Browsing by Subject "Saudi Arabia"
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Item Analysis of the size, accessibility, and profitability of international defense sales in times of U.S. budget uncertainty(2015-05) Massey, Daniel Lee; Gholz, Eugene, 1971-; Gilbert, StephenImmediately prior to and following cuts to the U.S. defense budget in 2013, executives and board members from Lockheed Martin, Boeing, BAE Systems, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, and General Dynamics specifically cited the need to increase international sales to make up for lost U.S. revenue. Some statements predict aggressive international growth in the immediate future, while others take a more moderate or long-term approach. The purpose of this paper is to assess whether the international defense market is sufficiently large, accessible, and profitable for U.S. defense companies to maintain or grow overall revenue and profitability in the face of static or shrinking defense budgets in the United States.Item Faculty members’ perception of e-learning in higher education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) (2012-05) Alenezi, Ahmed; Crooks, Steven M.; Maushak, Nancy; Inan, Fethi A.The study employed quantitative research to answer the research questions. The purpose of this study was to investigate faculty members’ attitudes toward e-learning in higher education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the factors influencing their attitudes. This study examined differences in attitude between faculty members based on age, gender, education level, nationality, and teaching experiences. This research was limited to two universities from different locations in the KSA. A Survey questionnaire was used in this study to collect the data. The results showed that there is a difference between the levels of e-learning based on different components of identity. The gender perceptions were the first indication of differences, with perceptions by females being more positive than that of males. This was followed by age differences in which the ages under 44 had a stronger perception of e- learning than those over the ages of 45. The educational level was also noted as being affected by the perceptions of e-learning being stronger with those who had a Bachelor’s degree. The results showed that faculty members who had less teaching experience had a stronger perception than those who had been teaching for more than 10 years. Nationality was also influenced in terms of the positive outlook by non-Saudi. There was an overall positive outlook of e-learning by faculty members with the belief that it is a tool which enhances learning. The responding to the challenges and obstructions of e-learning, participants revealed that a lack of tools and knowledge created impediments to teaching e-learning courses.Item A feasibility study on utility-scale solar integration in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia(2010-05) Krishnamoorthy, Barthram; Spence, David B.; Howari, Fares M.Due to the vast fossil fuel wealth, the country of Saudi Arabia is experiencing a dramatic growth in both population and GDP. Therefore there is a growing demand for water and energy to meet these needs. All of the electricity that is generated is sourced from crude oil and natural gas. All natural gas production is used domestically and there are no net imports or exports. Due to many constrains on the natural gas supply, there is a slow shift in the generation mix going towards crude oil based power generation. This study assessed the viability of utility scale solar integration into the Saudi Arabian electric mix to potentially relieve some demand pressure for natural gas consumption as well as reduce green house gas emissions. Parabolic trough concentrated solar power technology was chosen as the primary technology for utility scale integration. A total of five scenarios were calculated. The scenarios include the following, base case, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% solar integration in terms of installed capacity. Two sets of net present values were calculated. The net present values of each scenario were calculated. A second set of net present values was calculated with a projected increase in electricity prices. The natural gas and crude oil offset from the four solar integration scenarios were calculated using the base case forecasted natural gas and crude oil consumption from power generation. As expected, natural gas and crude oil consumption decreased when there was an increase in solar integration. The expected carbon dioxide offsets were calculated for each scenario. There was a decrease in carbon dioxide emission as solar integration was increased. Finally, all of these analyses were used as criteria for a decision analysis using the analytical hierarchy process. Depending on the decision maker’s importance on the determined criteria, solar integration in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is achievable.Item Fracture Detection and Water Sweep Characterization Using Single-well Imaging, Vertical Seismic Profiling and Cross-dipole Methods in Tight and Super-k Zones, Haradh II, Saudi Arabia(2012-07-16) Aljeshi, Hussain Abdulhadi A.This work was conducted to help understand a premature and irregular water breakthrough which resulted from a waterflooding project in the increment II region of Haradh oilfield in Saudi Arabia using different geophysical methods. Oil wells cannot sustain the targeted oil production rates and they die much sooner than expected when water enters the wells. The study attempted to identify fracture systems and their role in the irregular water sweep. Single-well acoustic migration imaging (SWI), walkaround vertical seismic profiling (VSP) and cross-dipole shear wave measurements were used to detect anisotropy caused by fractures near and far from the borehole. The results from all the different methods were analyzed to understand the possible causes of water fingering in the field and determine the reasons for discrepancies and similarities of results of the different methods. The study was done in wells located in the area of the irregular water encroachment in Haradh II oilfield. Waterflooding was performed, where water was injected in the water injector wells drilled at the flanks of Harahd II toward the oil producer wells. Unexpected water coning was noticed in the west flank of the field. While cross-dipole and SWI measurements of a small-scale clearly identify a fracture oriented N60E in the upper tight zone of the reservoir, the VSP measurements of a large-scale showed a dominating fracture system to the NS direction in