Arabia Research Articles

The Potential Use of Moringa peregrina Seeds and Seed Extract as a Bio-Coagulant for Water Purification

Moringa is a genus with many applications; some of these applications can be linked to their use in traditional medicine and as a source of nutrients, and traditionally, some species have been used for water purification. Many studies have been conducted to assess the use of different species of Moringa for water purification. One of the species that is extensively studied is M. Oleifera because of its wide geographical distribution. There are limited studies on M. peregrina due to its limited geographical distribution, as it is native to the Arabian Peninsula and some other countries in the Middle East. The aim of this study is to assess the potential use of M. peregrina for water coagulation. This study was conducted using synthetic water samples as well as real, untreated wastewater samples to determine the potential of M. peregrina seeds for water coagulation. The results revealed that M. peregrina seed extract had better turbidity removal at 60 °C compared with the use of the seed extract at room temperature, and increasing the ionic strength of the extracting solution could also improve the efficiency of the seed extract in terms of turbidity removal. Furthermore, the de-oiled seed extract showed efficiency comparable with that of the raw seeds. Application to the real wastewater samples showed that the de-oiled seed extract showed percentage removal of 38%, 81%, and 74% for SCOD, turbidity, and color, respectively. Furthermore, the de-oiled M. peregrina seed extract at a dose of 200 mg/L equivalent to raw seeds was capable of removing 97.4%, 66.5%, 51.8%, 50.3%, and 45.8% of Mo, Cu, Cd, Cr, and Co, respectively.

Species of the cyprinid genus Garra in Mount Kenya, East Africa: Species delineation, taxonomy and historical biogeography

AbstractThe cyprinid genus Garra is so far represented in Mount Kenya streams by a single species, but which species it should be referred to as remains yet to be determined. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of Garra species from the mountain is still lacking. Here, an integrative analysis, based on morphological and molecular data, unravelled the hidden species diversity of Garra from Mount Kenya. In mitochondrial genes‐based trees, samples formerly identified as Garra dembeensis from the mountain nested into three distinct lineages that were distantly allied to the lineage constituted by topotypical samples of the species; the three lineages are morphologically distinguishable, and thus represent three distinct species: Garra hindii and two undescribed species, herein named as Garra alticauda sp. nov. and Garra minibarbata sp. nov., respectively, from the Mara River and the Ragati River of the mid‐upper Tana River basin. The phylogeographic pattern of the three species is incongruent with the present‐day basin pattern of Mount Kenya. The allopatry of the paired species G. alticauda and G. hindii points to river piracy ever incurring between the upper Ewaso Ngiro River and the middle Tana River basin in Mount Kenya. Besides, the molecular phylogenetic analysis of sampled African Garra species in this study, based on a broad set of sequences, provides evidence in support for the existing hypothesis of Asia‐to‐Africa biodispersal via the Arabian Peninsula to the Horn of Africa.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING OF CLAVULINA PSEUDOPARISENSIS ANAN AROUND THE ARABIAN PENINSULA

The recent agglutinated small benthic foraminiferal species Clavulina pseudoparisensis Anan are common in the five coastal areas around the Arabian Peninsula: the Egyptian Red Sea coast between Qusseir-Marsa Alam, the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coast in Jeddah, the north Socotra Island of Yemen, the Abu Dhabi coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the east coast of Qatar of the Arabian Gulf. The taxonomy is presented and discussed. The warmer environment of the Red Sea, and also the other studied areas, favor precipitation of organic binding material for the sand grains of the arenaceous tests, which favor the forms thriving in shallow and warm environment. The recorded C. pseudoparisensis in wide geographic distribution in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and Arabian Gulf around the Arabian Peninsula indicates an open marine environment between these localities.

