Saudi Arabia is an oil-reliant nation as a large percentage of its GDP comes from oil resources. Oil dependency leaves a county at the mercy of the international crude market, and a decrease in the price of crude can seriously destabilize the economy of such nations. An example is the case of Venezuela whose dependence on oil caused a national disaster (McCarthy, 2017). As such, the nation’s exports, GDP, and government revenue are primarily dependent on oil revenue, and the recent decrease in the oil prices has decreased Venezuela’s national revenue resulting in economic collapse as well as inflation. A shift from a resource based economy to a knowledge based economy will help Saudi Arabia become less reliant on its oil revenues for its economic stability and growth (Nurunnabi, 2017).

The rodents of Saudi Arabia consist of 20 species and 12 genera within four families (Gliridae, Dipodidae, Muridae, and Hystricidae). Details on the past and present distribution of the rodents were included along with available data on their habitat preference and biology. The eastern central part of Saudi Arabia covering Tuwiq mountains plateau, including the vicinity of Riyadh, hosts the highest number of rodent species. Analysis of the rodent fauna of Saudi Arabia revealed that they have four major zoogeographical affinities; Palaearctic-Oriental (one species), Afrotropical- Palaearctic (six species), Palaearctic (four species), endemic to Saudi Arabia and Yemen (three species), Afrotropical-Palaearctic-Oriental (three species) and three cosmopolitan species. According to the National Red List, the Euphrates Jerboa, S. euphratica, is listed as Endangered, Near Threatened for the Indian Crested Porcupine, H. indica, three species as Data Deficient, while the rest are considered as Least Concern.

The objective of this research is to ascertain the elements that have an impact on and drive domestic violence in Saudi Arabia, a phenomenon that has a prevalence rate of around 35% among women globally. The researchers administered a survey to a sample of 550 individuals and using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to analyze the collected data. The findings revealed three factors: lack of familial unity, encouragement of detrimental characteristics, and economic turmoil. The authors examined the consequences of these characteristics on preventive and intervention programs and proposed suggestions for policy makers and researchers. This research enhances the existing body of knowledge on domestic violence by doing a statistical analysis to examine the factors that lead to it and the resulting outcomes within a particular cultural setting.

The use of mobile phones has increased dramatically among drivers in multiple countries in the past few years. The primary objective of this study was to measure the prevalence of cell phone use while driving in Saudi Arabia and to find whether there is a relationship between car accidents and the use of mobile phones while driving. The secondary objective was to explore general knowledge and attitudes toward traffic regulations related to cell phone usage while driving. This is a cross-sectional study conducted among 585 drivers in Saudi Arabia using a self-reported online survey distributed through social media channels. Our results showed that 78.6% of the participants acknowledged that they use the phone while driving. The percentage who reported car accidents involving them or their friends or relatives while using the phone while driving was 43.8%, along with 71.8% mentioning near misses. The percentage of respondents who thought that using a mobile phone while driving had a strong impact on the driver’s ability to drive was 31.5%. This study highlights the importance of raising awareness about risks of using Mobile phones during driving in Saudi Arabia and it recommends harsher penalties to reduce the use of mobile phones while driving.

Introduction Most cases of COVID-19 coronavirus infection occurred in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of December 2019 in the form of acute pneumonia. COVID-19 virus infects people of all ages. The most affected elderly people with underlying medical conditions. This may cause various symptoms such as fever, difficulty breathing, lung infection, coughing and sneezing. Aim The aim of the present study to highlight the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. Method A search was conducted using the relevant keywords to retrieve the studies conducted in Saudi Arabia regarding COVID-19. The search was by Google Scholar, Pub MED, and Twitter. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic carries multiple-risk, and public health groups, such as the United States' Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), are monitoring the pandemic and posting updates on their website. These groups have also made recommendations on disease prevention and treatment, and according to the Saudi Centres for Disease Control, they have also included the necessary public health measures for mandatory reporting by calling a certain number and through the e-health monitoring network.

The Saudi Vision 2030 is critical to boosting national development, notably in the construction industry. The construction industry is getting a lot of attention in a variety of ways, the most visible of which is the promotion of best practices, including project management office (PMO) applications. Hail province, like others, is experiencing project delivery issues. Thus, the purpose of this research is to explore the suitable PMO model for Hail public construction projects. A literature review included the drive factors for establishing PMO in construction firms, as well as PMO models and typologies that describe functions. Therefore, those drive factors and PMO models were subjected to a focus group to explore their suitability in the context of Hail. The research findings reveal that the Enterprise PMO is the main for Hail public construction pro-jects, followed respectively by the Program Management Office model and the Project Management Center of Excellence (PMCOE). This method of selection a PMO model is driving construction companies and related businesses to change in order to improve the sector while also ad-dressing construction project delivery challenges in Hail province.

Background: Exposure to chronic low levels of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination can lead to immune suppression and nutritional consequences that might greatly contributed in the increase of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The toxicity of AFB1 is greatly vary between different population, affected by age, gender, and environmental factors. Material and subjects: Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was measured in 50 blood samples collected from non B, C hepatitis viruses and non CMV-Ab liver disease patients from different general hospitals and polyclinic in KSA during period 01-2013 to 06-2014. All Patients demonstrate elevation of ALT and AST with unknown etiology. Serum samples were obtained and kept at −20 °C for AFB1detection. Results: Out of the 50 blood samples, 38 demonstrate a detectable serum level of AFB1 while the remaining 12 patients were AFB1 negative and used as control participants. While AST was non-significantly different in AFB1 exposed patients, ALT was significantly higher in AFB1 positive samples compared to control AFB1-negative. AFB1 was positively correlated with AST and ALT as liver function enzymes and with age as a risk factor of long duration of AFB1 chronic exposure. Multiple linear regression analysis ascertained the association between AFB1 chronic exposure and ALT increase in liver dysfunction Saudi patients. Conclusion: Measurement of elevated ALT as marker of liver injury in AFB1 chronically exposed Saudi patients can help to avoid the future development of HCC. Moreover, early detection of AFB1 exposure, together with early vaccination against HBV and HCV can remove the synergistic effects of these two etiological factors and thus decrease the risk of developing liver cancer.

From the moment the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic disease, COVID-19 began to affect the lives of many healthcare providers worldwide. In response to this pandemic, urology departments and training residency programs implemented urgent measures to reduce outpatient clinics, adopted the use of telemedicine, regulated emergency and outpatient urological procedures, promoted the use of operating theatres, and developed the use of sustainable e-learning alternatives to traditional urology resident/staff educational activities. Here, we review the response of urologists in Saudi Arabia to the COVID-19 pandemic and how they applied both for the patients and for the healthcare of urologist personnel.

Background: The medical workforce plays a pivotal role in advancing human health, particularly within the healthcare system of Saudi Arabia. While the government-employed healthcare providers form the central structure of the system and offer free healthcare services, the private healthcare sector is also witnessing significant growth. In parallel, the field of child neurology has experienced notable transformations in recent years, with continued expansion. This expansion brings forth a range of challenges for both current and future pediatric neurologists, necessitating careful consideration and proactive measures to address them. Aim of the study: This study aims to analyze the current challenges faced by the pediatric neurology workforce. Methods: In May 2023, a community-based exploratory study was conducted involving 82 practicing pediatric neurologists as well as pediatric neurology trainees across the 13 regions of Saudi Arabia. A comprehensive 26-item questionnaire, divided into four sections, was utilized to assess the participants. Results: The survey received responses from a total of 82 pediatric neurologists in Saudi Arabia (response rate 55.03%), with 38 (46.34%) being male and 44 (53.66%) being female. The mean age was 33±1.225 years. The majority of participants practiced in major cities such as Riyadh and Jeddah. Around two-thirds had published three or fewer research articles. Approximately 30% were enrolled in a fellowship program. Nearly 50% of pediatric neurologists experienced some form of delay in obtaining their first job, ranging from 1 to 36 months. Conclusion: The landscape of the pediatric neurology workforce is currently witnessing noteworthy demographic shifts. With a majority of practitioners concentrated in major cities, there exists an ongoing demand for qualified professionals in peripheral areas. The study underscores the real-life challenges faced by pediatric neurologists, particularly the delay in securing employment after graduation, and underscores the critical importance of addressing these persistent issues along the journey of pediatric neurology.

The demand for renewable energy is increasing globally due to concerns about climate change, pollution, and the finite nature of fossil fuel resources, as renewable energy has been recognized as a significant factor in realizing sustainable development. The government of Saudi Arabia adopted the reduction of fossil fuel subsidies policy as a financial motivation for supporting both the production and consumption of fossil fuels. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the influence and shocks of Saudi’s financial development indicators on renewable energy consumption (REC). And to examine the track of causality between financial development indicators and REC. The study covers the annual data period of 1990-2021 and applies the Basic Vector Autoregressive model (VAR), Granger causality test, forecast error variance decomposition (FEVD), and impulse response function (IRF). The results imply that the financial development indicators have a significant positive impact on REC. The results of causality between REC and financial development indicators were conflicting. The results reveal that REC variation is explained by its innovative shocks and has a positive response to shocks in financial development. Authorities can encourage investment in renewable energy consumption by providing financial incentives also the governments can foster national and international partnerships between investors, policymakers, and industry stakeholders. Employing different determinants of financial development indicators and incorporating population factors in the REC function will be highly recommended for forming the renewable energy demand in Saudi Arabia.

This qualitative study aims at identifying the essence of personal experiences of accounting partners in Saudi Arabia. For this phenomenology approach employs to understand the lived experience of accounting partners and how would such experience affect their career. It mainly aims to explore the different experiences of fifteen (15) Saudi partners working in various accounting companies in Saudi Arabia. The interviews conducted to explore the most important challenges and difficulties for accountants to become a partner, and the most important job skills that the partners must have. This study found that there is urgent need for a number of things, including the required number of years of experience to become a partner, and to make sure that the partners are having the right education and professionally qualified. In addition, other different skills that the partner must have include responsible leadership, professional communication, good marketing skills and excellent command of English. Moreover, this research is vital for the concerned parties to identify the current challenges in the accounting profession in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The article is devoted to a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications reflecting trends in scientific publications related to the energy transition of leading universities in Saudi Arabia. The universities were selected based on the presence of joint publications with the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, they are: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, and King Saud University. The importance of studying the experience of Saudi Arabia for Russia in the context of the energy transition was highlighted. The analysis was based on Scopus platform data related to Subject Areas: Physical Sciences. Scientists from Saudi Arabian universities are increasingly publishing with co-authors from China, India, Egypt, Pakistan, and Malaysia, while maintaining high interaction with co-authors from the United States, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. Authors from the Russian Federation publish poorly with co-authors from Saudi Arabia. The trends in the topics of scientific publications were investigated, and their connection with the renewable energy topic was shown. The VOSviewer software was used to determine the main research areas using the cluster analysis method based on the co-occurrence of key terms. The analysis was done for both Author's keywords and Index keywords of the Scopus system. Graphical representation of the final choice of terms to describe research trends was proposed. TRANSLATE with x English ArabicHebrewPolish BulgarianHindiPortuguese CatalanHmong DawRomanian Chinese SimplifiedHungarianRussian Chinese TraditionalIndonesianSlovak CzechItalianSlovenian DanishJapaneseSpanish DutchKlingonSwedish EnglishKoreanThai EstonianLatvianTurkish FinnishLithuanianUkrainian FrenchMalayUrdu GermanMalteseVietnamese GreekNorwegianWelsh Haitian CreolePersian TRANSLATE with COPY THE URL BELOW Back EMBED THE SNIPPET BELOW IN YOUR SITE Enable collaborative features and customize widget: Bing Webmaster Portal Back

This cross-sectional survey assessed the resilient coping levels and their relationship with the socio-demographic characteristics of nursing professionals in Saudi Arabia. Adult (≥18 years) registered nurses and practicing for ≥1 year were included. Resilient coping levels (as assessed via a 4-item Brief Resilience Coping Scale; BRCS) and socio-demographic and other characteristics data were collected. Descriptive analysis and ordinal logistic regressions were used to analyze the data. Further, the psychometric properties of the BRCS were reported. A total of 216 nursing professionals were included. The mean BRCS score was 14.6 (standard deviation=3.6), with most nursing professionals (62.5%) reporting medium to high resilience coping levels. The ordinal logistic regression model demonstrated that increasing age (p=0.002), best overall health (p=0.001), and nurses posted in the outpatient department (p=0.049) and intensive care unit (p=0.032) had significantly high resilient coping levels. The internal consistency of the BRCS was good (Cronbach’s alpha=0.80). In summary, nursing professionals in Saudi Arabia showed medium resilient coping levels. Moreover, this study suggests that BRCS is a psychometrically reliable and adequate tool for assessing resilience coping levels and provides valuable insights into the relationship between resilient coping levels and socio-demographic characteristics of the nursing professionals in Saudi Arabia.

