Acceptance of social commerce framework in Saudi Arabia

The objective of the current study was to examine the factors of online purchase intentions through social media websites in Saudi Arabia. The extended unified theory of acceptance and usage of technology (UTAUT2) with the addition of social support, social commerce constructs, and cultural moderators was applied. The data was collected from 310 university students in Saudi Arabia. Using PLS 3.0-SEM, the results revealed that performance expectancy, hedonic motivation, habit, price saving orientation, social support, and social commerce constructs have a positive association with behavioral intentions. These results further validate that facilitating conditions, habit, and behavioral intentions have a positive relationship with the use behavior. The moderating results of cultural dimensions (individualism/collectivism and uncertainty avoidance) have also shown the strong impact of behavioral intentions on use behavior. Technology acceptance has gained much attention in different areas but few studies have applied the UTAUT2 model in the social commerce context. The theoretical and managerial implications of this research are explained.     

Characterization of Some Post-Consumer Thermoplastic Food Packaging Reclaimed from Remote Desert Areas in Saudi Arabia

Discarded plastic food packaging articles taken from the Thomamah desert area near Riyadh in Saudi Arabia were characterized rheologically and thermally. These articles are made of polystyrene (PS), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and polyethyleneterephthalate (PET). The aim was to assess the degradation of these plastic articles caused by prolonged exposure to a harsh desert environment such as sunlight radiation. The reduction in molecular weight of the degraded plastics relative to that of the virgin plastics was estimated from the zero-shear viscosity-molecular weight relationship η₀ = k (M_w)^a. The degradation was more pronounced with PS (THO6C) and PET2 (THO1BS) where the reduction in their molecular weight was estimated to be ～ 23%. There was a lack of sharp transition from glassy to rubbery state at the T_g of the degraded PS (THO6C) in comparison with the behavior of virgin PS. In addition, the degree of crystallinity of degraded PET1 (THO1BW) and degraded HDPE (THO2BW) was less than that of the virgin PET1 and virgin HDPE.     

Potential of geothermal energy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has rich geothermal energy resources. In Saudi Arabia, the studies on geothermal resources exploration were started in 1980. Saudi Arabia is among the most geothermally active countries in the Middle East. The geothermal power plants are not yet installed in Saudi Arabia. Some direct-use low-grade geothermal applications are already installed in the five last years. Some refreshment and swimming pools are already constructed in the Bani Malik-Jizan area. Geothermal energy can be utilized in various forms such as direct use, electricity generation, space heating, heat pumps, greenhouse heating, and industrial usage. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia government has plans to become completely powered by difference forms of renewable energy such as solid waste, solar, geothermal, and wind.     

沙特B区块SHEEH构造带古生界成藏条件分析

沙特B区块中央凹陷SHEEH构造带古生界烃源岩主要为志留系Qusaiba段底部的一套静海相富含有机质页岩(Hot Shale),气源条件较好;储层主要为奥陶系Sarah组砂岩,属冰川沉积,具有特低孔特低渗非均质性强的特征;其区域性盖层为Sarah组之上的志留系Qusaiba组浅一半深海环境沉积的巨厚泥岩夹薄层粉砂岩,封闭性好;烃源岩大量排烃期为三叠-白垩纪,而Sarah组圈闭成型于志留系初,定型于白垩纪,二者在时空上匹配较好,烃类向下通过岩石孔隙注入Sarah组储层,因其盖层条件好,后期又未受到构造活动破坏,因而成藏于三叠纪-白垩纪的Sarah组圈闭致密气藏得以保存.针对Sarah组储层特征,建议应用最新的地球物理技术方法对地震资料进行特殊处理,弄清储层展布规律,寻找“甜点”进行钻探.     