the upper highpermeability zone of the same reservoir. These results are consistent with the directions of the three main fracture sets in the field at N130E, N80E and N20E, and the direction of the maximum horizontal stress in the field varies between N50E and N90E. Results suggested that the fracture which is detected by cross-dipole at 2 to 4 ft from the borehole is the same fracture detected by SWI 65 ft away from the borehole. This fracture was described using the SWI as being 110 ft from top to bottom, having an orientation of N60E and having an angle of dip of 12? relative to the vertical borehole axis. The detected fracture is located in the tight zone of the reservoir makes a path for water to enter the well from that zone. On the Other hand, the fractures detected by the large-scale VSP measurements in the NS direction are responsible for the high-permeability in the upper zone of the reservoir.Item The non-commercial objectives of national oil companies(2015-12) McGroary, Lin; Dzienkowski, John S., 1959-; Spence, David B; Taylor, Melinda ENational oil companies (NOCs) play an important role in the international oil and gas industry; collectively NOCs control approximately 90% of worldwide oil reserves. NOC are either wholly or partially owned by their country’s government, and as such can be used as a tool to meet the government’s aims. An NOC can maximize profits, which maximizes revenues to the government, or the government can use the NOC to fulfill its non-commercial goals. This paper focuses on how non-commercial goals affect profitability and make a national oil company more susceptible to corruption. I argue that NOCs that follow non-commercial goals are less likely to be successful commercially; however there are different non-commercial goals that affect commerciality differently. NOCs that follow specific non-commercial goals, such as economic development, are also more susceptible to corruption, this is because these goals lend themselves to governments that are trying to establish political legitimacy. I look at case studies of six different countries (Saudi Arabia, China, Norway, Venezuela, Nigeria and Russia), and their associated NOCs, to establish how non-commercial goals affect the NOCs. Other factors also affect the commerciality of NOCs; factors such as the legal framework of the country, and whether regulations are well established. I conclude by comparing the national oil companies and their non-commercial objectives and exploring the differences between the companies.Item Study of the Hajj to the Holy City and a design of the pilgrims accommodation center in Makkah, Saudi Arabia(1987-08) Alafghani, Abdullah S.Being a native and lifelong resident of MakkahItem Syria and Saudi Arabia in post-Ta'if Lebanon(2011-05) Stedem, Kelly Alicia; Henry, Clement M., 1937-; Ali, KamranThe tiny nation-state of Lebanon has been marred by political instability and violence over the past 35 years. Most scholars blame the consociational structure of the bureaucratic system as the main culprit for the precarious state of the republic. It is an understatement to say that the delicate power-sharing balance divided between the Christian and Muslim sects has been one of the most detrimental elements to government stability and socioeconomic development. Underneath these sectarian affiliations, however, lie numerous patronage systems all vying for power and control over the Lebanese system. These systems not only act to support their Lebanese sectarian leader, but many have reached across the border and found the open hands of foreign powers. The actions of these foreign entities have also constituted a divisive role in undermining the unification of the nation into a cohesive and functioning state, particularly during the post-civil war time period. The end of the 15 year civil war through the passage of the National Reconciliation Accord heralded in a sense of promise for a future free of war and political mismanagement through the abolition of the consociational system. This promise, however, has yet to be fulfilled. This thesis is an examination into the role and impact of Syrian and Saudi Arabian patronage ties in the Lebanese system. By looking at the states through the actions of their clients we can come to a better understanding of both why and how the goals of Ta'if have yet to be achieved and potentially come to understand the needs facing Lebanon's future.Item Themes and concerns of the Saudi Board of Senior Scholars(2016-05) Boville, Bruce Bintliff; Azam, Hina, 1970-; Di-Capua, YoavReligion in Saudi Arabia is undoubtedly a powerful force, but it is unclear to what extent the Saudi religious establishment controls the expression of religion in Saudi Arabia. In many publications, scholars make assumptions about the nature of the relationship between the religious establishment and the state. Some scholars have assumed that the religious scholars (ᶜulemā’) are the true power in Saudi Arabia and it is they who control government policy. Others have claimed that they scholars intentionally stay out of the state’s way and attempt only to affect Saudi civil society or that the scholars simply function as yes-men, legitimizing the state’s actions but lacking any autonomy. Clearly these positions are incommensurable. What, then, is the reality of the relationship between the scholars and the state in the Kingdom? Do the religious scholars control the government or do they limit themselves to simply controlling Saudi civil society? This paper examines the fatwas published by the Saudi Permanent Council for the Issuing of Fatwas (al-lajna al-dā’ima li’l-iftā’) between 2000-2013 in order to determine the primary concerns of the Council and their ability to affect both Saudi society and government. It argues against both positions; this paper will demonstrate that the Council does not attempt to control government policy, it does not simply serve to affirm and legitimize that policy, and it shows little interest in affecting Saudi society in general. In reality, the Council is a religious institution and their concerns are overwhelmingly religious and ritual, rather than political or social. This paper will also use newspaper articles from a variety of sources in Saudi Arabia and the surrounding nations to examine the first stages of an ongoing project known as the “High Values Program” (barnāmaj al-qiyam al-ᶜuliyā’). The stated purpose of the program is to combat the religious rhetoric of groups like ISIS in the region. This paper will use the articles to demonstrate who, even when assisting the government in attempting to control society, the Council’s concerns remain ritual-oriented.