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Background and objectives Allergic rhinitis is a morbid condition that is frequently overlooked by patients and physicians. This type of atopy has not been adequately investigated in the United Arab Emirates.Methods This cross-sectional, population-based observational study was conducted in the seven Emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Quwain, Ras Al-Khaimah, and Fujairah). It used the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS II) to screen for allergic rhinitis in people living in this region.Results Symptoms of allergic rhinitis were present in 85 (7%) of the 1,229 study population. Only 33 (39%) patients received treatment. Seventy-six (89%) patients had asthma. Thirty-seven (44%) patients were poly-sensitized. Symptoms were aggravated by dust (59%), grass/pollens (44%) and proximity to animals (21%). Winter was the peak season (37%), followed by spring (30%), autumn (18%) and summer (15%). Grass/pollen allergies were clustered in the winter, spring and summer (p ≤ 0.001). Dust was non-seasonal (p ≥ 0.121) and animal allergy was worse in the winter (p = 0.024) and spring (p = 0.044). Spring symptoms were less common in people living in the inner city (p = 0.003).Conclusions At least 7% of the studied population had allergic rhinitis. Most (71%) of these patients had environmental triggers and remained untreated. Allergic rhinitis awareness and measures to control allergens and dust are needed. The impact of preventing allergic rhinitis on other common atopies in the region deserves future studies. Keywords: Allergens, Nasal mucosa, Pollen, Air pollution, Fine dust, Constructions, Gulf region

This paper analyses the importance of 'Shari'a scholars' in the Islamic Financial Services (IFS) sector, which has been a growing global practice since the 1970s. Based on Shari'a Law, IFS firms provide banking, finance and insurance respecting faith-based prohibitions on interest, speculation and risk taking. Although IFS firms operate across a variety of scales and involve a range of actors, this paper focuses on the transnational capacities of Shari'a experts employed by IFS firms. These scholars use their extensive knowledge of Shari'a Law to assess the 'Islamic' character of a firm's operations, and assist the development of Shari'a-compliant products. As they embody necessary entry-points into Islamic circuits of knowledge and authority, members of what we dub the 'global Shari'a elite' can be regarded as 'gatekeepers' of Islamic financial circuits. Drawing on a comprehensive data source we present a geographical analysis of Shari'a board membership, nationality and educational background of 253 Shari'a scholars. The results show that the global Shari'a elite connects a limited number of IFS hubs (e. g. Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait City, Manama, and London) to knowledge and authority networks falling outside 'mainstream' business and service spheres.

The relatively short social and economic history of the urban Gulf has undergone radical evolutions over recent years. Cities in the Gulf have advanced on investing in holistic urban planning and branding strategies. The majority of these investments were not merely intent on supplying various infrastructures for local communities, but more importantly aimed at foreign influx, through tourism and attracting foreign businesses with the possibility to set-up regional offices and increase revenues. Important in this is both the hardware (city planning) and software (city marketing). In recent years, major cities - such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha - have been confronted with providing a strong and profitable infrastructure for their respective tourist/business industries. This brings to light some new dilemmas to be answered, which include the following: 1. Space vs. time 2. Short term vs. long term 3. Planning vs. marketing 4. Infrastructure vs. network 5. Global vs. local ‚Üí glocal 6. Work vs. leisure 7. Economy vs. culture & society 8. Traditional marketing vs. alternative marketing The paper then discusses the new approaches linking city planning with city marketing, like time planning, leisure (cultural, tourism, sports, entertainment) planning, social town planning (incorporating the previous two), creative cities, urban regeneration, strategic planning, collaborative planning, urban management, Public Private Partnerships and the representation of the city in cinema. Then an attempt is made to answer questions like the influence that the temporary nature of many of the residents/expats of the Gulf cities have on their future composition, the social implications of the rapid economic growth, the kind of projects that are revealed when considering the reassessment of the social/economic infrastructure within these cities etc., before ending with the conclusions about the necessity of a strategic urban development plan especially for cities with a strong infrastructure for tourism & business, incorporating: City marketing plan involving the cooperation of tourists, businesses & residents (focus on the quest for local identity) Leisure plan (combining tourism, culture, sports & entertainment) Time master plan

Training session for McMaster Museum of Art docents, in preparation for a museum display of rare maps: "The Evolution of the Cartography of the Gulf Region between the 2nd and 19th Centuries"