High nitrate and fluoride contamination in groundwater cause a variety of disorders, including methemoglobinemia, teratogenesis, and dental and skeletal fluorosis. The present work assesses the non-carcinogenic health risks posed by nitrate and fluoride in infants, children, and adults using the USEPA method. Groundwater samples were collected from 36 wells and boreholes in three central Saudi Arabia study areas. Nitrate concentrations varied from 0.70 to 47.00 mg/L. None of the 36 studied boreholes had nitrate levels that exceeded WHO guidelines (50.00 mg/L). Fluoride ranged from 0.63 to 2.00 mg/L, and 30.55% of the fluoride samples (11 out of 36) exceeded the WHO recommendations for acceptable drinking water (1.5 mg/L). The average hazard index (HI) values for adults, children, and infants were 0.99, 2.59, and 2.77, respectively. Water samples surpassed the safety level of 1 for adults, children, and infants at 44.44, 97.22, and 100%, respectively. Accordingly, water samples from Jubailah and a few from Wadi Nisah may expose infants, children, and adults to non-cancer health concerns. Infants and children are more vulnerable to non-carcinogenic health risks than adults, possibly due to their lower body weight.

This study delves into the intricate interplay of economic growth components, specifically focusing on Consumption and investment in Saudi Arabia from 2000 to 2022. Employing vector error correction models and cointegration techniques, we analyze the short- and long-term dynamics within the relationship of Consumption, investment, and economic growth. Granger causality analysis is also used to discern these pivotal variables' causal connections. Our empirical analysis reveals a persistent long-term cointegration relationship among the variables, underscoring the enduring nature of their interdependency. Furthermore, our findings highlight Consumption and investment's statistically significant positive impact on economic growth. Notably, the short-term analysis unveils a stable model characterized by an annual adjustment to equilibrium of 100%.Moreover, the Granger causality study demonstrates unidirectional causal linkages between Consumption, investment, and economic growth. These findings hold substantial implications for policy formulation in Saudi Arabia. Policymakers must grasp the ramifications of burgeoning prosperity and evolving private consumption patterns on future environmental outcomes. Achieving sustainable long-term results necessitates equal emphasis on bolstering private Consumption and fostering other facets of economic growth.

Migraine is a primary headache disorder with a prevalence of 11.6% globally and 27% in Saudi Arabia. Irritable bowel syndrome has a prevalence of 9.2% worldwide. The prevalence of IBS has not been established nationally. However, provincial studies for both migraine and IBS have been conducted across the nation. There is a significant link between migraines and IBS globally. This identifies an association that needs to be investigated in a nationwide manner. This study aims to observe the association and the relationship between migraine and irritable bowel syndrome in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted between March 2021 to June 2021 among the general population of Saudi Arabia, whose ages are 15 years old or greater. The data collection tools included MS-Q for migraine symptoms, MIGSEV scale for severity of migraine, and The IBS module of the Rome IV Diagnostic Questionnaire (R4DQ) for IBS symptoms and its subtype. With a total of 2802 participants, the majority of the study sample were males, who constituted 52.5%. Among the study's sample, the prevalence of migraine consisted of 27.4%, and the prevalence of IBS was 16.4%. The odds of having IBS in migraineurs were much higher than in those without migraines (OR 4.127; 95% CI 3.325-5.121), and the association was statistically significant (P<0.001). In conclusion, there is a strong association between migraine and irritable bowel syndrome in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Countries around the world are facing extraordinary challenges in implementing various measures to slow down the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Guided by international recommendations, Saudi Arabia has implemented a series of infection control measures after the detection of the first confirmed case in the country. However, in order for these measures to be effective, public attitudes and compliance must be conducive as perceived risk is strongly associated with health behaviors. The primary objective of this study is to assess Saudis’ attitudes towards COVID-19 preventive measures to guide future health communication content. Methods: Naïve Bayes machine learning model was used to run Arabic sentiment analysis of Twitter posts through the Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK) library in Python. Tweets containing hashtags pertaining to seven public health measures imposed by the government were collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 53,127 tweets were analyzed. All measures, except one, showed more positive tweets than negative. Measures that pertain to religious practices showed the most positive sentiment. Discussion: Saudi Twitter users showed support and positive attitudes towards the infection control measures to combat COVID-19. It is postulated that this conducive public response is reflective of the overarching, longstanding popular confidence in the government. Religious notions may also play a positive role in preparing believers at times of crises. Findings of this study broadened our understanding to develop proper public health messages and promote stronger compliance with control measures to control COVID-19.

This study investigates the impact of intellectual capital on the sustainable performance of banks in Saudi Arabia, focusing on the period from 2012 to 2022. Utilizing data from ten major Saudi banks, the research examines how different components of intellectual capital—Human Capital Efficiency (HCE), Structural Capital Efficiency (SCE), and Capital Employed Efficiency (CEE)—influence key financial performance indicators such as Return on Equity (ROE) and Net Profit Margin (NPM). The study is grounded in the resource-based view of the firm, which suggests that a firm’s internal resources can provide a sustainable competitive advantage. The analysis employs panel data techniques, including fixed and random effects models, to assess the relationships between intellectual capital components and bank performance while controlling for variables like bank size, financial leverage, GDP growth, inflation, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings reveal that intellectual capital significantly enhances bank performance in Saudi Arabia, with human capital efficiency showing the most decisive influence on ROE and NPM. Structural capital and capital employed efficiency also contribute positively but vary in their impact on different performance measures. This research contributes to the theoretical and practical understanding of the role of intellectual capital in promoting sustainable banking practices. It underscores the importance of strategic management of intellectual capital in enhancing financial performance and achieving sustainability goals, particularly in the context of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. The study's insights are relevant for bank managers and policymakers who leverage intellectual capital for economic diversification and sustainable development.

COVID-19 poses a significant burden to healthcare systems. Healthcare organisations with a better health innovation infrastructure have faced a reduced burden and achieved success in curbing COVID-19. In Saudi Arabia, digital technologies have played a vital role in fighting SARS-CoV-2 transmission. In this paper, we aimed to summarise the experience of optimising digital health technologies in Saudi Arabia as well as discuss capabilities and opportunities during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. A literature review was conducted up to September 2021 to retrieve peer-reviewed articles that critique the use of digital health technology platforms (DHTPs) in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 outbreak. A small but significant body of literature examined the digital response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. Health officials succeeded in optimising and maintaining a strategy to mitigate the spread of the virus via different digital technologies, such as mobile health applications, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. The quick digital response in Saudi Arabia was facilitated by governmental support and considering users and technology determinants. Future research must concentrate on establishing and updating the guidelines for using DHTPs.

Objective Objective of the study was to evaluate the public perception and acceptance of community pharmacists in providing mental health support in Saudi Arabia during COVID-19. Methods An online questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was carried out among the general public (aged 15 years or above) of Saudi Arabia during March-April 2020 using QuestionPro platform. The validated questionnaire was bilingual (English and Arabic), simple, detailed, and relevant to obtain focused responses from participants. Importantly, an item related to an agreement on a statement “Pharmacist can counsel people on psychological issues” was included on a five-point Likert scale. The survey link was shared across multiple social media platforms. Results A total of 773 participants completed the survey. The majority were female (65.2%) and youngsters (48.1%). Nearly half of the participants disagreed, while 19% agreed that pharmacists could provide support on psychological issues. Factors such as age, employment status, and the management of the psychological issues during the pandemic were significantly associated with the acceptance of community pharmacists’ role in providing mental health services (p

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), residential buildings’ energy consumption accounts for almost 50% of the building stock electricity consumption. The electricity generation consumes over one-third of the daily oil production. KSA was ranked as one of the highest countries in fossil fuel consumption per capita in 2014. Moreover, the KSA’s economy heavily relies on fossil fuel sources, namely oil reservoirs, whereby depletion will negatively affect the future development of the country. The total electricity consumption is annually growing by approximately 5-8%, which would lead to identical oil consumption to oil production in 2035. Currently, the KSA government is concerned to generate more renewable energy using large renewable energy plants. The government is investing in energy generation through renewable sources, by financing large scale photovoltaic farms to stop an economic crisis that may occur in 2035. The existing building stock consumes around 80% of the total current Saudi electricity that is generated. According to the Saudi energy efficiency report, the primary energy consumption per capita is over three times higher than the world average. Therefore, the residential buildings need further assessment as to their current energy consumption. This research used a survey to explore current user behaviour in residential buildings energy performance in the city of Jeddah, KSA. The findings of the survey showed: • The buildings thermal properties were found to be poorly designed • The majority of users within the buildings prefer a room temperature of below 24 °C, which requires a massive amount of cooling • Due to the climate conditions and the cultural aspects of KSA, housing units are occupied for more than 18 hours per day • An increase in user awareness has helped to slightly improve residential buildings energy efficiency Knowing the current high energy consumption sources and causes and being able to define available opportunities for further developments on building thermal properties enhancements and how to increase user awareness to reach self-sustaining buildings is essential.

The number of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia (SA) has gradually increased, particularly in the construction industry, where migrant workers make up 89% of the workforce. They continue to experience exposure to dangerous working conditions and increased risk for occupational injury and hazards due to the work they tra-ditionally perform. To address this challenge, this study explores the differences between migrant and domestic workers’ injury and occupational accident rates in SA’s construction industry. Data were analysed from 121,999 (98.7% migrant and 1.28% domestic workers) reported accidents and injuries obtained from the General Or-ganisation for Social Insurance (GOSI) between 2014 and 2019. Chi-square test was used to examine the asso-ciations of occupational accidents and injuries among migrant and domestic workers. Migrant workers suffered more falls, strikes, collisions, rubbing and abrasions (damage caused by scraping, producing wounds), bodily reactions (e.g., reaction to chemicals), and car accidents than domestic workers. The results also show that migrant workers aged 30-39 and domestic workers 20-29 experienced more severe injuries and increased seasonal mortality throughout the six-year period examined. In addition, domestic workers achieved a higher proportion of full recovery across all types of accidents except transport and car accidents. The findings emphasise the need for ongoing safety education, training, and improved safety measures to protect the health and safety of construction workers, especially migrant workers.

Ionospheric perdition studies are very few over Saudi Arabia due to less availability of data measurement. Although such kind of studies have been carried out all over the world, there still remains scope to ascertain prediction error in this country. Hence, in the current study, the ionospheric variation from April 2016 to February 2018 (almost 22 months) was studied over a GPS site HALY (29.140N; 36.10 0E), Al-Jouf, Saudi Arabia. Diurnal, monthly and seasonal ionospheric variations were investigated and compared with the existing global IRI (IRI 2012 and IRI 2016) models. Percentage deviation between observed and modeled TEC variation values indicated large-scale deviation around 200% during the time of storm. Results showed that the IRI 2012 model had the lowest Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) value (2.7437) during the September Equinox while IRI-2016 showed the highest RMSE magnitudes (3.0166) during the December Solstice. In some seasons, the RMSE values were observed to be better for IRI 2012 while on other occasions, it emerged that IRI 2016 yielded more accurate results. Such variations indicate that even the most updated version of the IRI 2016 model is unable to provide perfect estimation and the requirement of further research and improvement in this field cannot be denied.