Modern Islamic Civilization in South and Southeast Asia

Background. Islam is the second largest religion in South Asia, with more than 600 million Muslims living there, making up about a third of the region's population. The history of Islam in South Asia began along the coastal regions of the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka, after its beginnings in the Arabian Peninsula. Purpose. This research was made to thoroughly explore the history of Islamic civilization in the modern era in South Asia and Southeast Asia. With this research, it is hoped that it can add insight to the readers in the study of the history of Islamic civilization and can answer various questions about when Islam entered South Asia and Southeast Asia, how the process and impact on the people who live there, and who plays an important role in the spread of Islam on both continents. Method. The data collected will be analyzed by identifying the themes, arguments or main ideas in the texts and analyzing how they influenced and were influenced by the development of Islamic civilization in Southeast and South Asia. Results. Southeast Asia is home to the largest Muslim population in the world. Islam is the majority religion in Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam. Islam in Southeast Asia was spread through the activities of traders and Sufis. Unlike other Islamic regions of the world, it was spread through the Arab and Turkish conquests. Conclusion. Thus the presentation of material about Islamic Civilization in Southeast Asia and South Asia and how the method of its spread. We as writers realize that the results of the papers we compile are far from perfect, for the future we will try to be even better in presenting writing or discussion.

Epidemiology of combined immunodeficiencies affecting cellular and humoral immunity– a multicentric retrospective cohort study from the Arabian Peninsula

AimsTo understand the characteristics of combined immunodeficiency disorders that affect cellular and humoral immunity (CID) in the Arabian Peninsula. MethodsRetrospective study of 236 patients with CID from the region were enrolled from 2004 to 2022. Results236 patients were included with a majority being profound CID. Among patients with a family history of CID, the ages at onset and diagnosis, and the delay in diagnosis were lower compared to those with no family history of CID, but this did not affect time to transplant. HSCT was performed for 51.27% of the patients with median time from diagnosis to HSCT of 6.36 months. On multivariate analysis, patients who underwent early transplant had increased odds of having CD3 count ≤1000 cell/μl, diagnosed by screening or erythroderma. ConclusionThere is a delay in diagnosis and treatment of CID in our region. Establishing newborn screening programs and HSCT units in our region are the urgent need.

Evaluating the sustainable features of vernacular architecture in hot-arid regions: field surveys and analysis in two vernacular houses in Al Batinah region (Oman)

ABSTRACT The necessity to derive sustainable building solutions from the local vernacular architecture is being increasingly asserted in the global debate about the immense energy consumption, natural resources depletion, and high levels of Green House Emissions (GHG). Paradoxically, a limited number of research has addressed this issue in the arid hot regions and much less in the Arabian Peninsula. As a contribution to this debate, the present paper evaluates the sustainable features present in the Omani vernacular houses and their efficacy in terms of thermal comfort and energy performance. A Methodology that combines on-site measurements with modelling simulations, using DesignBuilder software, was applied to achieve the three objectives assigned to this study: (a) Characterization of Vernacular Architecture in Oman and its bioclimatic features, (b) Evaluation of the thermal and energy performance of a selected vernacular house. (c) A comparison of thermal and energy performance between a vernacular dwelling and a contemporary Omani house. The numerical simulation confirmed that the vernacular construction system provides enhanced thermal performance when compared to its modern counterpart. It has also been showed that the house with a vernacular construction system requires twice less cooling energy than its modern counterpart.

