{"title":"Exploring the Provision of Affordable Housing in Ras Al Khaimah","authors":"S. Agrawal","doi":"10.18502/aqf.0092","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18502/aqf.0092","url":null,"abstract":"Adequate and affordable housing is a basic human need, and in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), housing is treated as a right of every Emirati national. This study examines the efficacy of the two national housing programs in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah that provide subsidies for affordable homeownership—the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program (SZHP) and the President’s Initiative (PI). Beneficiaries of these two programs seem largely satisfied, but suggest improvement to the approval process, eligibility criteria, housing design and standards, and location decisions. Also, the growth spurred by the two programs, especially SZHP, has significantly shaped the current sprawling urban form of the Ras Al Khaimah municipality. The question of long-term sustainability of the two programs looms large, funded as they are entirely by the government, with little or no participation from the private or informal sector. To make housing programs financially and environmentally sustainable, every stakeholder must play a role: the federal government and the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah need to enable other sectors of the economy to participate in housing provision; the Ras Al Khaimah Municipality will have to strengthen and enforce its development standards; and, individual beneficiaries need to follow local plans, embrace sustainable practices of building and use the programs in a judicious way.","PeriodicalId":381111,"journal":{"name":"Al Qasimi Foundation","volume":"63 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130052496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Other Gap: Examining Low-income Emiratis’ Educational Achievement","authors":"Elizabeth S. Buckner","doi":"10.18502/aqf.0120","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18502/aqf.0120","url":null,"abstract":"This working paper examines how low-income Emiratis are doing in secondary schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Using PISA 2015 data on Emiratis’ performance to assess academic performance in math, science, and reading, it disaggregates students’ performance by key student and school characteristics, including: family wealth, gender, school sector, and emirate. It finds strong evidence that low-income Emiratis are performing much worse than their middle and upper-income peers, and the gap between the top and bottom wealth quintiles is as large or larger than the gap between girls and boys. It argues that despite the significant attention paid to the male-female gender gap, this “other gap” – the wealth gap – also deserves attention. The findings also indicate that other student characteristics also shape performance: low-income boys are performing worse than low-income girls and private schools in general are serving low-income students better. However, there are also important differences in performance across emirates, with the Northern Emirates serving low-income students in the public sector better than Dubai, where low-income students seem to benefit more from being in the private sector. The second half of the paper examines low-income Emiratis’ home and school environments, and finds that low-income students are often uncomfortable in school and the recipients of negative attention from teachers and peers. The paper argues that low-income Emiratis are not being served well by the existing school system and policies must address the distinct needs of low-income Emiratis.","PeriodicalId":381111,"journal":{"name":"Al Qasimi Foundation","volume":"4 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130953663","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maxime Merheb, Rachel Matar, Milad Soleimani, John Marton, Kamel Abou Youssef, Rawad Hodeify, N. Shafiq
{"title":"Alternative Energy in the UAE: The Potential of Biofuels Sourced from Ras Al Khaimah Mangroves","authors":"Maxime Merheb, Rachel Matar, Milad Soleimani, John Marton, Kamel Abou Youssef, Rawad Hodeify, N. Shafiq","doi":"10.18502/aqf.0091","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18502/aqf.0091","url":null,"abstract":"By analyzing the abundant microorganisms in the naturally occurring mangroves of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), this policy paper discusses the feasibility of a future where the emirate invests in biofuels sourced from its mangroves as opposed to using conventional methods of fuel production and usage, which can have negative impacts on the environment and economy. It explores the successes and challenges of each phase of biofuel technology innovation, so that the previous trials and errors can help decision makers critically assess the potentials of utilizing biofuels in current technology as well as in future projects. This paper finds that currently it is possible to use the existing mangroves as a source of fungi for biofuel production, but more investment is needed to support industrial-level production. It concludes with policy recommendations for supporting future research, implementing long-term energy solutions that address the UAE’s environmental and economic concerns, and encouraging future leaders and innovators to think local in addressing global problems.","PeriodicalId":381111,"journal":{"name":"Al Qasimi Foundation","volume":"44 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116949342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Streamlining and Modernizing Medical Workforce Governance in the UAE","authors":"S. Short","doi":"10.18502/aqf.0090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18502/aqf.0090","url":null,"abstract":"Medical workforce governance in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a significant and timely topic. Issues of professional recruitment, retention, and integration require attention, as the majority of doctors and other healthcare professionals in the UAE are internationally trained graduates. This policy paper highlights results from a study exploring the policies and processes that could help inform the future improvement of health professional regulation in the UAE. The paper concludes by offering recommendations for future policies and research relevant to key stakeholders, including healthcare employers, regulators, medical practitioners, researchers, and community stakeholders.","PeriodicalId":381111,"journal":{"name":"Al Qasimi Foundation","volume":"39 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125061701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Potential of Ultrasound Technology and Chemotherapy Carriers in Breast Cancer Treatment","authors":"G. Husseini, Yassmine Abbas, Nahid S Awad","doi":"10.18502/aqf.0059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18502/aqf.0059","url":null,"abstract":"In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women, and chemotherpy is widly used to treat it. However, chemotherapy drugs are not able to differentiate between the cancerous and healthy tissues. This leads to the well-known, harmful side effects of this treatment, which include hair loss, fatigue, nausea, and a weakened immune system. This paper argues for the potential effectiveness of delivering chemotherapy drugs to tumors in protective barriers (drug encapsulation in a nano-carrier) that isolate the drug from healthy tissues, minimizing side effects and increasing the quality of life of patients and their families. When injected into the bloodstream, these nanocarriers will diffuse into the tumor and ultrasonic waves can then be administered at the tumor site in order to release the chemotherapy drug from its capsule. This will restrict the drug to the physical location of the cancerous cells. This policy paper offers a number of recommendations related to furthering this research for the benefit of UAE citizens, residents, and those impacted by breast cancer around the world.","PeriodicalId":381111,"journal":{"name":"Al Qasimi Foundation","volume":"39 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122768408","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Curriculum Development in the United Arab Emirates","authors":"N. Ridge, Susan Kippels, S. Farah","doi":"10.18502/aqf.0042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18502/aqf.0042","url":null,"abstract":"With an increasing emphasis on youth development and employability in the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has made a substantial effort to re- imagine and reform its public education sector. Local education authorities have implemented many reforms to try to shift education from rote memorization toward a skills-based system that prepares students to thrive in the 21st century. This policy paper explores the history of curriculum development in the UAE, the role of various agencies, ministries, and current initiatives as well as the challenges and possibilities that lie ahead on the road of reform. It concludes with recommendations for policymakers relating to the implementation of sustainable curriculum reforms.","PeriodicalId":381111,"journal":{"name":"Al Qasimi Foundation","volume":"52 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126200118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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