Agricultural activities profoundly affect groundwater levels in Saudi Arabia. The Al Kharj and Wadi Sahba areas, central Saudi Arabia, produce groundwater mainly from the Jurassic Arab/Jubaila aquifer and the overlying Cretaceous Biyadh aquifer. A geographic information system analysis and linear regression analyses show that from 1978 to 2016, significant agricultural overexploitation of the area’s fossil groundwater was associated with groundwater level drops of ~104 m in Al Kharj and ~48 m in Wadi Sahba. The estimated total volume of groundwater withdrawal across both aquifers during this period of wheat and alfalfa irrigation was ~27 billion m3. Landsat image analysis shows that agricultural land use decreased by ~66% over the same period due to overexploitation. The 2016 phase-out of alfalfa farming was associated with increases in groundwater levels: ~26 m in the Arab/Jubaila aquifer and ~3 m in the Biyadh aquifer. This recovery was likely due to lateral flow from surrounding fossil water within the aquifer given the absence of significant surface recharge. Model-based evaluation of surface recharge of the aquifer reveals very low potential for surface infiltration, with almost no recharge into the deep aquifer. Assuming that recovery continues at the present rate, the average groundwater level for the Arab/Jubaila aquifer is expected to reach 98 m below ground level in 2025 and 74 m below ground level in 2030.

Abstract: Objective: Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is an emerging psychiatric disorder that has received attention over the past decade. Few studies have attempted to describe this disorder in the Saudi population. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of IGD and associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted using translated Arabic and a validated questionnaire targeting both genders in Saudi Arabia. Methodology: A cross-sectional study using a validated questionnaire (IGD-20) and targeting Arabic-speaking children, youth, and transitional age including both genders. A snowball approach was used to sample our population using an electronic survey. Logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with IGD diagnosis. The study was guided by the STROBE statement. Results: Among 419 individuals who participated in the study, 171 were classified as non-IGD, 167 were at risk for IGD (RIGD), and 72 were IGD. There is no significant association between IGD diagnosis and gender, nationality, residence, and family income. Time playing per week was significantly associated with IGD diagnosis (X2=49.256, p<0.01). There is a significant association between IGD-20 groups and categorical age groups (X2=10.096, p<0.01). Among our sample, the percentages of males (54.2%) and females (45.8%) who met the criteria for IGD were comparable. Conclusion: IGD and RIGD prevalence was significantly high in both age groups. Both males and females were affected similarly.

Hand hygiene is among the most important factors of infection control in healthcare settings. Healthcare workers are considered the primary source of hospital acquired infection. We assessed the current state of hand hygiene knowledge, perception and practice among the healthcare workers in Qassim, Saudi Arabia. In this cross-sectional study we used the hand hygiene knowledge and perception questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization. Knowledge and perceptions were classified into good (80 – 100%), moderate (60 – 79%) and poor (<60% score). Majority of the healthcare workers had moderate knowledge (57.8%) and perception (73.4%) of hand hygiene. Males were less likely to have moderate/good knowledge compared to females (OR: 0.52, p<.05). Private healthcare workers were less likely (OR: 0.33, p<0.01) to have moderate/good perception compared to the government healthcare workers. Healthcare workers who received training on hand hygiene were 3.2 times likely (p<.05) to have good/moderate perception and 3.8 times likely (p<0.05) to routinely use alcohol-based hand-rub than the ones without such training. Physicians were 4.9 times likely (p<0.05) to routinely use alcohol-based hand-rub than the technicians. Our research highlighted gaps on hand hygiene knowledge and perception and practice among healthcare workers in Qassim and importance of training in this regard.

Background: Poisoning is a challenging medical condition facing health care providers, as it usually results in serious outcomes in terms of morbidities or mortalities. Poisoning is a challenging medical condition facing health care providers, as it usually results in serious outcomes in terms of morbidities or mortalities. The lack of or inadequate information about the circumstances, substances and populations at risk are considered barriers to the actual prevention of poisoning and effective intervention strategies in Saudi Arabia. The aim of the current study was to describe the pattern and determinants of chemical and drug overdose poisoning in Makkah.Subjects and methods: All reports of chemical and drug overdose poisoning delivered to the Environmental Health and Occupational Safety Department in Makkah over two years (2018-2019) were reviewed.Results: The total number of cases reported in 2018 was 209 cases, while it reached 42 cases in 2019. The overwhelming majority of the cases were Saudi (91.6%), with a slight predominance of males (57.4%) over females (42.6%). Generally, almost two-thirds of the cases occurred in children below 13 years (61.4%), most of the poisoning cases resulted from drug overdose (63.3%), while 34.7% were chemical poisoning. The most common drug poisoning was attributed to analgesics followed by antiepileptics, antihypertensive drugs, antipsychotics and antimicrobials, while cleaning and detergent agents were the most commonly poisoned chemicals. The majority of these agents were taken by the oral route. Children's chemical poisoning was significantly higher than that in older age groups (p<0.05). All intentional poisoning occurred in adults; the great majority of them (88.9%) used drug overdosing rather than chemical substances.Conclusion and recommendations: The current study results are consistent with most of the previous studies carried out in different regions of Saudi Arabia. Further in-depth studies are needed to elaborate other social and demographic factors associated with chemical and drug overdose poisoning. Public health plans, policies and legislations should be implemented to reduce these factors. Intensive supervision of children is needed. Suicidal poisoning patients should seek psychiatric help to limit the possibility of attempting suicide again in the future. Furthermore, efforts are needed to plan and implement health education programs about the factors proven in the current study to be significantly related to chemical and drug overdose poisoning.

Landslides in the hilly regions of Al‐Madinah Al‐Munawarah are a natural hazard that endangers both infrastructure and human lives. The objective of this work is to create maps that show the likelihood of landslides occurring on the Al Figrah Road, which is a vital road connects the cities of Al‐Madinah and Yanbu. This will be done using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) approach. The landslide susceptibility maps have been created by taking into account various parameters such as elevation, slope, aspect, drainage density, lithology, soil, and precipitation. Assess the significance of these thematic layers in relation to the frequency of landslides in the research area based on historical landslide data and field verification, in order to allocate suitable weights. The sensitivity maps of the study region delineated areas with low risk (93,552,333 m2), moderate risk (271,180,722 m2), and high risk (33,053,839 m2). 28.63% of the Al Figrah total Road is classified as low risk, 48.09% as moderate risk, and 23.28% as high risk. A total of 10 landslides were identified in areas with steep slopes and denudational hills, confirming the findings of the AHP analysis conducted in high‐risk zones. The integrity of these slide zones was greatly impacted by the presence of joints, faults, foliation, and shear zones within igneous and metamorphic rocks. Examining the susceptibility of landslides in this region enhances our understanding of landslides on other steep routes in Saudi Arabia.

Objectives: Isolated mild neutropenia is a common clinical problem. The current study aims to validate our previous findings regarding the high prevalence of isolated neutropenia in Southern and Southwestern Saudi Arabia and explore the effect of altitude or regional differences. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, laboratory results of a commercial laboratory were screened over a period of 5 years (2016–2020) in seven different cities in South and southwestern Saudi Arabia. Participants’ laboratory investigations were reviewed and excluded for any ab-normal complete blood count, renal profile, liver profile, lipid profile, thyroid function test, fasting blood glucose, or HbA1c findings. Descriptive analysis and 95th percentile range were calculated using standard statistical methods. Results: A total of 91,880 complete blood count results were included in the final analysis. isolated neutropenia is common laboratory finding, with a prevalence ranging from 11-23%. The 2.5th percentile of the neutrophil count was lower than 1.5×109/L in all seven cities. Conclusions: Mild to moderate neutropenia is common in Southern and Southwestern Saudi Arabia. Benign ethnic neutropenia (BEN) may explain this high prevalence. Since BEN has no clinical significance, the reference range for normal neutrophil counts needs to be adjusted to reflect the effect of BEN.

Artificial intelligence is dramatically transforming medical imaging. We assessed the levels of artificial intelligence use among radiology trainees and explored their perceived impact of artifi-cial intelligence on the radiology workflow and radiology profession, in correlation with the perceived ease of use and behavioral intention to use artificial intelligence. This cross-sectional study enrolled radiology trainees from Saudi Arabia, and an online 5-part-structured question-naire was disseminated via online networks to trainee in July 2021. We included 98 participants (51 male; age 27.59±2.02 years). Level of use was low; few used it in routine practice (7%). The impact of artificial intelligence on the radiology workflow was positively perceived in all radi-ology workflow steps (3.64–3.97 out of 5). A positive impact on the radiology profession was more frequently perceived for technical and performance aspects (81%–85%) compared with prestige and legal aspects (64%–71%). Perceived ease of use and behavioral intention to use arti-ficial intelligence was associated with the current professional activity, level of use artificial in-telligence use, and perceived impact on the profession as well as on radiology workflow (p<0.05). Levels of artificial intelligence use in radiology are very low. The perceived positive impact of ar-tificial intelligence on radiology workflow and profession is correlated with an increase in be-havioral intention to use artificial intelligence. Thus, increasing awareness about the favorable impact can improve the behavioral use.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare worldwide, potentially impacting disease management. This cross-sectional study assessed the influence of COVID-19 on diabetes self-management in 341 Saudis with type 2 diabetes using the Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire (DSMQ). The DSMQ contains 16 items across 4 domains assessing glucose management, dietary control, physical activity, and healthcare use. Three additional items measured the perceived overall impact of COVID-19. Total DSMQ scores were significantly higher in patients aged &gt;60 years versus younger groups. Scores were significantly lower in patients diagnosed for 1-5 years versus longer durations. Patients on insulin had higher glucose management subscores than oral medication users. Overall, DSMQ scores were higher than the pre-pandemic Saudi population and Turkish post-pandemic findings. DSMQ results suggest that while COVID-19 negatively impacted some self-management domains, Saudi patients upheld relatively good diabetes control during the pandemic. Further research is warranted on specific barriers to optimize diabetes care during public health crises.

Nearly three months have passed since the emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which caused the rapidly spreading Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. To date, there have been more than 550,000 confirmed cases and more than 25,000 deaths globally caused by COVID-19. Chinese health authorities, where the virus emerged, have taken prompt strict public health measures to control and prevent the spread of the outbreak. In the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, unprecedented precautionary strict measures were applied to slow virus entry and to mitigate the risk of the outbreak. Here, we review the experience learned during the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) epidemic in Saudi Arabia, which has been in the country since 2012, and is expected to have helped the country to be well prepared for the current COVID-19 pandemic. We also discuss the country readiness, improvement in research and development, and the unprecedented rapid precautionary measures that have been taken by the Saudi government thus far.

Background/Objectives: Since the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019, virtual clinics served as the cornerstone modality of telehealth in many health institutions. This study aimed to examine patients’ and physicians’ perceptions of audio-only gynecology virtual clinics’ integration. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A convenient sampling technique was followed for physicians and patients. The questionnaires utilized were validated. Results: During March 2021-March 2022, a total of 220 subjects participated in the study. Physicians accounted for 24.5% (n=54), while patients accounted for 75.5% (n=166). Overall, only 55.5% of the physicians agreed virtual clinics should continue after the pandemic, while 84.6% and 76.0% of the patients reported satisfaction and the wish to use virtual clinics again, respectively. Physicians who seldom found physical examination to be indicated, seldom requested patients to attend physically to the clinic, and who had a positive outlook on virtual clinics were more likely to desire continuing virtual clinics after the pandemic, p&lt;0.001. Patients who had positive outlooks regarding virtual clinics were shown to be more satisfied with virtual clinics, p&lt;0.001. Conclusions: Audio-only gynecology virtual clinics are accepted by both physicians and patients with higher satisfaction among patients. Physicians’ positive outlook yet reluctance to continue virtual clinics suggests the need to modify the conduction of virtual clinics and necessitates larger-scaled prospective studies in this topic.

This essay examines the complex interplay between human rights developments in Saudi Arabia and the country's Vision 2030 initiative, which aims to modernize its social, economic, and political landscape. The research question posed is: How are human rights being addressed within the framework of Vision 2030? The goal of the essay is to provide a qualitative analysis of the reforms and policies emerging under Vision 2030, highlighting both advancements and ongoing challenges. Key discussions include historical human rights perspectives, specific strategies aimed at enhancing women’s rights and labor rights, and the implications of legal reforms. The essay draws upon a range of scholarly sources to underscore the intricate relationship between human rights improvements and socio-economic objectives in Saudi Arabia. The main conclusions suggest that while significant strides have been made, particularly in women's empowerment and labor rights, substantial obstacles—rooted in cultural norms and institutional practices—persist. Ongoing international scrutiny and a robust domestic dialogue on human rights remain critical for the success of these reforms. The essay ultimately advocates for sustained efforts to uphold human rights as a cornerstone of the Vision 2030 agenda.

