Investigation on Human Development Needs, Challenges, and Drivers for Transition to Sustainable Development: The Case of Qatar

Innovation capabilities and human development competitiveness in education sector: Evidence from UAE

Innovation capabilities and human development in education sector is one of the key focused areas in United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The current research is novel to integrate and address such constructs in single theoretical framework. Grounded in Human Capital Theory, this study aims to investigate the role of innovation capabilities in human development competitiveness in the education sector of UAE. Based on the qualitative research approach, data were collected through interviews with 70 experts and leaders working in this field of Human Development Index (HDI) and innovation development in the UAE in order to more comprehensively recognize the main dilemmas involved in the phenomenon under investigation. Results indicate a huge potential of growth and improvement in education sector of UAE for supporting country SDG goals. Furthermore, it applied the conceptual statistics of key performance indicators (KPIs) collected to analyze the UAE’s HDI, innovation capabilities, and human development competitiveness from 2014 to 2020. Results revealed insightful lessons for policymakers and scholars working in innovation management and sustainable development goals area. Especially, this research will bring key policy directions and future research avenues for better innovative capabilities development in the education sector in developing and low-income economies.

A Transformative State in the Wake of COVID-19: What Is Needed to Enable Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Education in Qatar?

Economic diversification is vital in achieving sustainable economic development, especially for countries relying on nonrenewable natural resources, such as oil and gas, in the case of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Moreover, the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the significance of boosting resilience to adverse shocks. Indeed, the pandemic highlighted the need to promote nonhydrocarbon sectors by strengthening the fundamental pillars of the knowledge-based economy: ICT, innovation, R&D, education, entrepreneurship, and the economic and institutional regime. The COVID-19 pandemic has also shown how important it is to mobilize these pillars in record time. Like the other GCC countries, Qatar is seen as a transformative state, suggesting that, although oil and gas provide its primary export revenue, the government has also pushed to diversify its economy toward a knowledge-based one. Indeed, in 2019, hydrocarbons dominated Qatar’s economy, accounting for 90% of government income and 80% of export profits. However, this reliance exposes Qatar to fluctuations in the global oil and gas markets. Accordingly, economic diversification has come to the top of the government’s priority list. Preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, Qatar was already in the middle of an economic transition. The economic crisis caused by the pandemic and the drop in oil prices prompted the Qatari government to increase its diversification efforts. Qatar has a solid basis for transitioning to a knowledge-based economy based on its macroeconomic stability, suitable growth rates, and good governance. However, Qatar confronts several challenges in implementing the structural changes necessary for this transition. This paper has three objectives. Firstly, it aims to present the pillars of the knowledge-based economy and their link to the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondly, the paper aims to analyze the present state of the knowledge-based economy in Qatar, including its strengths, drawbacks, and its prospect for the future. Finally, the paper presents some structural reform recommendations to enable innovation, entrepreneurship, and education in Qatar.

An Analysis of Tourism Demand as a Projection from the Destination towards a Sustainable Future: The Case of Trinidad

The objective of this work is to offer an analysis related to tourism demand as a sustainable projection for the tourist destination. The behavior of demand as a key element for subsequent decision-making in management models and strategic proposals for sustainable development centered on the tourist destination constitutes the central element of this work. The study is based on an analysis of tourist activity in the city of Trinidad. In accordance with the quantitative paradigm, an analysis of internal and external secondary information on tourism was carried out based on the results of the surveys, interviews, Likert-type scalograms and semantic differentials completed by the actors involved in the tourist activity in the studied territory. Qualitative research, which is considered a subjective view of the actors involved in the work, was also employed. The main indicators of the tourism demand for the destination and the imbalances that cause dissatisfaction are shown, such as the lack of systematic studies on tourism demand and few coordinated actions between the public and private sectors to satisfy it. It is concluded that the character of Trinidad as a Cultural Heritage of Humanity destination continues to exert an important influence on the demand for tourism in the destination. As a result, it is necessary to delve into new proposals to ensure that tourism in the local context is an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable activity. For this, the lack of coordination between the state and private sectors must be overcome.