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Open research questions in Socioeconomic Development in MENA

87 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 724 Socioeconomic Development in MENA papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • The complexity of health system reforms and the need to understand the experiences of healthcare professionals and patients in mixed Saudi-expatriate healthcare settings. The challenge of identifying the key factors that influence the success of health system reforms. The need to develop effective governance interventions that can enhance the implementation of the reform.

    Negotiating reform from within: workforce governance and the expatriate–Saudi interface in the SHSTP era · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research could investigate the long-term effects of the SHSTP on the healthcare workforce, - Research could explore the impact of the SHSTP on patient outcomes, - Studies could examine the role of digital health technologies in supporting workforce governance and reform

    Negotiating reform from within: workforce governance and the expatriate–Saudi interface in the SHSTP era · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the current understanding of how to resolve moral dilemmas. The paper argues that current methods for resolving dilemmas are insufficient, and that new methods are needed. The paper identifies a need for further philosophical work to determine if the proposed principles really ought to be accepted.

    How to Solve Immigration Dilemmas · 2025 · DOI

  • In our review of calls for proposals and 924 grants and projects from 23 organizations, we find that this funding often centers the issues that Western policymakers view as salient but does not necessarily reflect the major concerns of those in the region; the funding recipients favor political science, leaving other disciplinary perspectives less developed; and the funding focuses heavily on select countries, while others remain understudied.

    The Economics of Social Science Research & Knowledge Production in the Middle East & North Africa · 2025 · DOI

  • This study addresses a critical gap in the literature by exploring the intricate relationships between women’s empowerment, financial development, and natural resource management within the context of environmental sustainability in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

    Advancing environmental sustainability in the UAE: the interplay of women’s empowerment, financial development, and natural resource management · 2025 · DOI

  • Future research should explore broader contexts, involve additional stakeholder groups, and adopt longitudinal approaches.

    Unlocking university performance: the role of staff commitment and accreditation effectiveness in Saudi universities · 2025 · DOI

  • Royal majalis are theoretically open to every Saudi but in reality limited by the size of the room and admittance frequently depends on the rank of the applicant or his patron.

    The consolidation of the ruling class and the new elites in Saudi Arabia · 1987 · DOI

  • The study highlights a need for further exploration into the overall benefits of cultural diversification for organizations. The research aims to address the gap in understanding the impact of cultural diversity on talent acquisition in the Saudi Arabian economy.

    LEVERAGING CULTURAL DIVERSITY FOR ENHANCING TALENT ACQUISITION OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SAUDI ARABIAN ECONOMY: ASSESSING THE IMPACT ON EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT, RETENTION AND MOTIVATION · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper suggests future research directions on the development of infrastructure systems and financial architectures. The study recommends further analysis of the institutional and financial mechanisms identified in the paper.

    Infrastructure as Coordination and Capital-Formation: Toward a Unified Theory of the Infrastructure Feasibility Frontier and Revenue-Routed Settlement Logic · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the existing literature on infrastructure and financial economics. The study highlights the need for a unified theory of the Infrastructure Feasibility Frontier and Revenue-Routed Settlement Logic.

    Infrastructure as Coordination and Capital-Formation: Toward a Unified Theory of the Infrastructure Feasibility Frontier and Revenue-Routed Settlement Logic · 2026 · DOI

  • Despite progress in promoting gender equality, women have limited opportunities to hold leadership positions in Saudi Arabia. There is a need to understand how women who have attained leadership positions achieve and succeed.

    Saudi women’s stories: building leadership · 2026 · DOI

  • The study faced challenges due to the limited availability of data. The research had to exclude the COVID-19 period from the correlation analysis.

    Strategic Cultural Hedging and The Louvre Abu Dhabi: UAE’s Soft Power and SDG 17 · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a limited understanding of the role of Louvre Abu Dhabi in the UAE's cultural diplomacy and soft power enhancement. Prior studies have not examined the correlation between the museum's international visitor numbers and the UAE's progress in the Global Soft Power Index.