This study examines the aggregate consumption function of Saudi Arabia from 2000 to 2022, focusing on identifying key determinants of household consumption and evaluating the impacts of disposable income, household wealth, government expenditure, interest rates, and oil revenues. The research uses advanced econometric methods, including the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model and Johansen cointegration test, to analyze the relationships among these variables. The findings reveal that disposable income, household wealth, and government expenditure significantly and positively influence consumption, whereas interest rates show a negative correlation. Oil revenues also play a critical role, reflecting the country's economic reliance on oil. The study highlights the necessity for economic diversification to reduce the impact of oil price volatility on household income and consumption stability. The results offer crucial insights for policymakers, emphasizing the need for strategies that enhance household income and wealth, maintain robust public sector spending, and effectively manage interest rates. These findings also support the importance of consistent and predictable income sources for sustaining consumption. Additionally, this study suggests directions for future research, including developing sophisticated forecasting models to predict consumption trends and exploring other influencing factors such as demographic shifts and technological progress.

Background: ED overcrowding is described as one of the main issues in emergency departments (EDs) of any hospital. In Saudi Arabia, the ministry of health applied new telemedicine technology to serve patients by using the mobile application which include Sehha application and 937 medical call center. The main aim of this study is to determine the role of different telemedicine services in reducing non-urgent visits to EDs in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-section study was conducted during August 2020 - May 2021 among 319 patients were using two telemedicine services in Saudi Arabia, including medical call center, and Sehha smart phone application. The primary endpoint of this study aims to determine the role of different telemedicine services in reducing non-urgent visits to EDs in Saudi Arabia. Results: This study analyzed the data from 319 patients who completed the survey provided by the Saudi Ministry of Health that concerning on information related to their health status, and ED visits. Among patients that had the intention to visit the ED (N=159), 53 of them did not go to EDs after using telemedicine services (p-value < 0.01). Regarding medical call center and Sehha application, 9.6% and 24.4%, respectively of the patients used these telemedicine services had changed their mind concerning visiting ED after taking the medical advice (p-values < 0.01).Conclusion: The implemented telemedicine services in Saudi Arabia, namely Sehha application and medical call center showed to be effective in reducing ED overload by providing medical advices to less- and non-urgent patients and deal with their minor medical issues.

On 11th March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic. Vaccination programs have advanced greatly in the global health period, despite widespread anti-vaccination attitudes and misinformation. Vaccine hesitancy of COVID-19 vaccine is currently a major issue in Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional study was carried out from June 25, 2021 to October 2021 in order to investigate the knowledge levels of acceptance and hesitancy of COVID-19 vaccine among Saudi’s nationals. The data was collected through a close-ended structured questionnaire from a total of 565 respondents. Overall, 78.41% respondents were female, 62.48% having university level education and 61.06% were unemployed. Majority of the participants 82.30% (n=465) think that Pfizer vaccine has the highest efficiency against COVID-19. Our study concludes that majority of the participants have satisfactory knowledge about COVID-19 vaccination. Concerns over vaccine components, effectiveness of vaccine and possible side effects are among the key causes for vaccine hesitancy.

Acute lower respiratory tract infection is a major health problem that affects more than 15% of the total population of Saudi Arabia each year. Epidemiological studies conducted over the last three decades have indicated that viruses are responsible for the majority of these infections. The epidemiology of respiratory viruses in Saudi Arabia is believed to be affected mainly by the presence and mobility of large numbers of foreign workers and the gathering of millions of Muslims in Mecca during the Hajj and Umrah seasons. Knowledge concerning the epidemiology, circulation pattern, and evolutionary kinetics of respiratory viruses in Saudi Arabia are scant, with the available literature being inconsistent. After reviewing the available data on epidemiology and evolution of respiratory viruses, this study examines the effect of varying vaccination rates across different age groups during the 2019/2020 influenza season in Saudi Arabia. Utilizing an age-structured SEIR (Susceptible–Exposed–Infectious–Recovered) model, it develops customized vaccination policies by considering age-specific incidence rates. This pioneering research segments the population into five age groups—infants and school-aged children, junior and older youth, young adults and adults, middle-aged, and seniors—across five regional areas in Saudi Arabis: Eastern, Central, Northern, Western, and Southern. A contact matrix, compiled from multiple sources, is used to delineate the dynamics of influenza transmission. The study undertakes a thorough comparison of three distinct vaccination scenarios: no vaccination, national vaccination, and optimized vaccine allocation policy, under various potential pandemic situations. It examines their impact on vaccination campaigns in terms of the total number of infections, mortality, and morbidity rates. The results emphasize the crucial impact of population demographics on disease transmission and vaccine distribution. According to the findings, the optimized vaccination scenario proved to be the most effective strategy in all scenarios.

The genetic diversity of local coffee populations is crucial to breed new varieties better adapted to the increasingly stressful environment due to climate change and the evolving consumer preferences. Unfortunately, local coffee germplasm conservation and genetic assessment have not received much attention. Molecular tools offer substantial benefits in identifying and selecting new cultivars or clones suitable for sustainable commercial utilization. New annotation methods, such as chloroplast barcoding, are necessary to produce accurate and high-quality phylogenetic analyses. This study used DNA barcoding techniques to examine the genetic relationships among fifty-six accessions collected from the southern part of Saudi Arabia. PCR amplification and sequence characterization were used to investigate the effectiveness of four barcoding loci, namely atpB-rbcl, TrnL-TrnF, TrnT-TrnL, and TrnL. The maximum nucleotide sites, nucleotide diversity, and an average number of nucleotide differences were recorded for atpB-rbcl, while TrnT-TrnL had the highest variable polymorphic sites, segregating sites, and haploid diversity. Among the four barcode loci, TrnT-TrnL recorded the highest singleton variable sites, while TrnL recorded the highest parsimony information sites. Furthermore, the phylogenetic analysis clustered the Coffea arabica genotypes into four different groups, with three genotypes (KSA31, KSA38, and KSA46) found to be the most divergent genotypes standing alone in the cluster and remained apart during the analysis. The study demonstrates the presence of considerable diversity among coffee populations in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, it also shows that DNA barcoding is an effective technique for identifying local coffee genotypes, with potential applications in coffee conservation and breeding efforts.

The paper presents a comprehensive study of the relationship between investor sentiment and stock market returns in Saudi Arabia from 2009 to 2022. The study uses linear autoregressive distributed lag models (ARDL) to analyze the complex dynamics between variables. ARDL models are particularly valuable for capturing both long- and short-term relationships between variables and allow for dynamic adjustments over time. The study shows that a positive change in investor sentiment leads to higher stock market returns after a lag of two months, but this positive effect reverses in the long-run, suggesting the possibility of overreaction and subsequent adjustments. Money supply has a consistent positive impact on stock returns over time, while real estate market returns have limited short-term impacts on investor sentiment and macroeconomic factors. The ARDL modeling approach is essential to capture the dynamic interaction between investor sentiment and stock returns and reveals the temporary impact of sentiment on market performance. The study extends its analysis to construct a composite investor sentiment index using principal component analysis, tests the stationarity of stock returns and sentiment index through extended Dickey-Fuller and Phillips-Perron unit root tests, and determines the optimal lag length for time series modeling. The ARDL modeling results for stock market returns and real estate returns provide insights into the short- and long-term relationships between investor sentiment, macroeconomic variables, and market returns; in addition, the study provides important insights into the interaction between investor sentiment and stock market returns in Saudi Arabia, with implications for regulatory policy and investment management. The results demonstrate the impact of investor psychology on market performance, which has practical implications for understanding and managing behavioral risk. The study adopts an integrated approach, combining rigorous ARDL models with economic intuition and practical relevance, which is expected to better understand the dynamic interaction between sentiment and returns.

The construction sector of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), valued at USD 152 billion and employing 2.54 million people by 2023, is crucial to its economy. However, it faces challenges such as delays, disputes, and cost overruns. This study aims to address these issues by implementing Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the KSA, based on an extensive literature review highlighting the role and significance of BIM in mitigating construction claims. BIM improves collaboration, communication, and data integration among stakeholders. Hence, this study proposes a comprehensive BIM package framework comprising Revit Architecture, Microsoft Project, and Cost-X to reduce claims effectively. Validated through a KSA claims case study with a USD 1,870,000 claims value and 360-day delay, the BIM package significantly reduced the claims value to USD 188,000 and saved 275 days. Interview sessions were conducted to validate the effectiveness of the BIM package; 95% favored the use of BIM, 86% supported NEC4 contract adoption alongside BIM, 100% acknowledged BIM's potential in reducing design errors, 95% were confident in the case study's accuracy, and 82% were satisfied with data accuracy. This study confirms that BIM is an effective approach for minimizing construction claims in the KSA.

Saudi Arabia consists mainly of desert land. However, it has big and small natural wetlands and artificial wetlands. Most of these wetlands are seen along the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf coastal regions. Al-Asfar Lake, located in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia, is one of the historical landmarks of Al-Ahsa province. The primary lake water source is agricultural drainage water, which some refer to as an artificial lake. This paper mainly aims to reflect shade on the wetlands in Saudi Arabia in general and to show in detail the environmental impacts of Al-Asfar Lake on the ecosystem and biodiversity of the study area. The analytical review of the previous studies conducted in Al-Asfar Lake was adopted in this article. Hence, the impact of the lake on the land-use system, water quality and biodiversity was illustrated as the main outputs of the review analysis. However, the sustainable management of Al-Asfar Lake requires the stakeholders to adopt the wetland ecosystem health concept, which might lead to improving the lake's environmental conditions.

This research investigates the impact of oil price fluctuations on food prices in Saudi Arabia between 1979 and 2020 using Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lags (NARDL) methodology. The study employs Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) and Phillip Perron (PP) tests to determine the integration order of the variables and Bounds testing to confirm the existence of long-run cointegration relationships between each variable. The results indicate that oil shocks influence food prices through several mechanisms. Firstly, the cost of energy increases due to the rise in oil prices, affecting the agricultural commodity market, including farm equipment, food processing, packaging, and distribution costs. Secondly, the demand for agricultural commodities to produce biofuels affects food availability and, thus, food prices. Thirdly, as an oil-based economy, the oil price shock affects food prices through its impact on government spending, which affects aggregate demand and liquidity. Therefore, Saudi Arabia should adopt appropriate policies to mitigate the impact of oil price shocks on food prices, including investing in renewable energy sources, diversifying its economy, and improving food production and supply chain efficiency. Additionally, implementing appropriate fiscal policies to ensure sufficient budget allocation for food support programs is crucial. However, investing in groundwater exploration can contribute significantly to the development of Saudi agriculture and to gradually achieving food self-sufficiency.

Despite marked advancements, life expectancy (LE) growth in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has remained stagnant compared to other developed nations. This study aims to investigate the significant correlation between macroeconomic (ME), sociodemographic (SD), and health status-resources (HSR) factors and LE to formulate an explanatory model for Saudi Arabia and the UAE – a previously unexplored area. Utilizing an ecological, retrospective, time-series study design, we delved into secondary data on SD, ME, HSR, and LE of the UAE population spanning three decades (1980-2020). We employed the partial least squares-structural equation modeling for statistical analysis. Our analysis revealed significant direct impacts of HSR on LE for Saudi Arabia (Beta=0.958, p<0.001) and the UAE (Beta=0.716, p<0.001). Furthermore, we discerned a notable indirect influence of ME on LE, mediated through SD and HSR for Saudi Arabia (Beta=0.507, p<0.001) and UAE (Beta=0.509, p<0.001), along with a considerable indirect effect of SD on LE through HSR (Saudi Arabia: Beta=0.529, p<0.001; UAE: Beta=0.711, p<0.001). This study underscores the mediating role of a nexus of ME-SD-HSR factors on LE in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Consequently, these findings signal an imperative need for holistically policy interventions addressing ME, SD, and HSR factors, aiming to alter health behaviors and improve LE projections for Saudi Arabia and the UAE in the long run.

