Gulf Cooperation Council Member Countries Research Articles

Peranan Gulf Cooperation Council terhadap Penyelesaian Konflik Qatar-Arab Saudi

<p><em>This study aims to determine the role of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as a sub-regional organization in the Middle East region towards the settlement of the Qatar-Saudi Arabia conflict and the Qatar-Saudi Arabia conflict resolution strategy within the GCC Framework. The method used in this research is descriptive method with data collection techniques in the form of literature review sourced from books, journals, articles, official internet sites, and reports related to this research.</em></p><p><em>The results of this study indicate that the GCC acts as an instrument for the Gulf countries to achieve their national goals. One of them is in the process of conflict resolution. The GCC acts as an arena where conflict resolution efforts between GCC member countries are mediated through the implementation of the 38th Summit to the 41st Summit. The Qatar-Saudi Arabia conflict resolution strategy within the GCC Framework was initiated by the GCC member countries, namely Kuwait and Oman. The two countries continue to maintain good relations with Qatar and resolve GCC internal disputes by establishing mediation between Qatar and Arab countries.</em></p>

Regulatory pathway for pharmaceutical drug product registration and export in Gulf countries

The Indian pharmaceutical market is the third largest in terms of generic production. It has developed a reputation as a center of industry and research in the international market. India offers some of the costeffective manufacturing facilities globally. The Gulf cooperation council (GCC) region is regarded as a “developing market for pharmaceutical export”. This study assessed the regulatory frameworks of the GCC member countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to build a coordinated approach. GCC regions are exposed to a partially regulated market. Most regulatory changes and developments must be kept up to date by pharmaceutical businesses, and GCC adopted the international council for harmonization common technical document (ICH CTD) format for new product registration. To fulfill the public demand for safe and effective treatments, regulations are needed for pharmaceutical drug products urgently due to rising healthcare costs, R&D expenditures, and other factors. Harmonizing the data on quality, safety, and efficacy reported in the application dossier is a main concern for the ICH committee. This review article provides the regulatory framework of GCC countries for effective control of pharmaceutical products.

Financial efficiency of participation banks in Turkey and comparison with the banks in Gulf Cooperation Council member countries

Financial efficiency of participation banks in Turkey and comparison with the banks in Gulf Cooperation Council member countries

Türkiye ve KİK Ülkelerindeki Katılım Bankalarının Finansal Performansının TOPSIS Yöntemiyle Değerlendirilmesi

It was aimed to determine and compare the financial performance of participation banks in Turkey and Gulf Cooperation Council member countries between 2016-2019. TOPSIS and Entropy weighting method was preferred for the analyses, and all of the calculations were conducted using Microsoft Excel. According to the performance analysis results, Kuveyt Turk operating in Turkey was taken the first in other years except for the year 2018. On the contrary, it was determined that Albaraka Türk was dropped to the last rank in the performance ranking in the last two years. When examining the results regarding performance comparison between countries, it was found that the UAE ranked first in the other years except 2018. In 2018, Oman ranked first in the performance ranking. It was seen that Turkey ranks second in 2016 but ranks third in the other three years. As a result, it was observed that there are differences in performance rankings over the years.

A Comparison Review of The Clinical Healthcare Services Provided to Liver Disease Patients in The GCC

Liver diseases are a critical health concern in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Fatty liver disease and viral hepatitis are the two most common liver-disease-related health problems in the region. Hepatocellular carcinoma development adds to the burden of liver cirrhosis. Given the importance of identifying patients with liver disease, it is essential to examine the GCC’s healthcare services. The goal of this study was to compare the clinical care services provided to liver disease patients in GCC member countries. A systematic comparative analysis of GCC studies from 2014 to 2020 on related topics was conducted. Articles relevant to liver disease prevalence rate, incidence, and clinical healthcare services, including mental health support, palliative care, liver surgery and transplantation, management of viral hepatitis B and C, dental care services, HBV and pregnancy, vaccination among HCWs and national screening were included in this study. The study results showed that most of the clinical healthcare services provided to liver disease patients are available in all GCC member countries. The prevalence of communicable diseases has significantly decreased among the GCC countries, indicating that there are successful healthcare systems for tracking and controlling disease spread at the level of the GCC. The same can be said of the management of viral hepatitis in Gulf countries. Despite the similarities of clinical services provided to liver disease patients, the study concluded that there were differences in the availability of liver transplantation programs and the level of palliative care among GCC member countries.