Simulation of a Dust‐And‐Rain Event Across the Red Sea Using WRF‐Chem

AbstractWe present simulations of a series of dust‐and‐rain events in July/August 2020 that caused significant loss of life and property over northeast Africa and the Red Sea coast using convection‐permitting Weather Research and Forecasting‐Chem simulations at 1.5 km horizontal grid spacing coupled with prognostic dust and aerosol scheme together with a double‐moment cloud microphysical scheme. The model generally captures the optical properties and vertical profiles of dust but has difficulty reproducing the seasonal dust plumes that originate over northeast Africa and reach the western Arabian Peninsula through the Tokar gap. Overlapping of synoptic events with local, diurnal‐scale, convective features caused continuous rainfall over the study domain in July/August 2020. The model well simulates the synoptically‐driven clouds over the ocean (∼4–8 km) and daytime deep convective clouds over the land but cannot reproduce cumulus clouds over the ocean advected from land, which leads to some biases in simulating peak rainfall rates. Although our simulations do not explicitly consider aerosol particles as ice nuclei, the model reproduces the cirrus clouds found at ∼10–15 km height during the study period. Simulations with a planetary boundary layer (PBL) scheme better represented the diurnal profile of surface temperature and winds, as well as the rainfall distribution, than without using a PBL scheme. Dust generally enhanced rainfall during the synoptic rain event through indirect effects but suppressed rainfall during sea‐breeze‐induced convective events through dust direct effects by weakening the sea‐breeze circulation.

A Colonial Gaze on Mecca: Networks Surrounding the First Documentary about the Hajj

Abstract The first fully-fledged documentary about the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca was produced in 1928 when the Dutch filmmaker George Krugers (1890–1964) accompanied Muslim pilgrims from the Netherlands East Indies to the Arabian Peninsula. In the late 1920s, when the film project was carried out, an increasing number of Muslims from the archipelago embarked on the hajj journey, which was closely supervised and administered by Dutch colonial institutions. To uncover the “colonial gaze” engrained in the film, this article addresses the filming circumstances, the documentary’s visual content, its intended audiences, and the reception of the moving images in the Netherlands. It draws on Bruno Latour’s actor-network theory, foregrounding the social, political, and technological agents and networks that undergird Krugers’ pioneering film project about the hajj.

Phylogeography of the Asian green mussel, Perna viridis: pronounced regional genetic differentiation is explained by major freshwater input into the Bay of Bengal

The Asian green mussel (AGM), Perna viridis, is a mussel of ecological and economic importance throughout much of the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, from China and Korea in the east to Oman on the Arabian Peninsula in the west. We collated published DNA sequence data and then analysed 467 bp of cytochrome c oxidase I gene (COI) sequence variation from 649 mussels (576 from SE Asia and 73 from India) to test for regional differentiation. Analysis of molecular variation, a haplotype network and a neighbour-joining tree all revealed significant differentiation between mussels from India and those from SE Asia. We observed a greater number of segregating sites (haplotypes) and private haplotypes than expected for Indian mussels compared to SE Asian mussels, based on the respective sample sizes. Tests of neutrality revealed population expansion or a recent selective sweep for only the mussels from India. We suggest that the differentiation of the Indian from the SE Asian mussels is explained by the pronounced seasonal input of freshwater into the northern Bay of Bengal area, which acts as a (semi-permeable) barrier to gene flow between the two regions (i.e., east versus west of the Bay). This suggestion is based on the oceanography of the region and is consistent with the biogeography and reports of genetic breaks in a range of taxa in this region. Further targetted sampling of AGMs from the east coast of India, Bangladesh and Myanmar is required to test this hypothesis, and additional sampling of AGMs from west of India (e.g., Pakistan, Iran, the Arabian Peninsula) will also be informative. Finally, this study is based on the analysis of a single marker (COI) because this is all that is presently available from published sources but we note that the application of new molecular markers such as single nucleotide polymorphisms to newly collected mussel samples will greatly advance our understanding of the AGM genetic discontinuity and its age, and help test its geographical location and its nature (e.g., a steep/shallow cline or a stepped cline).

Study of Zoonotic Pathogens in Alien Population of Veiled Chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus) in the Canary Islands (Spain).

