Autonomous Vehicles Perception, Acceptance, and Future Prospects in the GCC: An Analysis Using the UTAUT-Based Model

Innovation management (IM) for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region poses unique socio-economic challenges due to the multi-faceted nature of Arab and Islamic countries. Additionally, proposals for indigenous initiatives, sustainability transitions and outward-oriented strategies in economic reform plans of the GCC add further complexity to IM scholarship and practice with imperatives to harness the potentials of these strategic visions. Yet, there is an absence of a systematic review to scrutinize IM literature on the GCC region. This paper systematically reviews the IM literature whose subject involve the GCC countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The review scrutinizes theories, trends and targets in this literature, covers the period from 1980 to 2019, and involves 110 journal papers from high quality IM-related publication outlets. Using insights from the review, the paper develops theoretical foundations for creative complementarities, institutional-pumps and a ripple model of regional innovation. The review also details some methodological, theoretical, conceptual and topical directions for future regional IM research studies.

Although the autonomous vehicles market is still in its infancy, many people have switched from conventional vehicles to autonomous vehicles due to the numerous benefits and environmental advantages of owning them. Autonomous vehicles which promise to eliminate traffic crashes due to human errors are expected to penetrate the Malaysian market by 2025. However, past research has shown that psychological factors rather than technological aspects could deter the successful diffusion of autonomous vehicles in the market. By integrating the Technology Acceptance Model and the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study investigates the influencing factors of the Malaysian public towards acceptance of autonomous vehicles and the moderating effects of socio demographic variables. A total of 306 respondents completed the online survey. The results show that the proposed integrated model can explain 82.9% of the variance in acceptance of autonomous vehicles. Among the variables, attitude and perceived behavioural control are significant contributors. In terms of moderating variables, income level, education level, and ethnicity moderated the effects of attitude, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and acceptance. Insights drawn from this study could assist policy makers in devising strategic plans for promoting autonomous vehicles in the country.

PurposeIn some regions including the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region where construction is one of the main industries, the implementation of BIM is still at a slow rate. This article attempts to know the current situation of BIM and explore the challenges in the BIM implementation in the GCC construction industry.Design/methodology/approachA mixed research approach that includes a systematic literature review and a survey questionnaire was adopted to achieve the aim of this research. For the systematic review, four main databases were search considering a period of 2010–2019 to identify the main challenges in the BIM implementation. A total of 39 different challenges from 47 documents were classified into four main categories. A structured questionnaire developed on these challenges was sent to 206 selected from the top construction organizations from all over the GCC region.FindingsA total of 39 different challenges from 47 documents were classified into four main categories. The respondents for the questionnaire were selected from the top construction organization from all over the GCC region. A large number of the respondents (69.79%) reported that their organizations are planning for BIM implementation in their future projects. The results show that top challenges fall under the main categories of “Organization”, “Technical”, “Government and Legal” and “Environment”.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the paper provides an overview of BIM in a global context, however, the dynamics and maturity of the construction industry in different regions are quite different from each other. Since the data collected in this research is from the GCC region, the results are more relevant to the GCC region.Practical implicationsThe finding of this research identifies the main challenges which GCC construction is facing in the implementation of BIM. The finding will, therefore, be useful for the key stakeholders to develop strategies to overcome these challenges and pave the road to take the advantages of BIM implementation in construction.Social implicationsThe BIM implementation in the GCC construction industry will not only improve the performance of the industry but will also open the doors for new opportunities and employment. The BIM implementation in construction will help the region to achieve Goal 9 (industrial innovation and improved infrastructure) of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.Originality/valueThe results of this study help to understand the overall situation including the challenges in the BIM implementation in the GCC construction industry. This study will be helpful for all the stakeholders to develop strategies for the effective implementation of BIM in the GCC construction industry.

Climate change is a problem that many municipalities in the world are facing today. Due to the fragile ecosystem, and harsh climates that are experienced by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the region has become vulnerable to a wide variety of ecosystem and climate change issues. Aside from the climate affecting the area severely, its dependence on hydrocarbons, also makes it vulnerable to climate changes. There are climate change policies adopted by the GCC region for prosperous future and sustainability. These include, policies to affect impacts of energy and carbon intensities, response measures being adopted for climate change, the mitigation potentials of the region, along with the suitability of the markets to harness potentials. This analysis focuses on utilizing Marginal Abatement Cost curves, along with econometric techniques that will assess the emissions of Green House Gases (GHGs), the potential for mitigation in the GCC region, and computable general equilibriums that invest the impacts of measures, exploring suitability of instruments that can help to harness the potential mitigation measures for the region. Main policy insights that can be concluded based on the analysis is the role that incentives play to help promote energy efficient mechanics, while reducing emissions of carbon emissions within the region, contributions made to climate policies for air quality, along with the roles that green tax reforms play to help improve the economics of welfare, while pursuing carbon policies for the domestic areas in the region. Globally, there are a lot of energy efficiency policies. The GCC has been witnessing a phenomenal amount of growth when it comes to meeting the needs of domestic households. The region is facing extreme demographic pressure, and as a result has decided to accelerate energy intensive drives. The requirements that the GCC has to meet is causing trade-offs and challenging implications regarding allocation and development of hydrocarbon resources to adhere to domestic and export demands. In conclusion, four issues that have arisen within the GCC in relations to climate change policies have been addressed in this paper. These issues include the rising amounts of energy and carbon intensities, the impacts that the response measures that are being implemented by developed countries have on developing countries, as well as the mitigation potentials that exist within the region, as a method to harness the potentials that are available. Energy efficiency is believed to be a primary candidate to deal with the challenges the GCC is facing. Detailed assessments regarding energy efficiency for the GCC economies is addressed, along with how these intensities relate to outside world economies. This analysis focuses on utilizing Marginal Abatement Cost curves, along with econometric techniques that will assess the emissions of Green House Gases, the potential for mitigation in the GCC region, and Computable General Equilibriums that invest the impacts of measures, exploring suitability of instruments that can help to harness the potential mitigation measures for the region. Main policy insights that can be concluded based on the analysis is the roles that incentives play to help promote energy efficient mechanics, while reducing emissions of carbon emissions within the region, contributions made to climate policies for air quality, along with the roles that green tax reforms play to help improve the economics of welfare, while pursuing carbon policies for the domestic areas in the region. Globally, there are a lot of energy efficiency policies and measures that are being taken. The GCC, which is an acronym for Gulf Cooperative Council, has been witnessing a phenomenal amount of growth when it comes to meeting the needs of domestic households. The region is facing extreme demographic pressure, and as a result have decided to accelerate energy intensive drives. The requirements that the GCC has to meet is causing trade-offs and challenging implications regarding allocation and development of hydrocarbon resources to adhere to domestic and export demands. Energy efficiency is believed to be a primary candidate to deal with the challenges the GCC is facing. Detailed assessments regarding energy efficiency for the GCC economies is addressed, along with how these intensities relate to outside world economies.

By using panel data over the 1980-2017 period and two alternative indicators of environmental pollution (carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions), this paper investigates the validity of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Using three alternative econometric estimation techniques, we find strong evidence of a long-run inverted U-shaped relationship between real GDP per capita and both environmental indicators in the GCC region. Country-level short-run analysis indicates that the EKC hypothesis holds for Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) when CO2 emissions are used as a measure of environmental pollution. However, when SO2 emissions are used as a measure of environmental pollution, the EKC hypothesis holds for Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The results of a recently developed panel causality test reveal one-way causality from real GDP per capita to CO2 emissions and from real GDP per capita to SO2 emissions.

PurposeThis study objective is twofold. This study aims to present an institutional analysis of the implications of job localization programs in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Further, it highlights the impacts of these programs on the accounting profession.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based primarily on the desktop research method, where data is collected from the review of previous studies, published data on Internet Websites and reports released by International organizations such as the United Nations. In addition, the study benefitted from conducting six interviews with government officials from GCC countries. Theoretically, this study draws upon insights from the institutional logics theory to discern higher-order institutions deriving job localization decisions in the GCC region.FindingsThis paper explained how job localization policies in the GCC region are informed by three central logics: economic, socio-political and professional. Despite contributing to achieving some socio-political goals for policymakers, these policies could have serious consequences for the practice of the professions and, hence, the local business environment. Besides, this paper highlighted the serious localization policies' impacts on the accounting profession, especially the quality of the workforce (accountants) and their job readiness.Practical implicationsThis study highlights the various implications of job localization policies for locals, foreigners, public and private sector entities and governments. Besides, it has recommended some actions to mitigate the negative influences of such policies on the surrounding society.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by following an interpretative approach in explaining the localization of the accounting profession from an institutional perspective by bringing new evidence from GCC emerging markets.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) comprises the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the states of Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. These countries are fairly similar in terms of socioeconomic, commercial, and infrastructural development. Disappointingly perhaps, their thriving construction industries continue to score poorly in terms of sustainability. Although value management (VM) has been proposed as a potential mechanism for delivering sustainable construction projects in some countries, this idea has not yet been widely put into practice around the world. The aim of this article is to investigate this potential in the GCC countries through interviewing 17 experienced value managers from the GCC. The primary conclusion, derived from the viewpoints of these value managers, is that such an endeavor might be unviable at present, largely due to a lack of awareness with regard to sustainability issues in the GCC. Proposals are therefore provided to assist in a successful integration of sustainability into VM practices in the GCC region.

