Elnazir Ramadan

This study examines how perceived housing policy effectiveness, affordability, accessibility, and sustainability are statistically associated among residents of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with particular attention to whether affordability and accessibility exhibit indirect associations between perceived policy effectiveness and other perceived housing outcomes. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted using purposive sampling among UAE residents. Of the 289 collected responses, 64 were excluded because of incomplete submissions, response times below three minutes, or failed attention checks, yielding a valid sample of 225 respondents and an effective response rate of 77.85%. Data were collected using five-point Likert-scale measures and analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM). The results indicate that perceived housing policy effectiveness is positively associated with perceived affordability and sustainability, whereas its direct association with perceived accessibility is not statistically significant. The analysis further indicates a statistically significant indirect association between perceived policy effectiveness and accessibility through affordability, consistent with full mediation of this relationship. Affordability also partially mediates the association between perceived policy effectiveness and sustainability. These findings suggest that, from residents’ perspectives, affordability is statistically connected to accessibility and sustainability within the perceived housing policy framework examined in the UAE. The study contributes a perception-based analytical framework for examining the interrelationships among housing policy effectiveness, affordability, accessibility, and sustainability, and provides an empirical basis for further research and evidence-informed evaluation of housing strategies in the UAE.

Urban agriculture (UA) is increasingly recognized as a strategic approach to enhance food security and urban resilience, particularly in arid regions like the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This mixed-methods study investigates how public perceptions shape the acceptance and promotion of UA in the Abu Dhabi Emirate, addressing a critical gap in the social dimensions of UA implementation. The research employed a concurrent triangulation design, integrating a quantitative survey of 255 residents with qualitative insights from a focus group of 15 urban planning and sustainability experts. Quantitative data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis to validate constructs of public perception and policy support, while qualitative data were thematically analyzed. The findings reveal a significant, positive correlation (r = 0.64, p < 0.001) between public awareness of UA’s benefits and support for policy integration. While residents expressed strong enthusiasm for UA, their willingness to participate was contingent upon tangible government incentives. Concurrently, experts highlighted critical technical and regulatory barriers, including water scarcity and outdated zoning codes, that must be addressed. The study concludes that advancing UA in Abu Dhabi requires a synergistic policy approach that aligns robust public support with targeted institutional mechanisms, such as subsidies for water-efficient technologies and the formal integration of UA into urban planning frameworks. This research contributes valuable empirical evidence for developing socially accepted and context-specific UA policies in arid urban environments. Given the cross-sectional design and non-probability sampling approach, the findings should be interpreted as exploratory and should not be generalized to the entire Abu Dhabi population.

The aim of this study is to explore the key factors that motivate visually impaired college students to develop data analytics skills. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates quantitative data from binary logistic regression analysis and qualitative insights from focus group discussions with undergraduate social science students. The quantitative findings reveal that the strongest motivators are the availability of adapted learning materials, teacher support and encouragement, and the perceived usefulness and relevance of statistics. In contrast, peer influence, gender, and type of impairment were not found to have significant impacts. The qualitative analysis underscores two primary barriers: technological and administrative challenges, as well as instructional and learning obstacles. These findings suggest that addressing these barriers and leveraging motivators can help create more inclusive educational programs. The study concludes with actionable recommendations for higher education institutions and instructors to better support visually impaired students in their pursuit of data analytics skills.

In the global pursuit of sustainability, higher education institutions serve as powerful actors, leveraging their multifaceted contributions to advance the implementation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study employed a multi-dimensional analysis to evaluate the prioritization of these goals within the institutional framework of Arab universities and identify the key factors that drive their involvement with these goals. The methodology used involved a quantitative approach, utilizing a survey questionnaire to collect data from faculty members representing 30 public universities across the Arab region. The results of the study regarding prioritization analysis reveal that SDG4 (Quality Education) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) are top priorities across all universities, with prioritization scores exceeding 65.4. Furthermore, the results of the ordinal logistic regression analysis demonstrate that institutional governance and research productivity are significant factors that influence Arab universities’ engagement with the SDGs. The findings of this study have important implications for higher education policies, practices, and interventions, aimed at fostering university engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals.