strategies. The majority of studies (24 of 28; 85.7%) were cross-sectional in design. Only one study clearly stated the use of the DSM-4 criteria for diagnosis.ConclusionThe scientific literature published by the GCC countries on depressive disorders is scant and lacking scientific depth. These findings should be considered as a wake-up call for public health researchers, mental health workers and policymakers.

Contamination Rates by Delivery Method of Human Umbilical Cord Blood Samples in the United Arab Emirates and Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

The use of umbilical cord blood, which is recognized as a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells, has become an alternative source to bone marrow for transplantation. Cord blood units used for transplant might be rejected due to positive bacterial microbiology. According to common cell therapy standards a microbiology bacterial identification is required to know the type of bacterial, and to determine if the bacteria is considered critical or non-critical prior to the transplant determination.

Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancers and Possible Risk Factors Across Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: A Systematic Review.

BackgroundIn recent years, there is an emerging increase in the prevalence of oral and oropharyngeal cancers (O-OPCs) across the Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Consequently, this review aimed to explore the epidemiology and possible risk factors of O-OPCs in GCC countries.MethodsData published after 2008 related to O-OPCs in GCC countries were obtained through electronic searches in Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE and Google Scholar. Keywords related to the association between O-OPCs metrics (epidemiology and risk factors) and GCC countries were used for electronic searches.ResultsThe overall prevalence of OPCs increased significantly over time (40-51%) in some countries (Saudi Arabia and Arab Emigrated) of the Gulf regions. The pooled risk factor was 3.4 (2.5 - 4.7). Among the risk factors, human papillomavirus and the use of smoke and smokeless tobacco revealed odds ratio (OR) 3.31 (3.13 - 4.5) and 0.60 (0.45 - 0.80) at 95% confidence interval (CI).ConclusionA positive correlation between factors like age, diet, hygiene, genetics, viral and bacterial infection, consumption of alcohol and tobacco products with OPC-MFC is suggested.

Providing Legal Education for Medical Students in Arab Gulf Cooperation Council Countries.

Law and medicine share an interest in the human body in terms of justice, well-being, and the preservation of physical integrity. Despite the long-lasting relationship between medicine and law, the tension between the two disciplines remains an unresolved issue; each requires the other, and almost all societies require them both. Therefore, there is a need to bring these two disciplines closer to render them more beneficial for society. This article addresses the need to introduce a medical law curriculum in medical schools, specifically in the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. This article first illustrates the relationship between law and medicine by defining the discipline of medical law. Thereafter, it makes a case for including a medical law curriculum in medical school and health care education programs in GCC countries, illustrating the benefits of doing so for society, individuals, and the development of the disciplines themselves. Subsequently, this article proposes an outline for a spiral and integrated medical law curriculum based on the needs and values of GCC countries. This outline is centered around the basic and advanced core topics and encourages engagement with law-medicine activities that further bridge the conceptual gap between medicine and law. This article reasserts the need to bring medicine and law closer together for the benefit of society and the development of the disciplines. One crucial way of doing so is providing formal and structured legal education for medical students.

Alarming High Prevalence of Falls Among Older Adults in The Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

Falls are common public health problems facing older adults. Limited research has produced conflicting evidence on the fall prevalence among older adults in the Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the prevalence and risk factors of falls in older adults living in the GCC countries.

The Development role of GCC Foreign Trade under Resources Curse, Openness and Institutional Quality

The current study was differentiated from previous empirical studies given its reliance on a panel dynamic model to analize the relationship between trade and economic growth, through addressing the impact of resource curse, openness and institutional quality on the economic growth of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) during the period (2002-2012). This model was based, on the long run, on the panel cointegration tests, the fully modified least squares method and dynamic least squares methods. On the short run, the relationship was estimated through the use of Impulse response functions. It concluded that trade openness has an important role in explaining the economic growth of the GCC on the long run, the role of oil exports is uncertain, while the role of institutional quality is absent. On the short run, the institutional quality level achieved by these countries may prevent the negative impact of dependence on oil exports. Accordingly, the resource curse hypothesis was not proven in the GCC countries on the long or short runs.