A closer look at urban development under the emergence of autonomous vehicles: Traffic, land use and air quality impacts

This study explores the public acceptance of autonomous vehicles (AVs) using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 framework. Drawing on survey data from 1000 commuters in Seoul, South Korea, this study examines the influence of performance expectations, effort expectations, social influence, hedonic motivation, and facilitating conditions on the behavioral intention to adopt AVs. Structural equation modeling reveals that hedonic motivation (β = 0.56, p < 0.001), price value (β = 0.47, p < 0.001), and performance expectancy (β = 0.64, p < 0.001) are critical determinants of AV acceptance. Additionally, risk perception negatively impacts behavioral intention (β = −0.25, p < 0.001), while policy support (β = 0.51, p < 0.001) and facilitating conditions (β = 0.46, p < 0.001) demonstrate substantial positive influences. Demographic analysis highlights age and gender as significant moderators, with younger users prioritizing performance expectancy and being more sensitive to risk, while older users exhibit a shift from hedonic to utility-driven motivations as they age. Women exhibit greater sensitivity to policy support and economic factors, while men respond more strongly to environmental considerations. In addition, prior experience with advanced driver assistance systems amplifies the influence of enjoyment on facilitating conditions, whereas inexperienced users are more affected by perceived risks. These findings underscore the importance of tailored interventions that address demographic variations, enhance user satisfaction, and balance cost-effectiveness with safety assurances. This study provides insights into actionable strategies for policymakers and industry leaders to promote AV adoption and support the evolution of sustainable urban mobility systems.

Purpose The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have unanimously worked toward localizing their workforce, given the imbalanced proportion of locals in the region's workforce and the rising local unemployment levels. To date, current localization initiatives have not resulted in notable improvements in increasing the local workforce participation. This study, thus, sets out to identify the key challenges that the GCC region has faced in its implementation of the workforce localization policies from multiple perspectives. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory two-stage approach was taken to identify relevant academic literature on localization in the GCC. The study then carried out a thematic analysis of 71 empirical and conceptual studies to discover the underlying challenges faced by the GCC economies in their national strategy of localizing the workforce. Findings Through a narrative review, six challenges pertaining to the GCC market's labor market configuration, citizen's job preferences, work attitudes, education and skill set, and expats and the private sector's attitudes toward localization were identified. We conclude with a comprehensive plan that considers educational, economic and cultural factors. Practical implications To improve workforce localization in the GCC, governments should reform education and address socio-cultural barriers, especially those affecting female employment. Private sector firms must implement culturally sensitive strategies to develop and retain local talent. A coordinated effort among governments, employers and society is essential to create a unified labor market and a performance-driven employment culture. Originality/value In providing a review of the most important obstacles, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the major challenges documented by academic researchers on the localization policies of GCC. Further, the findings enable practitioners to accomplish objectives of localization policies in the GCC region by taking note of the identified challenges and overcoming them through partaking in potential opportunities.

Subject Islamist movements in the smaller GCC states. Significance The rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Tunisia in the wake of the 2011 Arab uprisings placed political Islam at the centre of political debate in the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) bloc. Qatar's support for Islamists abroad was unacceptable to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who consider the group to pose a serious threat to both the regional status quo and their domestic monopoly on power. Local Islamist movements remain a force within the smaller GCC states of Qatar, Kuwait and UAE. Governments have significantly adapted their approach to them in response to the Arab uprisings and the subsequent rise of the Islamic State group (ISG). Impacts Differences over Islamist movements impede GCC cooperation on regional policy and security. Longer-term, Islamists would be one of the main beneficiaries of any constitutional reforms that open up political space in the GCC. Sectarian conflict in the region and tougher economic conditions at home may reinforce conservative religious sentiment in the Gulf. The UAE will maintain the toughest policies, while Kuwait and Qatar will pursue more lenient approaches.