Estimating Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in Oman Using Different Frameworks

Reduction in emissions is the key to tackle climate change issues and achieve environmental sustainability. The Gulf Cooperation Council member countries however, not only generate the highest quantity of MSW/capita when compared globally but also in most of these countries such waste is just dumped at different landfill stations. In Oman, the total quantity of MSW stood at 2.0 million tonnes/year. The emission from this waste is estimated at 2,989,467 tonnes/year (CO2 Equivalent). This article attempts to develop frameworks that considered landfilling, composting, and recycling of MSW and compared the emissions of these frameworks. The framework (F2) which proposes the landfilling and composting process for the organic waste which normally goes to landfills results in an increase of emissions by 7% as compared to landfill practice. Similarly, the samples of MSW collected in Oman show a good amount of recycling waste. The framework (F3) which considers the landfill, composting, and recycling reduced the total Greenhouse Gas emissions from 2,989,467 tonnes/year to 2,959,735 tonnes/year (CO2 Equivalent); representing a total reduction of 1% in emissions. Although composting increases the emissions, however, considering composting and recycling will not only reduce the burden on landfills but will promote agricultural and industrial activates.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Systemic Risk of Gulf Cooperation Council Banking

Motivated by a recognition of the increased vulnerability of the banking sector to the COVID-19 pandemic, we examine market-based systemic risk and connectedness in the banking sector of Gulf Cooperation Council member countries, which include Bahrain, Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). First, we apply conditional value-at-risk and marginal expected shortfall to measure tail risk between banks. These measures increased the most for the UAE, whereas Oman was almost unaffected. Second, to analyze the spillover effects of financial systemic risk, we apply the Granger-causality network method. The results reveal a remarkable rise in the percentage and number of significant Granger-causality links between banks for Kuwait and KSA during the pandemic. Oman and Qatar experienced an unnoticeable increase in bank return connectedness. Furthermore, the study identifies the bank characteristics that provide a shelter from the systemic shocks of the pandemic. The study findings indicate that income diversification is the most important variable for enhancing bank stability amid the pandemic. Our findings provide policy-related implications for understanding and mitigating risk shock transmission and the containment of systemic financial risk, in addition to multiple future lines of research.

Frameworks for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from municipal solid waste in Oman

PurposeThe Gulf Cooperation Council member countries not only generate the highest quantity of municipal solid waste (MSW) per capita when compared globally, but also in most of these countries, such waste is just dumped at different landfill stations. In Oman, the total quantity of MSW stood at 2.0 million tons per year. The emission from this waste is estimated at 2,181,034 tons/year (carbon dioxide equivalent). This article attempts to develop frameworks that considered landfilling, composting and recycling of MSW.Design/methodology/approachTo know the composition of the municipal solid waste in Oman, a quantitative research method was employed. The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from MSWM in this study focus on three major gases, CO2, CH4 and N2O. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2006 model is used to calculate GHG emissions from landfills and composting (IPCC, 2006). Four frameworks – baseline F0, framework F1, framework F2 and framework F3 – are outlined in this paper. The F0 represents the current situation of the MSW in which most of the waste goes to landfills and dumpsites. In F1, improved MSW collection service and landfilling are incorporated and open burning is restricted. The F2 considered landfilling and composting, while F3 is based on landfilling, composting and recycling.FindingsThe framework F2, which proposes the composting process for the organic waste which normally goes to landfills, results in the reduction of emissions by 40% as compared to landfill practice. Similarly, the samples of MSW collected in Oman show a good amount of recycling waste. The framework F3, which considers the landfill, composting and recycling, reduced the total GHG emissions from 2,181,034 tons/year to 1,427,998 tons/year (carbon dioxide equivalent), representing a total reduction of 35% in emissions.Research limitations/implicationsDifferent values such as CH4 correction factor, the fraction of degradable organic carbon and the fraction of DOC used to determine the GHG emissions from MSW considering landfilling, composting and recycling based on the IPPC model and existing literature review. The actual determination of these values based on the Oman conditions may result in more accurate emissions from MSW in Oman.Practical implicationsDifferent frameworks suggested in this research have different practical implications; however, the final framework F3, which produces fewer emissions, required a material recovery facility to recycle the MSW in Oman. For framework F3, it is important that the residents in Oman have enough knowledge and willingness to do the waste segregation at the household level. Apparently, such knowledge and willingness need to be determined through a separate study.Originality/valueThe frameworks F2 and F3 are considered to be more suitable solutions compared to the current practices for Oman and other gulf countries to reduce its per capita emissions from MSW and protect its local environment. There is a potential for further work that needs to explore the possible solutions to implement the suggested frameworks.