The worldwide competition to vaccinate against COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of immunization measures in containing the virus. Saudi Arabia, like the rest of the globe, must assess socio-demographic subtleties, chronic illnesses, vaccination effects, and public health policy implications as it navigates this complicated environment. This cross-sectional study examined Saudi COVID-19 vaccine in many ways. It examined the socio-demographic makeup of vaccine recipients, the prevalence of chronic conditions in this population, vaccine administration patterns, post-vaccination side effects, and vaccine-infection rates. A questionnaire-based online survey of 401 participants ensured gender, nationality, age, weight, and educational diversity. We analyzed vaccine manufacturer choice for each dosage, side effects after the first and second doses, and chronic diseases in the sample. Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines are preferred for all three doses, reflecting worldwide vaccination acceptance patterns. Side effects were not significantly different between vaccination kinds. Interestingly, immunization reduced infection rates, demonstrating the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. The data fills important information gaps and illuminates Saudi COVID-19 vaccination kinetics. These data support the global preference for mRNA vaccines, demonstrating the faith in this breakthrough technology. They also sponsor COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness studies. The dramatic drop in infection rates among vaccinated people shows how vaccinations suppress the pandemic. These findings inform Saudi Arabia's immunization efforts. As booster doses become more common, long-term vaccination research is crucial. Vaccine reluctance, especially in certain demographics, must be addressed. Due to vaccines' protective potential, equitable vaccine distribution and large immunization programs are essential for herd immunity and pandemic management. This thorough cross-sectional study helps policymakers and healthcare practitioners build successful and inclusive COVID-19 immunization regimens in Saudi Arabia.

Objectives: Social distancing measures are currently implemented to control COVID-19 pandemic in many countries, including Saudi Arabia. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the awareness and adherence of the Saudi population to these measures. Methods: A web-based questionnaire was designed with 16 questions (8 questions related to demographics, 3 in relation to awareness about social distancing and 5 related to overall practice of social distancing). Results: 5105 participants completed the survey [58.4% female, 66.3% young individuals (aged 18-37 years), 55.8% bachelor degree holders, and 51.0% from the western region]. The Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) was the main source of information about COVID-19 for most participants (78.2%). High awareness (81.3%) regarding social distancing was observed, associated mainly with female participants, those from the middle region and those with high education and income. Overall implementation of social distancing was satisfactory (score 3.13/5), with 37.8% never leaving home during the home-stay period. Better adherence to social distancing was observed for female participants, higher degree holders and those aged over 38 years. Conclusions: Organised plans by the Saudi MOH have been effective in raising awareness and improving practice of social distancing among public. However, the observed lower practice of social distancing by individuals with lower education and income indicates the need for targeted interventions to achieve better outcome.

Background: Migraine is one of the most common health conditions in the reproductive male and female population. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a common condition that affects many women during their menstrual cycle. around 50 to 60% have menstrual headaches among the migraineur women. The symptoms in the majority were mild, but 5–8% may suffer moderate to severe symptoms, accompanied by considerable distress or functional dysfunction. Premenstrual migraine (PMM) refers to migraines that occur with the menstrual cycle. It affects approximately 50% of women with migraine and can be debilitating in terms of both frequency and severity of symptoms. This information is important for medical professionals in Saudi Arabia to be aware of so, as to provide better medical care and support which can significantly improve the person's quality of life of women who suffer from PMS and menstrual migraines. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of menstrual migraines in women, to evaluate the severity and frequency of menstrual migraines in women with PMS, and to identify potential risk factors aggravating menstrual migraines in women with PMS. Methodology: A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted on reproductive age (18-50Years) women who have regular menstrual cycles with experience migraine headaches and are diagnosed with PMS and menstrual migraine, using a self-administered questionnaire between December 2022 to May 2023 in Saudi Arabia. Results: Out of 2130 women participants 397 were suffering from migraine which is 18.6%. Of the total 397(18.6%) Migraineurs individuals 230 (57.9%) were suffering from menstrual migraine and 167 (42.1%) were non-menstrual migraineurs, in general, reproductive women menstrual migraine is 10.7% and non-menstrual migraine is 7.8%. The BMI is increasing the incidence of menstrual migraines is increasing. Migraine Disability Around one-third of the participants were suffering from III–moderate disability 134 (33.8) Most of the menstrual migraine victims at least 3 days in the last three months were absent from their duties due to their menstrual migraines. Conclusions: Migraine attacks during the menstrual cycle cause the impairment of their social and physical ability to perform their routine household, and academic activities and unable to fulfill their professional commitments. To better understand the Menstrual Migraine and Non-menstrual migraine large prospective studies are required to plan the best management methods.

Accurate, detailed and recent Information about land cover/use is important and much more needed for different aspects of sustainable development and environmental management. As remote sensing datasets are becomes one of the most important and effective tools to generate such information, this study aimed to generating land cover map for sub area in Al-Ahasaa Oasis, Saudi Arabia, by using and classifying a subset of Landsat-ETM+ image of the selected study area, as bases and required input for future studies and researches. Different image preprocessing techniques in addition to a will-known and widely used classification method (i.e., Maximum Likelihood classifier) were applied. To be reliable with the final product, accuracy assessment was carried out with 89% agreement and accepted according to the applied method. Different land cover classes were found in the study area, which includes (Sand dunes, Water bodies, Sabakha, Bare soil, Urban, and Agricultural lands). The study also revealed that the dominant land cover class is sand dunes with approximately ± 70% in area. The study strongly indicated that the area has long been affected by sand movement. Finally, the study suggested that, further researches with more advanced methods rather than traditional methods are needed in the future to support the findings of this study, with high degree of accuracy.

In Saudi Arabia’s mountainous regions, debris flow is a natural hazard that poses a threat to in-frastructure and human lives. To assess the potential zones of landslide in the Al-Hada Road ar-ea, a study was conducted using Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis and remote sensing (RS) data. The study took into account various factors that could affect landslide, such as drainage density, elevation, slope, precipitation, land use, geology, soil, and aspect. The study also included a field trip to identify 11 previous landslide events that were influenced by high-density drainage and slope. The study utilized weighted overlay analysis in a GIS environment to create a map indicating the potential landslide zones in the area. According to the analysis, low-risk areas cover 35,354,062.5 square meters, medium-risk areas cover 60,646,250 square meters, and high-risk zones cover an area of 8,633,281 square meters. This result was verified using the locations of previous landslide events. The study’s findings can help planners and decision-makers identify and prioritize areas for mitigation and prevention measures. Additionally, the study contributes to understanding landslide hazards in arid and semi-arid regions.

This cross-sectional study was aimed to investigate the relationship between gratitude and life satisfaction, and the mediation role of social support and enjoyment of life among older individuals. The Gratitude Resentment and Appreciation Test, the Enjoyment of Life Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support Scale were administered to a sample of 260 older individuals aged between 60 and 80. The main findings revealed a positive association between gratitude and life satisfaction, and social support was a partial mediator in this relationship. Although enjoyment of life was not a direct mediator in the relationship between gratitude and life satisfaction, the final model indicated a significant serial pathway from gratitude to social support and then through enjoyment of life-to-life satisfaction. In conclusion, enhancing gratitude, promoting enjoyment of life, and social support in older individuals might increase their life satisfaction, which in turn might contribute to their successful aging

Background: Poisoning is a growing public problem that has shown increased prevalence in many countries worldwide, contributing to increased costs and mortalities. A lack of or insufficient information regarding the circumstances, chemicals, drugs and people at risk due to imperfect reporting system is regarded as a barrier to successful poisoning prevention and intervention efforts. In Saudi Arabia, poisoning cases are monitored at the central level in the Ministry of Health, with meticulous follow-up of cases across country areas through public health departments. The current study's objective was to describe the poisoning notification and reporting system in Makkah.Subjects and methods: All reports of chemical and drug overdose poisoning delivered to the environmental health and occupational safety department in Makkah Almukarramah over two years (2018-2019) were reviewed, together with verification of all systems, rules and guidelines organizing the performance of the department.Results: The total number of cases reported in 2018 was 209 cases, while it reached 42 cases in 2019. The overwhelming majority of the cases were Saudi (91.6%), with a slight predominance of males (57.4%) over females (42.6%). Generally, almost two-thirds of the cases occurred in children below 13 years (61.4%), most of the poisoning cases resulted from drug overdose (63.3%), while 34.7% were chemical poisoning. The most common drug poisoning was attributed to analgesics followed by antiepileptics, antihypertensive drugs, antipsychotics and antimicrobials, while cleaning and detergent agents were the most commonly poisoned chemicals. The majority of these agents were taken by the oral route. Children's chemical poisoning was significantly higher than that in older age groups (p<0.05). All intentional poisoning occurred in adults; the great majority of them (88.9%) used drug overdosing rather than chemical substances.Conclusion and recommendations: The current study results are consistent with most of the previous studies carried out in different regions in Saudi Arabia. Reviewing the performance and adherence of the “Environmental Health and Occupational Safety Department” to the guidelines and instruction regulating monitoring, notification and reporting of poison cases are satisfactory and the poisoning surveillance system is effective. Further in-depth studies are needed to elaborate other socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with chemical and drug overdose poisoning. Public health plans, policies and legislations should be implemented to reduce these factors, including prohibition over-the-counter pharmaceutical sales, selling the possibly harmful substances in kid-proof bottles and additional stringent rules governing chemical sale and storage. Intensive supervision of children is needed. Suicidal poisoning patients should seek psychiatric help to limit the possibility of attempting suicide again in the future. Furthermore, efforts are needed to plan and implement health education programs and campaigns about the factors proven in the current study to be significantly related to chemical and drug overdose poisoning to raise public knowledge about exposure to chemicals and its consequences. Popular communication media, commercial malls, road ads, learning institutions and workplaces can be used to deliver health education campaigns and programs. Advice on how to store chemicals safely and how to keep kids safe should be focused on during such programs.

This work investigates the influence of ground albedo on the solar radiation obtained by surfaces mounted on fixed-tilt to south, one-axis, and two-axis systems. To do this, estimation of the solar radiation difference is performed by applying real albedo and zero albedo. This is done within Saudi Arabia, at 82 selected sites. Annual, seasonal, and monthly mean solar energy differences are computed as function of the site’s number, latitude, and local near-real ground albedo. The great variation in the ground-albedo values at the 82 sites (0.1 - 0.46) could be thought as having a significant effect on the solar radiation levels received on the 3 tracking modes. The analysis shows quite the opposite; a zero-albedo ground diminishes solar radiation levels by 1.43%, 3.50%, and 3.20%, respectively for the 3 modes. Therefore, in most solar engineering applications a ground albedo of 0.2 (considered as reference) can be used without losing accuracy. This is the main conclusion of the study, which must, however, be applied with caution in areas with snow cover, especially for mode-III tracking systems. In such situations the increase in solar radiation levels may be up to 15% (but ≈3.5% for mode-I and -II systems instead).

The contemporary landscape of eHealth is characterized by major concerns related to electronic medical records (EMRs). In an EMR, critical patient health information gets its own repository, which is the core of the eHealth system. Notably, the EMR not only retrieves health information generated in ambulatory clinical settings but also includes court-generated records. These overlapping records assume the role of a foundational data source for a comprehensive electronic health record (EHR). This scholarly review sheds light on recent trends in medical records and associated challenges, while at the same time providing insights into Saudi Arabia’s targeted approaches to healthcare delivery. Additionally, the talk expands to include a description of blockchain technology and its underlying conceptual framework. This demonstration positions blockchain technology as a promising approach that requires consideration for future use in the healthcare system.

In Saudi Arabia’s mountainous regions, debris flow is a natural hazard that poses a threat to infrastructure and human lives. To assess the potential zones of debris flow in the Al-Hada Road area, a study was conducted using Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis and remote sensing (RS) data. The study took into account various factors that could affect debris flow, such as drainage density, elevation, slope, precipitation, land use, geology, soil, and aspect. The study also included a field trip to identify 11 previous debris flow events that were influenced by high-density drainage and slope. The study utilized weighted overlay analysis in a GIS environment to create a map indicating the potential debris flow zones in the area. According to the analysis, low-risk areas cover 35,354,062.5 square meters, medium-risk areas cover 60,646,250 square meters, and high-risk zones cover an area of 8,633,281 square meters. This result was verified using the locations of previous debris flow events. The study’s findings can help planners and decision-makers identify and prioritize areas for mitigation and prevention measures. Additionally, the study contributes to understanding debris flow hazards in arid and semi-arid regions.

The study of the concentrations and effects of fine particulate matter in urban areas have been of great interest to researchers in recent times. This is due to the acknowledgment of the far-reaching impacts of fine particulate matter on public health. Remote sensing data have been used to monitor the trend of concentrations of particulate matter by deriving aerosol optical depth (AOD) from satellite images. The Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) has released the second version of its global PM_2.5 data with improvement in spatial resolution. This paper revisits the study of spatial and temporal variations in particulate matter in Saudi Arabia by exploring the cluster analysis of the new data. Cluster analysis of the PM_2.5 values of Saudi cities is performed by using Anselin local Moran’s I statistic. Also, the analysis is carried out at the regional level by using self-organizing map (SOM). The results show an increasing trend in the concentrations of particulate matter in Saudi Arabia, especially in some selected urban areas. The eastern and south-western parts of the Kingdom have significantly clustering high values. Some of the PM2.5 values have passed the threshold indicated by the World Health Organization (WHO) standard and targets posing health risks to Saudi urban population.

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) contribute to increased length of hospital stay, high mortality and higher health-care costs. Prevention and control of HAIs is a critical public health concern. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 213 hospital health-care workers in Qassim, Saudi Arabia. We assessed Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) of standard infection control precautions using a structured questionnaire. Predictors of KAP were investigated using multivaraible logistic regression analyses and independent sample t tests. Prevalence of good (≥80% correct response) knowledge, attitude and practice were 67.6%, 61.5% and 73.2%, respectively. Predictors of good knowledge included age over 34 years (adjusted odds ratio: 30.5, p<0.001), and receiving training (13.3, p<0.001). Predictor of positive attitude was having >6 years of experience (5.5, p<0.001). While, the predictors of good practice were having >6 years of experience (2.9, p<0.01), previous exposure to HAIs (2.5, p<0.05) and training (3.5, p<0.01). However, being female (0.22, p<0.001) and older (>34 years) (0.34, p<0.01) were negatively associated with knowledge. Results indicate that older academic programs might not have adequately covered infection crontrol. Arranging training for HCWs might be useful in improving their knowledge of standard infection control precautions and is also expected to facilitate positive attitude and practice.

This research is aimed at evaluating two different scenarios, firstly, appraising the impacts of employing the concepts of Total Quality Management (TQM) to the construction projects in Saudi Arabia. The results of the study were obtained through utilization of a descriptive analytical approach, where 300 questionnaires were distributed to engineering firms and companies with a response rate of 200 questionnaires, hence achieving the study sample for this research. The data gathered was analyzed by applying the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) program and calculating the Relative importance index (RII) and the mean values. From the research conducted, the outcomes showed that the management’s ability to commit using TQM while applying BIM obtained a relative importance of (0.717), while the relative importance for the management’s ability to commit using TQM without the application of BIM is (0.552). The results showed that construction projects in Saudi Arabia still sustain setbacks from applying TQM concepts and suffer from the lack of administrative, scientific and technical applications. In a second scenario, a hybridized support vector regression (SVR) Harris-hawks optimization (HHO) (i.e., SVR-HHO) were used to predict the TQM. The performance accuracy of the models was checked through three different evaluation metrics namely; mean square error (MSE), correlation co-efficient (CC) and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE). the hybridized emerging SVR-HHO outperformed the other two data driven approaches in both the training and testing stages based on the employed evaluation metrics. Overall, the obtained results showed that both the machine learning and metaheuristic approaches were capable of predicting TQM.

This study investigated the prevalence and associated risk factors of Lower Back Pain (LBP) among medical students of Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional style was employed where 331 medical students were evaluated using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) supplemented with demographic and lifestyle questions. Data analysis allowed identification of LBP-risk factor relationships. The study revealed a 73.4% prevalence of LBP among Alfaisal University medical students with a 4.61 average severity. Female students, those who spent long hours on computers, and those who did not exercise were more likely to experience LBP. Higher disability degree was associated with participants aged &gt;21, used their devices for extended periods, and insufficient sleep. LBP is highly prevalent with several risk factors existing. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions such as ergonomic/lifestyle improvements and reduced device use.

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused one of the worst global pandemics in recent decades. It has disrupted education systems worldwide, leading to a forced shift from traditional face-to-face to blended or fully distanced learning, requiring a higher level of student readiness for self-directed learning (SDL) and a more internal locus of control (LOC). Objective: This study explored the relationship between locus of control and level of readiness for SDL among Saudi nursing students and whether the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted this relation-ship. Methods: a cross-sectional correlational descriptive study was conducted to survey 277 Saudi nursing students enrolled in the bachelor program at one of the reputable universities in Saudi Arabia. An E-questionnaire containing two scales, the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale for Nursing Education, and the Locus of Control Scale, was used to collect data in addition to the selected participants’ characteristics. Results: Nursing students had a moderate-to-low level of readiness for SDL (mean = 144.0), and the majority had an external LOC. There was a significant association between the locus of control and level of readiness for self-directed learning (r = 0.19*, p = 0.001), and the internal locus of control was more significantly associated with self-directed learning (r = 0.22*, p = 0.0001) than with external locus of control. Conclusion: The study findings indicate a propensity of respondents towards an external locus of control, whereas most of the respondents’ reported levels of readiness ranged between low and moderate across all dimensions of self-directed learning. This study was not registered.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a global shift to distance learning, profoundly affecting children's mental health. In Saudi Arabia, remote education was implemented on March 8, 2020, impacting students across various factors, such as age, vaccination status, and school system. This shift lasted between 1.5 to 2.5 years, influencing students’ experiences differently. This study explores the psychological impact of distance learning on children and adolescents, with the goal of informing mental health advocacy and guiding educational strategies in scenarios where distance learning becomes essential. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using an online survey distributed to parents of children aged 6 to 18 in the major metropolitan areas of Jeddah and Riyadh. The survey collected demographic information and included the validated Arabic version of the Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale. This tool assesses behavioral challenges, anxiety, and symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Results: The study found that 71.6% of families reported a positive experience with distance learning. A significant correlation was identified between parents' marital status and children's ability to cope with remote education. Interestingly, students without ADHD symptoms experienced three times more negative outcomes than those with ADHD. However, despite reporting fewer negative experiences, children with ADHD symptomatology faced heightened symptom severity and academic difficulties. The results further indicated that 5.4% of students were classified with ADHD predominantly inattentive presentation, 1.8% with predominantly hyperactive/impulsive presentation, and 3.9% with combined ADHD presentation. Additionally, 7.2% of students screened positive for oppositional defiant disorder, 1.5% for conduct disorder, and 6.6% for anxiety or depression. Conclusion: This study is the first comprehensive, multi-city investigation in Saudi Arabia to analyze the relationship between distance learning experiences, sociodemographic factors, and mental health symptoms in children. The findings provide essential insights for future research and offer a foundation for developing targeted interventions to support children’s mental health and education in the region.

Water resources worldwide are limited, especially in desert areas like Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the rational and sustainable management of irrigation water supply is an imperative required by the conditions of space and time. This study evaluates the irrigation system through partial root-zone drying (PRD) and regulated deficit irrigation (RDI). The effect of applying the PRD and RDI systems on the efficiency and rationalization of irrigation water consumption in a greenhouse and open field cucumber was studied in addition to using the surface (S) and subsurface (SB) drip irrigation methods on irrigation efficiency. The productivity of the RDI-S regular drip irrigation treatment was considered 100% as the control on which the results of all treatments are measured. The results showed that in terms of irrigation technique, the PRD-SB technique had the highest productivity during the winter season in greenhouse cucumbers, with a general average of 13.8 kg m-2 for all irrigation levels, while the RDI-SB technique had the highest productivity during the summer season, with a general average of 16.1 kg m-2. Regarding irrigation level results, the study showed that an irrigation level of 100% is the highest productivity in all irrigation techniques, with a general average of 14.9 kg m-2 for all irrigation techniques during the winter season and 16.4 kg m-2 during the summer. However, the increase in the irrigation level to 150% did not increase productivity. In comparison, the application of the deficit irrigation technique by reducing the level of irrigation to 50% was not accompanied by a similar decrease in productivity. The study results also showed that irrigation with the PRD-SB system was the most productive in the open field at all irrigation levels, with a general average of 7.3 kg m-2. The general average of the percentage decrease in productivity in all irrigation techniques compared to reducing the irrigation percentage to 50% and 75% was 22% and 3 %. The irrigation efficiencies were higher when applying the PRD (PRD-SB) in winter. In contrast, applying a deficit irrigation system (RDI-SB) in the summer season had the highest efficiency. It could be concluded that using PRD and RDI systems for indoor and outdoor cucumber can save irrigation water.

Abstract Introduction: An important indicator of a hospital's quality of care is the frequency of visits to the emergency department (ED). If a patient returns to the emergency room (ED) shortly after being evaluated or treated, it is generally assumed that their initial evaluation or treatment was inadequate. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to identify the main reasons for patient revisits to the emergency department in Hail. Studies suggest that researchers usually report the reasons for revisiting patients after 72 hours to patients themself. Therefore, alternative hypotheses will attribute the reasons to the system or physician's skill. To test these hypotheses, a methodology was developed. Method: The study analyzed patients discharged from King Khalid Hospital within 72 hours of discharge, involving all adults, regardless of health status or location Results: In February 2019, 17461 ED visits occurred, with 11% returning within 72 hours. In February 2022, 880 of 8749 visits resulted in a 10% return visit, with 30 randomly selected return visits.Conclusion: Increased community awareness post-COVID-19 may explain differences in ED revisit rates between 2022 and 2019, with system errors and patient information re-entry being associated

Background. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is becoming a major global health concern, especially in poorer nations. The high prevalence of obesity and the ensuing diabetes I attributed to rapid economic progress, physical inactivity, consumption of high-calorie foods, and changing lifestyles. Objectives. We investigated the role of interleukins-10 , 19 and 22 with varying levels of obesity in T2DM in the Asir region of Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods. 170 confirmed T2DM patients and a control group were enrolled. The demographic data, serum levels of IL-10, IL-19, and IL-22, and biochemical indices were assessed in patients and control groups by standard procedures. Results. T2DM patients were divided into four groups: A (normal body weight), B (Overweight), C (obese), and D (highly obese). Both male and female T2DM subjects in Group A showed significant decreases in IL-10 levels as compared to controls; however, there were insignificant changes in IL-10 levels in Groups C and D. T2DM patients in groups C and D, in both males and females, depicted very significant (p 0.001) increases in IL-19 levels as compared to controls and group A. Patient groups A to D displayed a progressive elevation of Il-22 levels irrespective of gender, although significant alterations were seen only in groups B to D, with p 0.05 for group B and p 0.01 for groups C and D respectively, as compared to healthy controls. Conclusions. IL-10 showed a strong relationship with T2DM in males with varying degrees of obesity, but females depicted relatively higher IL-10 levels in obese and highly obese groups, pointing to a protective phenomenon. IL-19 levels showed significant increases in all four groups, irrespective of gender. IL-22 appears to be unrelated to T2DM per se but shows an association with varying degrees of obesity.

The internet has changed the way people perceived fiction to a new level. For instance, online forums have given people the opportunity to write without revealing their real identities. Especially in the Saudi context, online users were using these forums to write web novels that reflect their culture, lives, concerns, hopes and dreams. In this paper, we describe a dataset that was collected from one of the online forums that was used for sharing web novels among its readers. The collected dataset contains 1,267 novels between 2003-2015. This data set is available to the research community to analyze to gain a better understanding of the social, economical, and behavioral mindset that was manifested in the community in that decade.