In the last few years, the way we learn has been shifted dramatically from traditional classrooms depending on printed papers into E-learning depending on digital pages. Mobile learning (M-learning) is a recent technology that has been developed rapidly to deliver E-learning using personal mobile devices without posing any restrictions on time and location. In this work, we investigate students and faculty members’ attitudes towards the use of M-learning in higher educational institutions within two countries in the Gulf Region (Oman & UAE). Two questionnaire surveys have been conducted: one for students and another for faculty members. In these surveys, 383 students and 54 instructors have taken part within the study. An independent sample t-test was performed to examine whether there exist a significant difference among the students’ attitudes and the faculty members’ attitudes towards the use of M-learning with regard to gender and country. Results indicated that students in the UAE were more positive towards the use of M-learning than those in Oman. Moreover, results revealed that 99% of the students own mobile devices, in particular smartphones and tablets, while only 1% has not. Results of this study could help policy makers for better decision making in building the M-learning infrastructure in the higher educational institutions in general and specifically within the Arab Gulf region.

In the 21st century, more and more American women educators are going overseas to work, often to developing countries (Elfenbein, Lucas, Ewell, Cirksena, & McFadden, 1998). However, few studies have been conducted about working abroad (Osland, 1995), and even fewer studies examine academics (Razzano, 1994), particularly women professionals who have worked overseas (Lyon, 2001). A review of the literature revealed that almost no studies have been conducted that focus on American women faculty and administrators working in higher education in the Arab countries. This study provides information not currently available, and the findings are a valuable resource of information about the nature of life and the professional environment in Arabic countries. The information will help women educators, especially those who are interested in working in the Arab countries. This research is structured around two themes: (a) cross-cultural adaptation, and (b) globalization. The study attempts to place American women academicians and higher education within the global context by: (a) exploring the cultural adaptation of American women faculty and administrators who worked at a university in the Arab countries of the Gulf region, (b) investigating how these American women academicians have contributed to globalization of higher education abroad and in the United States, and (c) describing experiences of working abroad in order to help women academicians in the U.S. who are considering an opportunity to work at a university in the Arab countries. This qualitative research used a case study design. Seven women faculty and administrators in this study were personally interviewed by the researcher. The philosophical lens selected for the analysis was phenomenology. During data analysis, events and incidents described by participants that were potentially indicative and supportive of key issues were compared and verified across the data. Key issues were then categorized, conceptualized, and provisionally labeled. Issues that appeared to relate across various categories were grouped and given a conceptual name. From the discussion of 17 fundamental themes under six categories of findings of this study conclusions were drawn. Implications for the development of theory and practice in the cross-cultural adaptation of people in academia and globalization and internationalization of higher education were provided. Additionally, recommendations for Arab universities and future research were made.

This article argues that in the Gulf, contrary to other regions of the world, the necessity to control mass migrations preceded the official establishment of definitive borders and state structures. It then shows that this very sequencing, compounded with the issue of oil revenues' distribution, affected the forms of movement control that were opted for, as well as the types of nationality issues that derived from it.

The present paper scrutinizes the extant literature on the internationalization process of service providers. It provides an overview of current insights and unresolved issues. The findings of over 100 published studies are structured and summarized under four headings: internationalization motives, country/market selection, entry mode choice, and the profile of service exporters. Although literature is closing the gap with reality, this paper concludes that (empirical) work still lacks sound theoretical bases, and - partially as a consequence - it is largely fragmented and exploratory. Per heading we formulate specific suggestion for better and more focused future research endeavors. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

This paper analyses the importance of 'Shari'a scholars' in the Islamic Financial Services (IFS) sector, which has been a growing global practice since the 1970s. Based on Shari'a Law, IFS firms provide banking, finance and insurance respecting faith-based prohibitions on interest, speculation and risk taking. Although IFS firms operate across a variety of scales and involve a range of actors, this paper focuses on the transnational capacities of Shari'a experts employed by IFS firms. These scholars use their extensive knowledge of Shari'a Law to assess the 'Islamic' character of a firm's operations, and assist the development of Shari'a-compliant products. As they embody necessary entry-points into Islamic circuits of knowledge and authority, members of what we dub the 'global Shari'a elite' can be regarded as 'gatekeepers' of Islamic financial circuits. Drawing on a comprehensive data source we present a geographical analysis of Shari'a board membership, nationality and educational background of 253 Shari'ascholars. The results show that the global Shari'a elite connects a limited number of IFS hubs (e.g. Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait City, Manama, and London) to knowledge and authority networks falling outside 'mainstream' business and service spheres.

International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies, 11, 4, 11A04H: 1-11