Veiled chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus) are native to the Arabian Peninsula that have been introduced as pets in many regions around the world, such as the Canary Islands (Spain). In this work, the gastrointestinal content from veiled chameleons of Gran Canaria island (Canary Islands) has been analyzed to determine the presence of zoonotic bacteria. Forty animals were analyzed using different selective culture media and PCR. The most isolated bacteria were Yersinia enterocolitica (52.4%), followed by Salmonella spp. (40.0%), with positive isolates for Salmonella Tyhpi and Salmonella Typhimurium. Pseudomonas spp. was found in 32.5% of the chameleons. More than half were positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus spp. was detected in six animals plus one isolate of non-resistant Staphylococcus hominis. Multiple mycobacteria species belonging to both tuberculous and non-tuberculous complexes were identified as well as Escherichia coli carrying the stx1 and eae virulence genes with 12.5% and 7.5% prevalence, respectively. Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter spp., and Vibrio spp. were found in lower proportion (<5%). The results obtained indicate that veiled chameleons in Gran Canaria could be playing a role in the maintenance and dissemination of the pathogens detected, harming public health and biodiversity.

Decreasing seasonal cycle amplitude of methane in the northern high latitudes being driven by lower-latitude changes in emissions and transport

Abstract. Atmospheric methane (CH4) concentrations are rising, which are expected to lead to a corresponding increase in the global seasonal cycle amplitude (SCA) – the difference between its seasonal maximum and minimum values. The reaction between CH4 and its main sink, OH, is dependent on the amount of CH4 and OH in the atmosphere. The concentration of OH varies seasonally, and due to the increasing burden of CH4 in the atmosphere, it is expected that the SCA of CH4 will increase due to the increased removal of CH4 through a reaction with OH in the atmosphere. Spatially varying changes in the SCA could indicate long-term persistent variations in the seasonal sources and sinks, but such SCA changes have not been investigated. Here we use surface flask measurements and a 3D chemical transport model (TOMCAT) to diagnose changes in the SCA of atmospheric CH4 between 1995–2020 and attribute the changes regionally to contributions from different sectors. We find that the observed SCA decreased by 4 ppb (7.6 %) in the northern high latitudes (NHLs; 60–90∘ N), while the SCA increased globally by 2.5 ppb (6.5 %) during this time period. TOMCAT reproduces the change in the SCA at observation sites across the globe. Therefore, we use it to attribute regions which are contributing to the changes in the NHL SCA, which shows an unexpected change in the SCA that differs from the rest of the world. We find that well-mixed background CH4, likely from emissions originating in, and transported from, more southerly latitudes has the largest impact on the decreasing SCA in the NHLs (56.5 % of total contribution to NHLs). In addition to the background CH4, recent emissions from Canada, the Middle East, and Europe contribute 16.9 %, 12.1 %, and 8.4 %, respectively, to the total change in the SCA in the NHLs. The remaining contributions are due to changes in emissions and transport from other regions. The three largest regional contributions are driven by increases in summer emissions from the Boreal Plains in Canada, decreases in winter emissions across Europe, and a combination of increases in summer emissions and decreases in winter emissions over the Arabian Peninsula and Caspian Sea in the Middle East. These results highlight that changes in the observed seasonal cycle can be an indicator of changing emission regimes in local and non-local regions, particularly in the NHL, where the change is counterintuitive.

Enigmatic fish ear stones: Ontogenetic development of saccular otolith in an endemic toothcarp of the Arabian peninsula, Aphaniops kruppi (Teleostei: Aphaniidae)

AbstractOtolith morphology in the toothcarps of the family Aphaniidae is an important source of taxonomic information. However, little is known about the ontogenetic variation in otolith morphology. In this study, the development of otolith morphology in different life stages of Aphaniops kruppi, an endemic toothcarp of the Arabian Peninsula, is described and discussed. The results reveal (i) a significant correlation between standard length and otolith size (length) in larval and early juvenile stages, (ii) clear differences in otolith morphology between larvae/early juveniles and adults, and (iii) a temporal link between the appearance of the sulcus on the otolith's inner face and lifestyles, that is demersal in larvae and early juveniles, and pelagic in adults. Moreover, our new data on otoliths of Ap. kruppi propose that otoliths of larvae or early juveniles of Ap. kruppi can be recognized by adults not only because of their small size but also based on their short and rounded rostrum and antirostrum and shallow, wide excisura. As the above‐mentioned characteristics are also found in the otoliths of juveniles and larvae of several other studied aphaniids, it can be concluded that otoliths are not diagnostic at the species level in Ap. kruppi, and this holds for other closely related species.

China’s Views on Solving the Yemeni Issue Within the Framework of Global Security Initiative

Yemen is a traditional friendly country of China and an important partner of China in the Arabian Peninsula. As a result of the recurring conflicts in Yemen, its economic situation has been deteriorating. China’s bilateral trade volume and direct investment with Yemen have been directly affected by the war in Yemen and have fluctuated significantly. The security and happiness of the Yemeni people and the effective protection of people’s rights cannot be achieved without stable internal social relations and a peaceful external environment. In 2022, President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Security Initiative (GSI), calling on countries to adapt to the profoundly changing international landscape in the spirit of solidarity, and to address security challenges with a win-win mindset. In 2023, China releases the Global Security Initiative Concept Paper. China’s idea for solving the Yemen issue is a theoretical and institutional reflection on war, peace and development based on a reflexion of the unequal world hegemonic order, centreing on equality and the care for humanity.

Post-9/11 American Hegemonic (Imperial) Narratives: A Typical Version of Neo-Orientalism or an Alternative to Domination?

ABSTRACT Hegemonic narratives have developed considerations of several perspectives on engaging with post-9/11 American imperialism and its system of power. This article deals with post-9/11 American novel, a version of neo-orientalist discourse that is inspired primarily by the American imperial ambitions and politics and the current public debates on Islamic terrorism, aggression, and backwardness. Employing insights from contemporary discussions around post-9/11 American hegemonic narratives and from contemporary hegemonic literature on the Middle East, the study examines narrative discourse to detect literary incitement to typological and racial representations. Analysis provides an examination of different perspectives concerning the origin of Islam in the 7th century in Arab peninsula, focusing on the first generation of Muslims’ intolerance towards non-Muslims and the Islamic heritage landscape as receptacle of the Middle East backward ideology and a place where radical ideology propagates the destruction of the west. Applying the notion of hegemonic literature as an exclusivist discourse, this study finds that pot-9/11 narratives and hegemony are symbiotic, reflecting the aspirations of the American policy in the Middle East region.

Chemical composition of monsoon bulk precipitation in the Salalah area, Oman

Precipitation chemistry data provide important information for environmental studies on large-scale element cycling and anthropogenic impacts on our atmosphere, but also for hydrochemical models and groundwater recharge estimations via the Chloride Mass Balance method. Such recharge data play a crucial role in groundwater management, particularly in (semi-)arid areas. Unfortunately, precipitation analyses are often scarce in such regions. This also applies to the Arabian Peninsula, including southern Oman. To overcome this lack of rain chemistry data, we developed a strategy for automatic weekly bulk precipitation sampling, using recently designed automatic rainwater samplers. The integral samples were gathered along an elevation gradient from the Salalah coast to the Dhofar mountains during the Indian Ocean Monsoon seasons 2017 and 2018.Our major ion analyses of the rainwater samples revealed considerable temporal and spatial heterogeneity, in terms of ion proportions and absolute concentrations. Samples from the coast were relatively salty (EC mostly >3000 μS cm−1) and rich in Na+ and Cl−, reflecting small rain amounts and a sea spray effect. Further inland, solute concentrations were lower, partly due to more precipitation, and ions such as Ca2+ and SO42− gained importance, probably due to calcite and gypsum dust. This pattern reflects the interplay between solute availability (influenced by regional geology, wind direction at different altitudes, and wind speed) and precipitation amounts. Cl−/Br− ratios were fairly uniform and scattered around the seawater value. Combining ion concentrations and rain amounts yielded bulk depositions that showed an erratic pattern along the elevation gradient, i.e., depositions did not decrease steadily in inland direction, as one may assume. This suggests that the occasionally reported approach of collecting a few opportunistic grab samples at a single site is unlikely to yield data that are representative for a larger coastal study area.