The development of sustainability, the improvement of the quality of life, and the protection of future generations have become of prime importance in light of climate changes and carbon emissions. Universities are at the top of institutions that should participate in creating an environmentally friendly infrastructure. This study thus aimed to explore the extent to which Saudi universities achieve sustainability in the light of the Saudi Green Initiative from the faculty members’ perspective. Surely, this investigation would produce a proposal to promote sustainability in Saudi universities. A questionnaire consisting of five dimensions, namely academic sustainability, community partnership, resource management, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership was developed and administered to 120 faculty members from five Saudi universities. The participants’ ratings of Saudi universities’ achievement of sustainability dimensions ranged from high to moderate. Based on the results, a proposal was offered to take sustainability in Saudi universities to a higher level.

Background: This study was conducted to investigate medical students' lifestyle habits, including sleep quality, eating and drinking pattern, physical activity, and social status. Method: This research project is part two of a multi-institutional cross-sectional observational study conducted among medical students from six medical colleges in Saudi Arabia between September and December 2019. Results: 675 medical students were enrolled electively into the lifestyle study. About half of this number were male students, and the majority aged 18-24 years. Most students (87.6%) slept between 4-8 hours a day, and over 44% were dissatisfied with their sleep. Only 28.1% had three meals a day; about 40% of them usually or always skipped breakfast. While 44% usually or always eat fast food, 44.7% drink 2 liters of water per day. Moreover, male students were significantly consuming fast foods than females, p<0.001. The majority (63.3%) revealed they usually or always drink black coffee daily. Females were significantly more inclined to regular coffee consumption than males, p<0.001. Only 4.3% exercising for 30 minutes or more daily. The majority (65%) of the students were introverted; they had few close friends. Yet, 81% were somewhat satisfied or satisfied with their social life. Male students were predicted to be significantly more satisfied with their social life than females, p=0.001. Only 4.6% smoked cigarettes daily. Whereas 7.1% smoke e-cigarette daily. In contrast, only 0.3% use shisha (hookah) daily. Male medical students were substantially more predicted to be inclined to e-cigarette use than females (p <0.001. The top five leisure activities of a medical student are surfing social media (75.9%), watching movies (61.3%), hanging out with friends (58.1%), spent time with their family (55.4%), and browsing the internet (53.6%). Female medical students were significantly more inclined to surfing social media than male medical students, p=0.022; also, watching movies was preferred for females compared to males, p=0.006. Conclusion: This study revealed that the majority of medical students in Saudi Arabia exhibited healthy lifestyles to some extent, and these health-promoting behaviors differed based on gender, especially concerning physical activity and eating patterns. The findings of this study provide relevant information for future actions that will be geared towards effectively decreasing the occurrence of chronic illnesses and improving future doctor’s well-being.

The concept of patient confidentiality is nearly as old as the practice of health professions and, has evolved and transformed over the years, from one jurisdiction to the other. Patient confidentiality can be a fundamental human right, an ethical duty or, a legal duty. The Saudi laws have evolved around its Shari’ah-based legal culture, its history and the international human right laws (IHRLs). These elements have moulded the Saudi Arabia’s unique perspective on patient confidentiality. Its confidentiality laws are found scattered in several legislations. Is the Saudi patient confidentiality law able to adequately deal with the contemporary challenges? The study reviewed the relevant Saudi laws in the light the International Humana Rights Laws. Findings suggest that there are issues bordering on the lack of quality comprehensive data protection laws, on clarity and foreseeability of the existing laws, and on the accessibility of the courts. Furthermore, the lack of a system of law reporting and stare decisis potentially gave the judges a wider latitude of discretion in interpreting the laws. Therefore, the study recommends for a comprehensive data protection law with a clear definition of “confidential information”, of data controllers and their role, and of specific safeguards against potential abuses. Others include defining legitimate purposes for using the patient’s data, and his role, and the extent to which he can control the use of his own data. Consistency in legal interpretations, and an improved law reporting system could positively enhance the overall outcome.

This study investigated the relationship between mental health, physical activity, and weight among Saudi female university students. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess participants' risky behaviors, psychological health, and health-related habits. Results revealed that a significant number of students had unhealthy eating habits, low levels of physical activity, and were overweight. While there was a slight trend towards lower physical activity and higher weight among individuals with higher depressive symptoms, these relationships were not statistically significant. The study concludes that factors beyond mental health, such as cultural norms and social support, likely play a more significant role in influencing physical activity levels and weight among Saudi university students. Further research is needed to identify these factors and develop targeted interventions to promote healthier lifestyles.

Global public health systems have continuously faced challenges from the advent of novel infectious illnesses, necessitating quick and efficient actions to stop their spread.First discovered in Saudi Arabia in 2012, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory disorder caused by the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Since then, the nation has reported most cases and fatalities related to this sickness, with occasional outbreaks happening in other nations and regions. Severe sickness and high mortality are caused by MERS-CoV, especially in older persons and those with underlying chronic conditions. Through intimate contact, the virus can spread from people to dromedary camels and vice versa. It has sparked multiple epidemics both domestically and abroad in the Middle East, raising the possibility of fatalities and widespread transmission, especially in susceptible groups. The Riyadh region was the main target of the most current MERS-CoV outbreak in Saudi Arabia, which began in 2023 and ended on September 1, 2023, with 312 confirmed cases and ninety-seven fatalities. With the use of published studies and their contributions to the field, we hope to present a thorough overview of the MERS-CoV outbreak in Saudi Arabia in this review of the literature, including its epidemiological investigation, public health response, impact, and lessons learned. In addition to highlighting the importance and continued relevance of this problem, our work suggests ways to lower the risk of MERS-CoV transmission and avert further outbreaks.

Eating disorders are a global burden and present personal, family, and societal costs. Most evidence in the literature is based on the relationship between a poor family environment and eating disorders, and the evidence of gender interaction in eating disorders is inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between family functioning and disordered eating patterns, the mediating role of negative automatic thoughts, and the moderating role of gender. A sample of 440 (70.9% females, aged 18–21) participated in this study. They completed the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ negative), and the Brief Family Relationship Scale (BFRS). PROCESS MACRO was used to study these relationships. The main findings revealed that family functioning was negatively associated with eating disorders, and that this relationship was negatively mediated by automatic thoughts. Moreover, gender moderated those relationships, and more intensely in females. The results of this study postulate that the prevention of eating disorders should be directed at training individuals to challenge negative thoughts and encourage healthy individuals to be gender mindful.

Background: Community-based medical education (CBME) is an essential component of medical education, where primary healthcare physicians (PHPs) play a crucial role. This study explores PHPs' awareness and engagement in CBME and investigates the factors influencing their participation. Methods: This mixed study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, a qual-itative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with PHPs, and thematic analysis related to their awareness and engagement in CBME. In the second phase, a quantitative survey was conducted among 72 PHPs pre- and post-training programs. Results: Primary healthcare physicians had a positive attitude toward community-based medical education. The participants have an acceptable level of awareness and engagement, which increased substantially (p-value = 0.03) and (p-value = 0.003), respectively. Logistic analysis indicated that non-Saudi physicians were likelier to participate in the CBME (p-value=0.001). Professions and academic experiences influence their willingness and engagement to participate in CBME (OR= 7.5, p-value=0.001) and (OR=0.21, p-value=0.001), respectively. Conclusion: The study findings highlighted the importance of increased awareness and the factors that enhance PHPs' engagement in CBME. This positive perspective of the PHPs helps build effective partnerships and facilitates the extension of the curriculum to apply CBME.

This study aimed at assessing the extent to which the Saudi general population has embraced digital health medical applications to meet their health-related needs so that the Saudi Ministry of Health and government can appropriately be guided on scaling up of digital health across the country. As such, this study was guided by the question of to what extent do the Saudi people use digital health mobile-based applications?. This was a cross-sectional study utilizing snowballing sampling approach. Frequencies, Chi-square, and Spearman rank correlation statistics were used to offer descriptive and inferential analysis of the variables. The majority of the participants were economically able to afford smart devices that have medical apps, had at least an app on such devices, and highly regarded the benefits of the apps. Unfortunately, their understanding of how to use such apps was limited and this posed a barrier to embracing digital health alongside difficulty downloading apps, and medical ethical concerns. Although there is a willingness, extra effort is needed from the Saudi Ministry of Health and government to promote the uptake of digital health in Saudi Arabia.

The construction industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is a significant sector in the Middle East, with annual expenditures exceeding USD 120 billion. It employs 15% of the work force and consumes more than 14% of the country’s energy resources. Despite the significant growth in the Saudi construction sector, it faces various challenges due to the rapid launch of mega projects such as NEOM and the Line project, as well as other new projects as part of the Saudi Vision 2030. Challenges might be limited to shortages of skilled labours, rising costs, construction disputes, and material shortages. This study aims to investigate the claims management procedures under traditional practice to be compared with a proposed BIM package as an alternative solution to mitigate construction disputes. The proposed BIM model improves and streamlines the claims process through automation. This study presents prospective and retrospective methods for delay analysis under an accepted program. A questionnaire survey was conducted, and out of a total of 123 practitioners, 79 replied. The findings reveal that 40% of the respondents acknowledged a growing awareness of BIM in the KSA construction industry. 47% agreed that BIM can help reduce potential disputes, and 33% strongly agreed that BIM can reduce overall project cost overruns.

Autonomous vehicles (AV)s will transform transport, but public opinion will play a key role in the decision how widely and quickly, they will be adopted. The purpose of the study presented here, was to investigate community’s views on the transition. As a method for primary data collection on public awareness, attitudes, and readiness to use autonomous cars, survey was conducted in Saudi Arabia. Following that, we have used statistical tools to analyse responses. Our findings indicate that the participants are mainly open to use new technology and had favourable attitude towards transition. Ordinal logistic regression model showed a wide variation in public opinion regarding the expected benefits that may accompany the transition, despite an average high score on this factor. Our findings reveal that awareness of AVs' benefits is more positively correlated to the age of participants. Perceived cost, on one side, and convenience, and safety, on the other side, have substantial impact on opinions. Investigation, presented here, shows how AVs are seen in Saudi Arabia. This can guide the development of AVs and deployment in that region.

Background: Virtual care adoption accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need for healthcare professionals to develop relevant competencies. However, limited evidence exists on the core competencies required for quality virtual care delivery. Objective: This study aimed to identify the critical competencies physicians, nurses, and other health professionals need for adequate virtual care provision in Saudi Arabia using a Delphi method. Methods: A 3-round Delphi technique was applied with a panel of 42 experts, including policymakers, healthcare professionals, academicians, and telehealth specialists. In round 1, an open-ended questionnaire elicited competencies needed for virtual care. Competencies were distilled and rated for importance in rounds 2 and 3 until consensus was achieved. Results: Consensus emerged on 151 competencies across 33 domains. The most prominent domains were communication (15 competencies), professionalism (13), leadership (12), health informatics (5), digital literacy (5) and clinical expertise (11).

Phylogeny construction can help to reveal evolutionary relatedness among molecular sequences. The spike (S) gene of SARS-CoV-2 is the subject of an immune selective pressure which increases the variability in such region. This study aimed to identify mutations in the S gene among SARS-CoV-2 sequences collected in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), focusing on the D614G mutation, that has a presumed fitness advantage. Another aim was to analyze the S gene sequences phylogenetically. The SARS-CoV-2 S gene sequences collected in the MENA were retrieved from the GISAID public database, together with its metadata. Mutation analysis was conducted in Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis software. Phylogenetic analysis was done using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian methods. A total of 553 MENA sequences were analyzed and the most frequent S gene mutations included: D614G=435, Q677H=8, and V6F=5. A significant increase in the proportion of D614G was noticed from (63.0%) in February 2020, to (98.5%) in June 2020 (p<0.001). Two large phylogenetic clusters were identified via ML analysis, which showed an evidence of inter-country mixing of sequences, which dated back to February 8, 2020 and March 15, 2020 (median estimates). The mean evolutionary rate for SARS-CoV-2 was about 6.5 × 10^-3 substitutions/site/year based on large clusters’ Bayesian analyses. The D614G mutation appeared to be taking over the COVID-19 infections in the MENA. Bayesian analysis suggested that SARS-CoV-2 might have been circulating in MENA earlier than previously reported.