HEALTHCARE EXPENDITURES CHANNEL OF NATURAL RESOURCE CURSE: THE CASE OF GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COUNTRIES

The fact that the increase in natural resource revenues is not adequately transferred to human capital investments is one of the main reasons for explaining the weak economic growth performance. The findings of numerous studies investigating the relationship between healthcare expenditures and natural resource abundance in natural resource-rich countries confirm this assertion. These findings can be considered as a source of information in the process of determining the policies regarding human capital investments to be implemented in natural resource-rich countries. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the abundance of natural resources and health expenditures by using data from 2000 to 2016 for GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) member countries consisting of United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman. The empirical results indicated that there is no causal relationship between the variables of GCC countries except Bahrain and UAE. This result shows that the resource curse hypothesis is partially valid. Therefore, GCC countries aiming to increase their economic growth performances by implementing a diversification strategy in production should allocate more sources to health expenditures in order to increase their labor efficiency.

The impact of corporate governance and political connections on information asymmetry: International evidence from banks in the Gulf Cooperation Council member countries

This study investigates the impact of corporate governance on the level of information asymmetry. In addition, the study examines whether a firm’s political connections have a moderating effect on this relationship. Based on a sample of leading listed local banks in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries, the findings indicate that proxies for corporate governance mechanisms are inversely related to proxies for information asymmetry. Specifically, greater board independence, blockholders, institutional ownership, and board size are associated with greater information asymmetry as reflected in share trading volume, market value of shares traded, and volatility of shares returns, whereas a Chief Executive Officer (CEO)’s also being on the Board of Directors is not significantly related to the level of information asymmetry. Moreover, removing insiders from the board may harm the company because outside directors lack the knowledge and experience to steer the company appropriately. Similarly, blockholders and institutional ownership both have a limited role in information dissemination in the GCC markets. Larger boards are ineffective in information dissemination because communication, coordination, and decision-making problems are greater. However, the interactions between the proxy for the firm’s political connections and corporate governance mechanisms are negatively related to the level of information asymmetry. The results indicate that firms with strong corporate governance and political connections may disseminate more information than firms that are politically unconnected. The results also imply that firm-level governance mechanisms and political connections in the GCC are crucial to improve the level of a firm’s transparency.

The nexus of electricity consumption and economic growth in Gulf Cooperation Council economies: evidence from non-stationary panel data methods

ABSTRACTThis paper investigates the electricity-growth nexus of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries from 1980 to 2014. To achieve the goal of this research, both panel cointegration and causality approaches are utilised to examine the long-term and causal relationships between variables. Empirical results confirm the presence of cointegration between variables. Moreover, this study finds that electricity consumption affects the long-term economic growth. Given that GCC member countries are energy-dependent economies, policies that aim to conserve energy consumption may jeopardise economic growth.

Geothermal energy resources in Oman

Oman's oil and gas reserves are comparatively low relative to those of other Gulf Co-operation Council member countries. This article explores the potential of using geothermal energy resources for electricity generation in Oman. Geothermal energy is counted as a type of renewable energy, which means its availability is not affected by the lack of source and the increasing price of fossil oil. The review of geothermal energy shows that the cost of electricity generation and the emission of greenhouses gases are comparatively lower than for other forms of renewable energy resources. Different types of geothermal plants are discussed with reference to the required temperature for operation of these plants. Binary cycle geothermal power plants are used for low-temperature applications (85–175°C). The temperature of 53 boreholes in Oman is more than 100°C, meaning they can be used in binary geothermal plants for electricity generation. The maximum temperature (173·68°C) is at Petroleum Development Oman well ‘Makarem-I’ located in the northern part of Oman. There is opportunity for Oman to adopt renewable energy resources and explore the potential of geothermal in more detail. This will help the country to reduce its dependency on oil and gas and compete in the region towards adopting renewable energy.