Since the sudden outbreak of what is known as the GCC crisis or the blockade on June 5, 2017, the four nations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) involved in the conflict –the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the Kingdom of Bahrain – have found themselves in a diplomatic race for the support of their position on the rift in traditional media, as well as on social media platforms. This paper focuses on the different ways the ministries of foreign affairs (MOFAs) and the ministers of foreign affairs (MFAs) used Twitter as an instrument of digital diplomacy during the first 100 days of the GCC crisis. In general, states tweet on a daily basis, and the ways in which a sovereign state presents itself online offers an insight into the patterns of representation of state identity, strategy, emotional expression, and recognition of others. This study is based on the content analysis of tweets created by the MOFAs and their respective MFAs of the GCC, with a focus on Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain over the first 100 days of the crisis (June 5, 2017–September 13, 2017). This paper uses different types of tweets to examine the various kinds of political and diplomatic discourses perpetuated on Twitter by the GCC officials, in order to engage the online public sphere and navigate the domestic and international discourses. For example, if ministers engage in dialogue with their followers, then they are exercising a two-way digital diplomacy approach via Twitter. On the contrary, when they tweet about their bilateral meetings, it is an example of a one-way digital diplomacy approach, since they do not require any response from their followers. It was of specific interest to examine the differences of topic, content, and frequency of tweets, through the communication in Arabic and English. The study shows that the countries engaged in discourse around the topic of the blockade, but the type of discourse differed significantly depending on the state itself. While some chose to focus on the idea of legitimizing their stance on the topic of the blockade (i.e. Saudi Arabia), others were more direct in voicing their viewpoint, creating specific hashtags such as “#boycottQatar” (i.e. Bahrain). In addition, Qatar differed significantly in terms of the volume of tweets and the topic, tweeting often in both Arabic and English and shifting their focus towards affirming their strong diplomatic relations with countries outside the GCC, such as the Republic of Turkey. Overall, this study aims to compare the way the four GCC countries used Twitter, in order to engage their local and international communities to disseminate an image or a message.

This chapter delves into the innovation of blockchain technology and its benefits for advancing the economic growth in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Blockchain technology provides the security and reliability that is required in the GCC region for enhancing the technology acceptance level of its population. Apart from providing security, blockchain technology offers financial efficiency, cost reduction, and the elimination of operational risks. Blockchain technology is equally beneficial for nonfinancial industries, such as the healthcare and education industry of the GCC region. The digital revolution based on blockchain technology is beneficial for GCC countries to shift their economic dependence from oil to innovations driven by technology. This will move the GCC to develop more smart cities as the GCC region has an ample amount of financial and human resources that are required for successful integration of blockchain technology in its numerous industries.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the intellectual capital (IC) performance of banks in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and to empirically investigate if IC has an impact on financial performance as well as to identify the IC components that may be the drivers of the traditional indicators of bank success.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical data are drawn from banks’ annual reports over the three-year period of 2008 to 2010. Ordinary least squares regression analysis is constructed to examine the relationships between IC and the banks’ financial performance indicators. Pulic’s value-added intellectual coefficient method (VAIC) is applied to measure IC performance.FindingsEmpirical findings, after controlling for bank size and global financial crisis, indicate that IC is positively associated with bank financial performance indicators in all GCC countries. However, when VAIC is split into its three components, the relationships between these components and bank financial performance indicators are varied.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of this study is the use of IC measurement model. Its basic advantage (simplicity and ease of use) is also its main limitation. The main problem is measuring the contribution of something which is not physical and cannot be easily quantified. The key issue is that the value created by IC is indirect. However, at present, no perfect solution is available for intellectual capital measurement, as the area is still exploring the best possible solutions.Practical implicationsThe results may extend the understanding of the role of IC in banking sector in GCC region and may give inputs to managers of GCC banks to structure relevant strategies to obtain, utilize, develop and retain IC. The findings also could help policy makers in GCC to formulate and implement policies for establishing a resilient banking sector.Originality/valueThis study adds to the literature by extending the knowledge of IC performance and its utilization for increasing the financial performance of GCC banks. There has only been one previous empirical study that explores the IC and its relationship with the traditional measures of bank performance in GCC region (only in Bahrain). It is the first comparative study across GCC countries.

The GCC’s path to a sustainable future: Navigating the barriers to the adoption of energy efficiency measures in the built environment