This study investigates the impact of Government Consumption (GC) on Saudi Arabia’s GDP during major economic crises from 1969 to 2022, with a focus on periods marked by fluctuations in oil and non-oil revenues. By integrating these revenue streams, the research provides a more comprehensive analysis of fiscal policy effectiveness during economic downturns. Using an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model, the study reveals the complex role of Government Consumption (GC) in stabilizing and stimulating the Saudi economy amidst revenue volatility.Key findings indicate that while GC does not significantly influence GDP in the short term, its long-term effectiveness varies across different crises. Specifically, GC has acted as a buffer against immediate economic shocks during certain crises while providing a stimulus for economic recovery in others. For instance, during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, timely fiscal measures significantly boosted GDP, underscoring the importance of adaptive and proactive fiscal policies. Conversely, the 2014-2016 oil price collapse demonstrated that GC alone was insufficient to counteract economic downturns, emphasizing the need for diversified revenue strategies.These findings underscore the dual role of GC in economic stabilization and recovery. During the COVID-19 pandemic, GC played a crucial role in both mitigating negative economic impacts and supporting recovery efforts, showcasing its effectiveness in times of global disruptions. This demonstrates GC's capability as an immediate buffer against economic shocks and a stimulus for economic recovery. In contrast, during the 2014-2016 oil price collapse, GC was less effective, indicating the limitations of relying solely on government spending without broader economic diversification. This highlights the necessity of diversified revenue strategies to complement fiscal measures for long-term economic resilience.The robustness of the findings was ensured through various diagnostic tests, including checks for autocorrelation, heteroskedasticity, and stationarity of residuals. The absence of significant autocorrelation and heteroskedasticity, along with the stationarity of differenced variables, confirms the validity of the econometric models used.The study contributes to the discourse on fiscal policy in oil-dependent economies by illustrating the critical role of diversified revenue strategies and adaptive fiscal measures in enhancing economic resilience. Recommendations are offered for policymakers to optimize fiscal strategies, ensuring robust economic recovery and long-term stability in volatile markets. This research highlights the necessity for Saudi Arabia to refine its fiscal policies towards greater economic diversification and stability.

Abstract: This paper aimed to investigate the entrepreneurial intentions of female students in Saudi Arabia, utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as the theoretical framework. Employing a quantitative research methodology, data was collected through a questionnaire administered to female students at Princess Nourah University. The results revealed a positive inclination towards entrepreneurship, with over 64% expressing a desire to pursue entrepreneurial ventures in the future. This optimistic trend among female students suggests a potential pool of future entrepreneurs. Interestingly, a small percentage (3.21%) categorically rejected entrepreneurship as a career option, indicating a relatively low level of disinterest in entrepreneurial pursuits. However, many respondents (32%) remained undecided, presenting a valuable opportunity for mentorship and support to cultivate their entrepreneurial intentions. These findings underscore the significance of providing guidance and education to encourage entrepreneurship among female students. The TPB analysis highlighted that attitudes and perceived behavioral control towards entrepreneurship were favorable among female students, indicating a positive mindset and belief in their ability to embark on entrepreneurial endeavors. However, societal norms still exert a negative influence on some student’s entrepreneurial intentions, suggesting a need to address cultural barriers that might hinder female students' willingness to pursue entrepreneurship. The study suggests enhancing female entrepreneurship through societal encouragement and support from personal networks. It highlights the importance of fostering entrepreneurial aspirations in female students. Crucially, the study underscores the role of universities in cultivating entrepreneurial intentions by proposing the implementation of entrepreneurship-focused curricula and the creation of university-based training units or incubators.

This study investigated the relationship between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosure and the performance of Saudi Arabian companies. We analysed panel data from the 100 non-financial companies listed on the Saudi stock exchange (Tadawul) from 2017 to 2022. Using fixed effects, random effects, and generalised method of moments (GMM) models to account for endogeneity concerns, we examined the impact of ESG disclosure on the return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), and Tobin’s Q. An ESG index was constructed through principal component analysis of individual environmental, social, and governance scores. Our results indicate a significant positive relationship between ESG disclosure and companies’ key performance variables across all models. These findings are consistent with stakeholder theory and signalling theory, suggesting that comprehensive ESG practices can lead to better financial performance and serve as a positive signal to stakeholders. The study also reveals sector-specific differences, with non-manufacturing firms showing stronger positive relationships between ESG disclosure and performance measures compared to manufacturing firms. Additionally, we find that firm size, age, and liquidity are important factors influencing the ESG–performance relationship. This research contributes to the growing literature on ESG and corporate performance in emerging markets, offering valuable insights for policymakers, investors, and corporate practitioners in Saudi Arabia’s evolving sustainable business landscape. Our findings underscore the importance of ESG disclosure in driving sustainable and responsible business practices in the region.

Visually impaired people encounter many impediments and challenges in their lives such as related to their mobility, education, communication, use of technology, and others. This paper reports the results of an online survey to understand the requirements and challenges blind and visually impaired people face in their daily lives regarding the availability and use of digital devices. The survey was conducted among the blind and visually impaired in Saudi Arabia using digital forms. A total of 164 people responded to the survey most of them using the VoiceOver function. People were asked about the use of smart devices, special devices, operating systems, object recognition apps, indoor and outdoor navigation apps, virtual digital assistive apps, the purpose (navigation, education, etc.) of and difficulty in using these apps, the type of assistance needed, the reliance on others in using the assistive technologies, and the level of satisfaction from the existing assistive technologies. The majority of the participants were 18 – 65 years old with 13% under 18 and 3% above 65. Sixty-five percent of the participants were graduates or postgraduates and the rest only had secondary education. White Cane, mobile phones, Apple iOS, Envision, Seeing AI, VoiceOver, and Google Maps were the most used devices, technologies, and apps used by the participants. Navigation at 39.6% was the most reported purpose of the special devices followed by education (34.1%) and office jobs (12.8%). The information from this survey along with a detailed literature review of academic and commercial technologies for the visually impaired was used to establish the research gap, design requirements, and a comprehensive understanding of the relevant landscape, which in turn was used to design smart glasses called LidSonic for visually impaired.

This study examined the status of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) practices and the understanding of Sustainable Development (SD) among Saudi kindergarten teachers in a specific governorate. Two hundred twenty-seven kindergarten teachers participated, and data was collected through a questionnaire. The results indicated that most kindergarten teachers (89.9%) were unaware of SD. The overall status of ESD practices among the participating teachers was weak, with an average score of 2.60 out of 4. Among the different dimensions, values (2.74), competencies (2.69), and practice (2.65) obtained relatively higher scores, while the content dimension (2.49) received the lowest score. Significant differences were found in the mean scores of ESD practices based on teachers’ qualifications and the type of school. However, no differences were observed based on experience. The lack of awareness regarding SD emerged as the primary barrier to implementing ESD in kindergarten institutions. Expanding teacher training was identified as the most crucial step in promoting ESD in kindergartens. The findings highlight the importance of raising awareness among Saudi kindergarten teachers about SD, providing professional development opportunities to enhance ESD implementation in classrooms, and creating teaching materials aligned with ESD principles.

Renewable energy especially insights into solar energy are crucial in the energy business cycle. In this paper, an impact study of meteorological variables on solar energy production is conducted. The paper discusses the pipeline of data analysis specific to the case study and exploits open-source machine-learning algorithms to build predictive models. RandomForestRegressor and XGBoosting regressors are used to build the predictive model. The application code is integrated into an analytic software service (Power BI) and tested on Solar energy Open Data of Saudi Arabia. The solar energy production is found to be high between 800-1000 barometric pressure locations. Global Horizontal Irradiation is found to increase when the atmospheric temperature is more than 34∘ C. The impact of relative humidity is that the produced energy is high at lower humidity points. The wind speed effect is that the produced energy is significant between 2 to 4 m/s and reaches its maximum at 2.4 m/s. The predictive models produce nearly real-time predictions with Random Forest with R²: 0.909. The paper provides Global Horizontal Irradiation estimation equations using meteorological coefficients generated by the trained regressor. The paper presents implementation methodologies and records various instances of test results. It highlights the efficacy of machine learning in predictive modeling for renewable energy applications.

The aim of this study is to examine the short-run and the long-run equilibrium relationship between banking sector’s efficiency and stability and its endogenous and exogenous determinants such as inflation and international oil prices shocks in Saudi Arabia over the period 2004–2022. This study differentiates between the direct and indirect effects of international oil price changes on bank efficiency and stability to investigate the extent to which these changes can affect the banking sector through inflation. The first stage consists of using a panel Autoregressive Distributive Lag (ARDL). The empirical result confirms the existence of a long/short run relationship between oil price shocks and stability and efficiency of banks. In the long run the relationship is statistically significant and positive and is negative in the short run. On the other hand, this study finds that oil price shocks directly affect the stability and efficiency of banks. In the second stage, this study uses a nonlinear ARD (NARD) to examine the short- and long-run asymmetric impacts of oil price shocks on the stability and efficiency of banks by decomposing the oil price index into positive and negative changes. The finding confirms an asymmetric relationship between oil prices and the stability and efficiency of banks in Saudi Arabia. In addition, a positive change in oil price can affect the stability and efficiency of banks more than a negative one. Overall, the finding highlights the need for policymakers in Saudi Arabia to be vigilant in addressing the potential risks arising from oil price fluctuations and to adopt appropriate policy measures to maintain stability and efficiency in the banking sector.

Background: This practice guideline was developed by the Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Task Force, which was composed of clinical and methodological experts. The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health and its Health Holding Company commissioned this guideline project to support the realization of the Vision 2030's healthcare transformation pillar. Methods: The guideline synthesis was guided by the GRADE-ADOLOPMENT methodology. Results: The final adoloped guideline addressed 12 clinical questions on blood pressure management in patients with CKD through a set of recommendations and performance measures. The recommendations included antihypertensive agents in children, non-renin angiotensin system inhibition (Non-RASi) vs RASi in adults, intensive vs standard blood pressure targets, early vs late assessment for kidney replacement therapy (KRT), late vs early preparation strategy for KRT, CKD symptoms during assessment for KRT or conservative management, initiation of KRT in patients with deteriorating CKD, choice of KRT modality or conservative management in certain CKD patient groups, changing or discontinuing KRT modalities, review frequency for KRT or conservative management, and Information, education and support. Conclusions: These conditional recommendations were based on low to very low certainty of evidence that highlights the need for high-quality randomized trials comparing different antihypertensive agents in patients with CKD.

The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) is the most popular measure of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which has been recently validated in Arabic. This instrumental study aimed to determine optimal cutoff scores of the IES-R and its subscales in Arab samples of psychiatric patients (N = 168, 70.8% females) and healthy adults (N = 992, 62.7% females) from Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic as an ongoing collective traumatic event. Based on a cutoff score of 14 of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 8-items (DASS-8), receiver operator curve (ROC) analysis revealed two optimal points of 39.5 and 30.5 for the IES-R in the samples (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.86 &amp; 0.91, p values = 0.001, 95% CI: 0.80-0.92 &amp; 0.87 to 0.94, sensitivity = 0.85 &amp; 0.87, specificity = 0.73 &amp; 0.83, Youden index = 0.58 &amp; 0.70, respectively). Different cutoffs were detected for the six subscales of the IES-R, with numbing and avoidance expressing the lowest predictivity for distress. Meanwhile, hyperarousal followed by the irritability expressed stronger predictive capacity for distress than all subscales in both samples. In path analysis, pandemic-related irritability resulted from direct and indirect effects of key PTSD symptoms (intrusion, hyperarousal, and numbing). Irritability contributed to traumatic symptoms of sleep disturbance in both samples while the opposite was not true. The findings suggest usefulness of the IES-R at a score of 30.5 for detecting adults prone to trauma related distress, with higher scores needed for screening in psychiatric patients. Various PTSD symptoms may induce dysphoric mood, which represents a considerable burden that may induce circadian misalignment and more noxious psychiatric problems/ co-morbidities (sleep disturbance) in both healthy and diseased groups.