Contamination Rates by Delivery Method of Human Umbilical Cord Blood Samples in the United Arab Emirates and Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

Contamination Rates by Delivery Method of Human Umbilical Cord Blood Samples in the United Arab Emirates and Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

The Impact of Board Gender Diversity on Corporate Social Responsibility in the Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council (AGCC)

The Impact of Board Gender Diversity on Corporate Social Responsibility in the Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council (AGCC)

Interest banking spreads in Oman and Arab GCC

PurposeAverage bank net interest margins vary widely across Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, net interest margins of Omani banks are significantly higher. The resultant low level of financial intermediation implies reduced investment and economic growth. Understanding the reason for these high and persistent spreads is important to develop a policy for improving effectiveness of the banking system. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachNet interest margins of Arab GCC banks during the period 1999-2012 are examined using the balanced panel regression model with bank specific, financial/market structure specific and macroeconomic factors as determinants. The method used for estimation used is the estimated generalized least squares (EGLS) method with both fixed effects and random effects.FindingsBank-specific variables, which explain net interest margins in GCC, are bank capitalization ratios, loan ratios and overhead expenses. Spread of banking sector (as measured by ratio of total bank credit to GDP) is positive and highly significant, implying that along with the expansion of the banking sector in GCC economies, interest margins of banks also improved. Omani banks were able to increase interest margins by aggressively marketing high yield personal and credit card loans, and, zero interest paying deposit products. The study also finds a negative relationship between concentration and net interest margin, and attempts to explain this finding which is at variance with other country studies using the price leadership model of oligopoly.Research limitations/implicationsThe standard, accepted econometric model of net interest margins which has been used in earlier studies is unable to explain the high net interest margins of banks in Oman although it is able to explain interest margins in other GCC countries. There is a need to develop non econometric models. More work is needed on the implications of NIM spreads for how they affect an economy.Practical implicationsThe study shows that as the banking sector spreads in the economy, individual banks have more opportunities to market their products while at the same time maintaining interest margins. Bank managements should note this point and look for opportunities to expand.Originality/valueThere is no evidence of any empirical studies which focused on net interest margins in the GCC countries. This study attempts to fill in this gap with a view to nudge policy makers to look at the issue of high interest margins and its detrimental impact on economic growth and development in the Gulf region. The paper is useful for policy makers to understand and rectify the problem of excessive interest spreads which is hurting the financial intermediation process.

An exploration into student learning mobility in higher education among the Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council countries

This paper explores the dynamics of the internationalisation of higher education in the Gulf region. Exploring the presence of foreign universities, international curricula, programmes, students and academic staff, it pays particular attention to the learning mobility of students from the region. Consequently, the aim of this piece of research is to explore the current learning mobility among the GCC countries. The study makes use of secondary data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) on the global flow of tertiary-level students and a survey conducted especially for this study among students from the Gulf region. Considering the literature explored and based on data from UIS and the survey conducted, it seems that higher education in the Gulf region has expanded and that the presence of foreign universities, international curricula, programmes, students and academic staff is a positive experience overall. Although learning mobility has been stimulated in the region, much of it is regionally driven. It seems that the growth of inward learning mobility is not proportional to the growth of foreign universities in the region. The growth of outward learning mobility is predominantly driven by scholarships and the potential for growth on inward and outward learning mobility seems likely to increase in the future. The Gulf countries may enhance learning mobility through multilateral learning and research cooperation by means of scholarships and regulated commercial activities. To emerge as an international education hub, the Gulf countries must become an attractive destination for students from outside of the region as well. The region may wish to draw relevant lessons from regions such as the European Union to stimulate learning mobility.

The impact of mobile Internet on mobile voice usage: A two-level analysis of mobile communications customers in a GCC country

This paper focuses on interdependencies between mobile Internet (MI) usage and mobile voice (MV) calling patterns among residential customers in one member country of the Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The analyzed data set contains usage data of 10,366 postpaid subscribers of a mobile network operator (MNO) in a GCC country over 25 months from July 2013 to July 2015. The results suggest a complementary MV–MI usage relationship. This relationship is more positive for users who (1) send fewer SMS, (2) are younger, (3) are foreign nationals, (4) use a smartphone, and (5) have a longer tariff tenure. The strength of MV–MI usage association in the GCC country sample is larger than relationships observed in earlier work, which analyzed MNO subscribers in Europe. This suggests that the development trajectory of a country’s telecommunications service market moderates the relationship between MI and MV calling use intensity.

An Economic Study of the Consistency of the Poverty Line with Welfare in the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council

An Economic Study of the Consistency of the Poverty Line with Welfare in the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council

Continuities and Discontinuities in Foreign Assistance

Assessing foreign assistance to Arab states sheds important light on how Western and regional donors have responded to the dramatic changes set in motion by the wave of mass protests that swept across the Middle East in 2011 and beyond. The papers presented in this special issue highlight two essential fingings. First, Western patterns of foreign assistance exhibit remarkable continuity, despite the scale of the uprisings and their effects, and despite the commitment of Western governments to expand assistance in support of the aspirations of Arab protestors. Second, patterns of foreign assistance from the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries reflect the deepening politicization of Arab foreign assistance, the ongoing shift in regional influence from the Arab East to the Gulf, and the extent to which foreign assistance has become instrumentalized in regional balance of power politics.