    Strategic Cultural Hedging and The Louvre Abu Dhabi: UAE’s Soft Power and SDG 17 · 2026 · DOI

  • The study uses cross-sectional data, which limits the ability to make causal inferences. The study's sample size is limited to 311 employees from four Saudi central ministries.

    When hygiene factors become motivation: a moderated mediation analysis of gender, hierarchy, and job satisfaction in Saudi Arabia’s public sector · 2026 · DOI

  • The study suggests that future research should use longitudinal panel data with appropriate identification strategies to make causal inferences. The study suggests that future research should investigate the motivation-satisfaction dynamics in other contexts.

    When hygiene factors become motivation: a moderated mediation analysis of gender, hierarchy, and job satisfaction in Saudi Arabia’s public sector · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the literature on the shift from traditional infrastructure to compute infrastructure in the Middle East. It highlights the need for further research on the challenges and implications of this shift, particularly in terms of environmental impact and dependence on foreign technology.

    From Concrete to Compute The Middle East's Bid for Global AI Infrastructure · 2026 · DOI

  • Interface failures can occur in large-scale tourism infrastructure development - Pressure to begin before deliverability is fully understood can weaken governance and increase future cost or delay - Safety governance must be place-based and consider the scale of tourism infrastructure development

    Safety Governance as a Driver of Sustainable Regional Development in Saudi Arabia's Tourism Infrastructure Projects · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in safety governance in tourism infrastructure projects - The paper highlights the need for place-based safety governance and consideration of the scale of tourism infrastructure development

    Safety Governance as a Driver of Sustainable Regional Development in Saudi Arabia's Tourism Infrastructure Projects · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the understanding of employee relations practices in the UAE. The multicultural nature of the workforce in the UAE shapes employee relations, and there is a need to study how companies manage this.

    The Link between Employee Relationship and Workplace Productivity – Case Study · 2026 · DOI

  • The subjective nature of the research, which necessitated a commitment to reflexivity to ensure that the interpretations were not unduly influenced by preconceived notions or personal experiences. The underrepresentation of women's perspectives in the sample, which highlights the need for further research on gendered dynamics in wasta usage. The complexity of navigating the sensitive dynamics of wasta in Lebanon, where relational networks are integral to both social and professional interactions.

    Ethical Wasta: A Postcolonial Account of Ethical Leadership in Lebanon · 2026 · DOI

  • The limited theoretical exploration of wasta in ethical leadership contexts. The need to understand the circumstances under which the use of wasta informal networks by leaders may be perceived as ethical within networked societies. The gap in research on the relationship between wasta and ethical leadership in postcolonial Lebanon.

    Ethical Wasta: A Postcolonial Account of Ethical Leadership in Lebanon · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to assess how EFL policies and language-planning initiatives in Saudi Arabia align with the economic transformation objectives of Vision 2030. Significant challenges to achieving educational objectives are noted, including sociocultural barriers and insufficient teacher preparedness. There is a need to focus on vocational linguistic competence in EFL education to support economic transformation.

    EFL Policy Alignment With Saudi Arabia’s Economic Transformation and Vision 2030: A Systematic Review · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the psychological impact of social transformation in Saudi Arabia. The study highlights the need to examine the psychological dimensions of social change and its impact on individual consciousness and collective identity.

    Repressed Desires and Trauma in Al-Humaidan’s and Al-Hamad’s Novels: A Psychoanalytic Reading of Inner Conflict and Repression · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies several challenges, including students' lack of English proficiency, unavailability of industry-specific teaching materials, lack of institutional support, time limitations, and the need for more teacher training.

    The Role of English Language Skills in Promoting Leadership in Energy and Industry Sectors: Insights From Saudi University Teachers · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies can investigate the impact of ESP programs on students' leadership development, - Research can explore the effectiveness of different teaching methods in promoting English language skills and leadership development

    The Role of English Language Skills in Promoting Leadership in Energy and Industry Sectors: Insights From Saudi University Teachers · 2026 · DOI

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87 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 724 Socioeconomic Development in MENA papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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