Laleh Khalili, Sinews of War and Trade: Shipping and Capitalism in the Arabian Peninsula

Laleh Khalili, Sinews of War and Trade: Shipping and Capitalism in the Arabian Peninsula

Back to Asia? South Asia and the Arabian Peninsula

Back to Asia? South Asia and the Arabian Peninsula

The Airwaves in Arabia: BBC Arabic, British Imperialism, and the Arabian Peninsula’s Global Listenership, c. 1933-1940

The Airwaves in Arabia: BBC Arabic, British Imperialism, and the Arabian Peninsula’s Global Listenership, c. 1933-1940

Dancing in Duality: Exploring the Comparative Relationship of Swahili Culture with Islamic and Liberal Paradigms

This paper examines the crucial role of Islam on the Swahili coast, using it as a case study to explore the intriguing transformations Islam underwent during its spread in the region. It aims to shed light on the cosmopolitan nature of the Swahili space before colonialism, focusing on the reciprocal processes of Islamization and the Swahilization of Islam. By doing so, it aims to enhance our understanding of the significant role of Islam in fostering globalization. Moreover, it explores the expansion of Islam beyond the Arabian Peninsula, particularly through trade conducted by Muslim merchants. This exchange resulted in a dynamic interaction as local leaders embraced the faith, facilitated trade, and supported the growth of Islamic intellectual, artistic, and cultural endeavours. Building upon this case study, the paper conducts a comparative analysis of the legal systems of Islam and liberalism and explores the potential for envisioning a world transcending colonial national racial logics. Embracing Islam as a major signifier, this essay draws on a diverse array of critical scholarship, contending that Islam, unlike liberalism, inherently embraces diverse cultural knowledge, making it a faith that is inherently receptive to different cultures and their unique contributions.

The synergy of abiotic and biotic factors correlated with diversification of Fumarioideae (Papaveraceae) in the Cenozoic

Rapid diversification of a group is often associated with exploiting an ecological opportunity and/or the evolution of a key innovation. However, how the interplay of such abiotic and biotic factors correlates with organismal diversification has been rarely documented in empirical studies, especially for organisms inhabiting drylands. Fumarioideae is the largest subfamily in Papaveraceae and is mainly distributed in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Here, we used one nuclear (ITS) and six plastid (rbcL, atpB, matK, rps16, trnL-F, and trnG) DNA sequences to investigate the spatio-temporal patterns of diversification and potential related factors of this subfamily. We first present the most comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of Fumarioideae to date. The results of our integrated molecular dating and biogeographic analyses indicate that the most recent common ancestor of Fumarioideae started to diversify in Asia during the Upper Cretaceous, and then dispersed multiple times out of Asia in the Cenozoic. In particular, we discover two independent dispersal events from Eurasia to East Africa in the late Miocene, suggesting that the Arabian Peninsula might be an important exchange corridor between Eurasia and East Africa in the late Miocene. Within the Fumarioideae, increased speciation rates were detected in two groups, Corydalis and Fumariinae. Corydalis first experienced a burst of diversification in its crown group at ∼ 42 Ma, and further accelerated diversification from the mid-Miocene onwards. During these two periods, Corydalis had evolved diverse life history types, which could have facilitated the colonization of diverse habitats originating from extensive orogenesis in the Northern Hemisphere as well as Asian interior desertification. Fumariinae underwent a burst of diversification at ∼ 15 Ma, which temporally coincides with the increasing aridification in central Eurasia, but is markedly posterior to the shifts in habitat (from moist to arid) and in life history (from perennial to annual) and to range expansion from Asia to Europe, suggesting that Fumariinae species may have been pre-adapted to invade European arid habitats by the acquisition of annual life history. Our study provides an empirical case that documents the importance of pre-adaptation on organismal diversification in drylands and highlights the significant roles of the synergy of abiotic and biotic factors in promoting plant diversification.