Exploring the challenges for medical tourism in the United Arab Emirates during the Covid-19 pandemic era: a stakeholder perspective

PurposeThis paper explores medical tourism development challenges in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) pre- and during Covid-19. Medical tourism is becoming a dynamic, rapid growth area and an engine of economic development.Design/methodology/approachIn-depth interviews were conducted with medical tourism professionals. Fourteen medical tourism stakeholders were interviewed from 1 January to 31 January 2020. Qualitative thematic analysis was applied on medical tourism challenges before and during the pandemic.FindingsThe major themes indicated concerns for medical tourism in the UAE and they included higher medical services costs and a shortage of highly qualified medical expertise. The emerging themes related to the challenges of coping with Covid-19 and strategies to attract medical tourists.Originality/valueThis study contributes towards (1) the theory of medical tourism, (2) the related limited prior published work on this topic relating to the UAE and (3) the importance of medical tourism in today's tourism industry. Additionally, there are theoretical and practical implications for medical tourism stakeholders in terms of attracting inbound medical tourists to the UAE from other countries during the Covid-19 crisis and in the post-pandemic situation.

What are tourism's growth drivers and challenges in the Middle East?

PurposeTourism in the Middle East is distinct and diverse, as are its associated challenges. The purpose of this paper is to examine the various opportunities and constraints facing the Middle East region in developing and promoting its tourism.Design/methodology/approachContent analysis of the current literature was conducted, and industry white papers and government portals were consulted to identify the historical relevance, current proceedings and future scope of tourism in the Middle East.FindingsGiven the diverse attractions, history, heritage and cuisine, the scope and potential to develop tourism in the Middle East region is enormous. However, political turmoil in the past and its stereotypical image emerged as the major constraints. Acknowledging the significance of the tourism sector, the governments of the region are trying hard to improve international arrivals and revenues.Originality/valueDespite a steep growth in international arrivals, tourism in the Middle East has not been adequately addressed in academia. This paper highlights the region's tourism-related background, issues and constraints, thus, addressing a critical gap in the literature.

Comparative Analysis of Pollutant Levels during Lockdowns Across Different Land-Use over the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant effect on people all over the world, posing health, economic, and social threats to the entire human population. As a part of preventive measures, at the end of March 2020 the UAE promulgated various lockdown measures to reduce the risk of the pandemic, which have a major impact on its local air quality levels. This research investigates the effect of the lockdown measures on the levels of the air pollutants like NO2 and PM2.5in Abu Dhabi Emirate using air quality stations data for the months of March and April 2020. Overall, NO2 levels have fallen dramatically by a range of 19% to 60% across all land use areas within the Emirate. Conversely, PM2.5 levels varied during the lockdown in April 2020, with increases ranging from 31% to 65% in rural and suburban industrial areas and decreases ranging from 2% to 33% in urban and suburban population areas. It can be observed that the lockdown measures had a huge impact on the NO2 levels due to reduced transportation and human activities while PM2.5 levels displayed great variability. The statistical analysis shows a significant moderate positive relationship (rs 0.476) at 0.05 level between NO2 and traffic volume crossing Musaffah Bridge. © 2021 Geo Publishing, Toronto Canada.

Towards Safeguarding Users' legitimate rights in Learning Management Systems (LMS): A Case Study of Blackboard at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi

Résumé: Cet article a cherché à déterminer dans quelle mesure les droits légitimes des utilisateurs sont sauvegardés dans les plateformes de gestion de l'apprentissage (LMS) et, plus précisément, dans la plateforme Blackboard utilisée pour l'enseignement à l'Université Sorbonne, Abu Dhabi (SUAD). Tout d'abord, les droits légitimes des utilisateurs qui doivent être protégés ont été identifiés. Ensuite, les garanties de sécurité et de confidentialité offertes par Blackboard ont été évaluées. Enfin, les lacunes politiques et les déficiences technologiques qui compromettent la protection des droits légitimes des utilisateurs ont été identifiées. L'étude a été réalisée selon une approche qualitative d'étude de cas. Les données ont été recueillies par le biais d'une analyse de contenu, d'un examen des documents et d'entretiens. La recherche a révélé que, dans une large mesure, la plateforme Blackboard protège la plupart des droits légitimes des utilisateurs. Cependant, la plateforme ne donne pas d'indication concernant certains droits légitimes, tels que la limitation du stockage et les accords de partage des données. En outre, des informations ont révélé que les pratiques de Blackboard en matière de confidentialité sont largement influencées par les établissements d'enseignement qui utilisent ses produits. L'étude a conclu que la sauvegarde des droits légitimes des utilisateurs est une responsabilité collective entre les fournisseurs de services de gestion de l'apprentissage et les établissements d'enseignement. Il est donc nécessaire que les établissements d'enseignement qui utilisent Blackboard et d'autres plateformes de gestion de l'apprentissage élaborent de solides régimes de protection des données.Alternate :This paper sought to establish the extent to which users' legitimate rights are safeguarded in Learning Management Systems (LMS);specifically, on the Blackboard system used for teaching at Sorbonne University, Abu Dhabi (SUAD). First, the users' legitimate rights that required protection were identified. Second, the security and privacy guarantees afforded by Blackboard were assessed. Finally, policy gaps and technological deficiencies that undermine the protection of users' legitimate rights were identified. The study adopted a qualitative research approach and a case study research design. Data was collected through content analysis, document review and interviews. The research revealed that to a large extent the Blackboard LMS safeguarded most of the users' legitimate rights. However, the system is silent on some legitimate rights, such as storage limitation and data sharing arrangements. Further, information emerged that revealed Blackboard's privacy practices are largely informed by educational institutions using its products. The study concluded that safeguarding user's legitimate rights is a collective responsibility between the learning management services providers and the educational institutions. As such, there is need for educational institutions using Blackboard and other learning management systems to craft robust data protection regimes.

The Role of Emirati Women in Confronting Social Media Misconceptions on the Covid Vaccine

As disagreements rage about the source of the Covid-19 virus, one universal consensus has been established. It is that humanitys surest guarantee to curbing and mitigating the deadly pandemic is the discovery and wide administration of a vaccine to prevent infection, serious illnesses, and hospitalizations etc. As different countries grapple to roll out the covid vaccine, the world is confronted by another virus that could prove to undermine efforts at curbing Covid-19. Vaccine misinformation is playing into the hands of anti-vaccine groups who are taking advantage of social media platforms that are easily accessible and devoid of editorial gatekeeping to propagate often unfounded rumors about vaccine efficacy and safety. As a result, today, vaccine hesitancy is undermining the efforts put in place to fight the virus. Despite this, today the UAE is among the top three countries in the world with the highest vaccinated population. This paper attempts to provide insight into the uptake of Covid vaccine among Emirati women. The paper assumes that the decision to take covid vaccine or not is, among others, a product of information and perception. Given the centrality of social media as a source of information to most people in the UAE, we inquire into its role in shaping perceptions and attitudes on the covid vaccine among Emirati women. Our findings reveal that over 84% of respondents are vaccinated and factors that account for such vaccine uptake among Emirati women are both general and specific and center around communication and government policy. The paper concludes that contrary to established stereotypical images of Middle Eastern, Arab, Muslim women as passive and laid back, the attitude of Emirati women towards the vaccine brings to fore the role of women in social change thereby challenging established stereotypes.

Covid Diplomacy in the Era of Pandemic Response: The Case of United Arab Emirates

As the world grapples with the appropriate response against the COVID-19 pandemic with mixed results, a new opportunity for soft power influence in the form of COVID diplomacy has emerged. Countries such as the UAE that have embraced soft power as a foreign policy tool and have done relatively better in combating the pandemic have seized the initiative to provide bilateral and multilateral support in the form of COVID-19 related aid to struggling countries and international agencies, dubbed COVID-diplomacy. The UAE can engage in COVID diplomacy due to the following internal attractions: a long commitment to humanitarianism, a resilient economy, a well-managed COVID-19 response strategy, a national soft power strategy, a strong health care system, and logistical capacity. Bilaterally, UAE's COVID contributions are as follows: provision of medical supplies and health personnel to needy countries, acceptance of critically ill COVID patients, and direct economic assistance to countries whose economies have been adversely impacted by the pandemic. Multilaterally, the UAE has made major financial and medical supply donations to the WHO and other international aid agencies and serve as a transportation and logistical hub for the distribution of vaccines and medical supplies. The success of COVID diplomacy in the global fight against the pandemic will offer a template for bilateral and multilateral response towards future pandemics. Furthermore, it will create more opportunities for countries desirous of burnishing their soft power credentials via international humanitarian assistance.

The Role of Emirati Women during the Covid-19 Pandemic and the Challenges

Using a qualitative methodology of personal interviews and participant observation, this research investigates the role of Emirati women in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent impact/challenges. Research participants included female Emirati health care workers and educationists. We observed Emirati families to help better understand the challenges women went through during the pandemic. Contrary to existing narratives about the invisibility, docility, marginalization, victimhood, and dependency of Arab women, this research reveals that Emirati women were able to exercise agency in the fight against the pandemic due to the following factors: longstanding government empowerment of women, a sense of patriotism, supportive male relatives, and female dominance in the health and educational sectors. During the pandemic, Emirati women have contributed in the following ways as: volunteers;international aid workers;care givers;health information agents;and virtual teachers. Despite this, challenges abound because of the following: increased family conflict;domestic violence;the psychological toll of Covid-related deaths;economic challenges;and increased domestic responsibilities. The Emirati women's case provides lessons for policy makers and societies desirous of women's empowerment.