Assessing Molecular Signature for Some Potential Date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Cultivars from Saudi Arabia, Based on Chloroplast DNA Sequences rpoB and psbA-trnH

Phoenix dactylifera L. (date palm), being economically very important, is widely cultivated in the Middle East and North Africa, having about 400 different cultivars. Assessment of date cultivars under trading and farming is a widely accepted problem owing to lack of a unique molecular signature for specific date cultivars. In the present study, eight different cultivars of dates viz., Khodry, Khalas, Ruthana, Sukkari, Sefri, Segae, Ajwa and Hilali were sequenced for rpoB and psbA-trnH genes and analyzed using bioinformatics tools to establish a cultivar-specific molecular signature. The combined aligned data matrix was of 1147 characters, of which invariable and variable sites were found to be 958 and 173, respectively. The analysis clearly reveals three major groups of these cultivars: (i) Khodary, Sefri, Ajwa, Ruthana and Hilali (58% BS); (ii) Sukkari and Khalas (64% BS); and (iii) Segae. The economically most important cultivar Ajwa showed similarity with Khodary and Sefri (67% BS).The sequences of the date cultivars generated in the present study showed bootstrap values between 38% and 70% so these sequences could be carefully used as molecular signature for potential date cultivars under trading and selection of genuine cultivars at the seedling stage for farming.     

Assessing safety measures in residential buildings in Saudi Arabia

The incidence rate of fire in residential buildings in Saudi Arabia accounts for 69% of all building fires. A field assessment of current safety issues for residential buildings in Saudi Arabia is used to identify common safety deficiencies. The survey showed that most residents are ignorant many safety aspects in their homes. A safety audit checklist for assessing the effectiveness of safety measures in existing residential buildings is also presented. Based on these findings, a number of strategies for designers, local authorities, building owners and residents is suggested.     

Important causes of delay in public utility projects in Saudi Arabia

This study was conducted to determine the most important causes of delay in public utility projects, based on the frequency and severity of the causes. A survey of randomly selected samples of contractors, consultants, and owners was carried out to assess the frequency of occurrence and the severity of impact of sixty potential delay causes. A frequency index and a severity index were determined for each cause. An importance index for each cause was then computed as the product of the frequency and severity indices. The results showed that the three parties surveyed generally agree on the importance ranking of delay causes. The causes were grouped also into six major categories of delay. The analysis showed lack of agreement among the parties on the ranking of the major categories of delay.     

Main Controls on Hydrocarbon Accumulation in the Paleozoic in Central Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is renown for its rich oil and gas resources with the bulk of the reserves reservoired in the Mesozoic. However, the discovery of Paleozoic fields in the late 1980s has encouraged further exploration in the Paleozoic. This paper reviews the salient features of the Paleozoic petroleum geology in central Saudi Arabia and discusses the main factors controlling hydrocarbon accumulation in the Paleozoic. The Lower Silurian Qusaiba hot shale is the principal source rock for the hydrocarbons discovered in the Ordovician to Permian reservoirs. Of them, the Permo-Carboniferous Unayzah and Upper Ordovician Sarah Formations have the best exploration potential. The key factors controlling hydrocarbon accumulation in the Unayzah Formation are migration pathways and reservoir petrophysics. The key factors controlling hydrocarbon accumulation in the Sarah Formation are reservoir petrophysics and the development of structural traps.     

Problematic sabkha – a potential source of fresh water

The hazards associated with construction on sabkha soils may include strength reduction, soil subsidence as a consequence of the dissolution of salts, corrosive action caused by the salinity of the soil and groundwater, heave during salt recrystallization, flooding due to the low rate of infiltration into sabkha soils and groundwater rise in urbanized areas. As a consequence, extensive sabkha areas along both the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf coasts have been left undeveloped. Some of the sabkha areas that have been built on are now suffering from one or more of these hazards. Nevertheless, sabkha terrain may be a useful resource for minerals and fresh water. The paper reports a trial to investigate the possible industrial utilization of the sabkha resources at Al-Lith on the Red Sea coast. The results indicate that by using a solar still the sabkha can provide a renewable source of fresh water, Na, K and Mg. Electronic Publication     

Toward a sustainable land management of vernacular landscape in the highlands of south-western Saudi Arabia: indigenous and statutory experiences

The vernacular landscape of the highlands of south-western Saudi Arabia comprises three distinct elements: natural, agricultural and built. The highlands are currently facing land use planning problems which result in deforestation, despite significant attempts at afforestation by several governmental agencies (especially the Ministry of Agriculture and Water) and by municipal governments in the area. Intentions towards more sustainable forms of land management now characterize official documents. With regard to landscape issues, this is marked by a discourse of sustainable land management and the sponsorship of initiatives addressing the relationship between land management and the environment. This paper demonstrates that the approach to sustainable land management is technical, rational and scientific. A more balanced approach would combine scientific knowledge and practice with traditional expertise.