The dramatic rift and crisis between Qatar and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) of June 2017

This paper aims to study the current conflict within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and its potential socioeconomic effects on the union. The GCC has remained a strong union of the six Gulf nations of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, since 1981. The current division is based on accusations of terrorist financing against Qatar by other members Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The paper validates these accusations and studies Qatar’s internal anti-money laundering and combatting terrorist financing mechanisms. The paper also discusses the economic and social value of a united GCC as opposed to internal divisions. This paper employs five-principle analysis to present factual data surrounding the current division between the GCC. First, the paper uses a legal analysis to understand the legislative approach taken by Qatar to combat financing of terrorism. Second, the paper studies the regulatory measures undertaken by Qatar. Third, the legislative and regulatory advance is understood in terms of international standards of AML/CTF, as set by a variety of international and governmental organizations. Fourth, a comparative study between measures enacted by Qatar and other GCC member countries. Fifth, Qatar’s implementation of relevant AML/CTF laws and regulations are studied. Together, the analysis aims to validate the claims levied on Qatar and the potential damages of the claims to the GCC growing socioeconomic partnership. The GCC is an important and integral part of maintaining economic and social stability in the Arabian Gulf. The paper finds evidence that supports deterrence from the accusations levied on Qatar for the underlying validity. The literature also suggests a united GCC in the long-term economic and social interests of the region and the member states. A prolonged continuity of the GCC crisis poses a threat to regional stability and socioeconomic interests of all member states. There is a need to understand the validity of the claims and support or dissuade on the basis of factual arguments. The GCC is an integral part of the global economy, and as such a continuity of severed relationships challenges the potential progress of all member states. The paper employs five qualitative tools to substantiate the accusations against Qatar. The analysis draws from international, regional, and domestic stance on AML/CTF laws and furthers the discussion on implementation of these laws. The paper also determines potential implications of a prolonged crisis on the domestic and regional socioeconomic status. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has been a strong and growing partnership between the six member countries since the Council’s inception in 1981. Recent events have led three members of the GCC—namely Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, along with other Arab League members to severe diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar. The former has levied accusations of terrorist financing on Qatar, which the Gulf country has vehemently denied. The GCC had previously been on a successive track after establishing a free trade and movement zone. The current divide between the members, which is being mediated by the non-aligned GCC members Kuwait and Oman, has persisted since June 2017. There is an immediate need to understand the basis of the accusations and the socioeconomic pressures arising from it. There is a lack of critical assessment literature of Qatar’s AML/CTF regulation and implementation. This paper uses the international framework to assess Qatar’s progress on establishing legal and regulatory tools to promote AML/CTF practices. The paper also uses secondary literature that understands Qatar’s implementation of these practices. There is a need to understand the scope of international frameworks on anti-money laundering and combatting of terrorist financing. Such frameworks are the primary source for understanding factual certainties in the discussion of terrorist financing. The current division within the GCC affects the potential benefits of a united Council and must therefore be addressed through a proper discourse using tools that were created to serve as indicators during such disputes.

Is There A Need For A Free Trade Agreement Between The European Union And Gulf Cooperation Council?

The need for a free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is analyzed in this research project. Trade flows between these two economic blocs are studied to understand the importance of trade for these respective blocs. Failure of the free trade agreement negotiation is attributed to the lack of economic focus and the EU demands to improve human rights in GCC member countries. Based on the secondary sources and data analyses, the primary interest of both economic blocs is to enhance geopolitical influence and not boasting bilateral trade. Despite recent failures, both sides are still committed to increased partnership in the future. It is concluded that an EU-GCC free trade area may be essential for increased cooperation in economic, as well as geopolitical, security, environmental, and cultural arenas.

Science self-beliefs and science achievement of adolescents in Gulf Cooperation Council countries

This study explored the predictive effects of science self-beliefs on science achievement for 24,680 13-year-old students from Gulf Cooperation Council member countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – who participated in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007. The performance of adolescent students in Qatar and Saudi Arabia on the TIMSS 2007 science assessment was significantly below the TIMSS scale average. Adolescent students’ science beliefs had both positive and negative predictive effects on science achievement across the Gulf Cooperation Council member countries.