The use of Blockchain technology has recently become widespread. It has emerged as an essential tool in various academic and industrial fields, such as healthcare, transportation, finance, cybersecurity, and supply chain management. It is regarded as a decentralized, trustworthy, secure, transparent, and immutable solution that innovates data sharing and management. This survey aims to provide a systematic review of Blockchain application to intelligent transportation systems in general and the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) in particular. The survey is divided into four main parts. First, the Blockchain technology including its opportunities, relative taxonomies, and applications is introduced; basic cryptography is also discussed. Next, the evolution of Blockchain is presented, starting from the primary phase of pre-Bitcoin (fundamentally characterized by classic cryptography systems), followed by the Blockchain 1.0 phase, (characterized by Bitcoin implementation and common consensus protocols), and finally, the Blockchain 2.0 phase (characterized by the implementation of smart contracts, Ethereum, and Hyperledger). We compared and identified the strengths and limitations of each of these implementations. Then, the state of the art of Blockchain-based IoV solutions (BIoV) is explored by referring to a large and trusted source database from the Scopus data bank. For a well-structured and clear discussion, the reviewed literature is classified according to the research direction and implemented IoV layer. Useful tables, statistics, and analysis are also presented. Finally, the open problems and future directions in BIoV research are summarized.

This study explores shopping tourism with a special focus on the concept of luxury shopping in Dubai from the perspective of the consuming tourists. The study assesses the differences in the perceived importance of luxury shopping venues in Dubai as well as the perceived characteristics of luxury products in Dubai retail. Also the perceived advantages of Dubai as a luxury shopping destination are examined. Tourism shopping patterns are identified in this article based on the frequency of shopping and the significant differences in luxury purchasing patterns. Three main shopping groups (frequent shoppers, sometimes shoppers, and infrequent shoppers) were identified, and the study results show that there are differences among the different groups in their perception of the importance of the different shopping venues and entertainment options in Dubai. The study results also show that Dubai is perceived as a shopping heaven that has significant competitive advantages as a luxury shopping destination. Implications of the study results and recommendations for future studies are also discussed.

Information and communications technology (ICT) are widely used by enterprises to enhance their competitiveness. Travel agents (TAs) are among service providers for whom their integration of ICT and Internet technological capabilities could be the best marketing device and a potential promoter for enhancing their competitive positioning in the tourism sector. The study contextualizes ICT usage patterns in an underexplored context, the Middle East countries. This study provides an overview of the current state of affairs of the ICT adoption in small- and medium-size TAs in Dubai in United Arab Emirates. It investigates the usage patterns of the Internet by Dubai TAs, reasons for using the Internet, features of agents’ website content, and perceived significant benefits of e-commerce and barriers to adoption. It is found that the majority of TAs use the Internet for several reasons, ranging from customizing services, attracting customers, communicating with customers, gaining access to international markets, providing TAs with information and finding out about suppliers and competitors. The significant perceived benefits identified in this study are establishing a reputation in the global markets, increasing sales, revenues and profits, improving distribution channels, increasing competitive advantage and customizing services to customer needs. On the other hand, it was found that the principal barriers hindering e-commerce adoption are limited resources versus the high cost of e-commerce adoption, online security concerns, lack of skilled information technology labour, a lack of customer readiness, and a lack of advice and support. The study identified the need for more training facilities for adopting e-commerce in TAs and the need for the government to provide incentives, professional advice, and guidance regarding appropriate e-commerce products and services at an affordable cost for TAs operating in the emirate.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and the wider Arab world are faced with multiple interconnected dilemmas embedded in the social, economic, and environmental pillars of sustainable development. The question of how to design effective sustainability strategies that are aligned with the context of the GCC region is a relevant one. In this special issue, contributors have investigated the obstacles to sustainable development in the GCC region, the impact of current development patterns on the sustainability agenda, and the way in which countries react to local, regional, and global sustainability pressures and debates. The issue aimed to provide a platform for academics to present policy-relevant research and practical steps being taken towards realising genuine sustainable development within the GCC region, while teasing out the major obstacles to this process. This regional focus is motivated by the shared challenge of GCC countries of reforming carbon-based economies as well as their systems of high subsidisation and universal benefits in order to incorporate sustainable concerns, merit-based rules, and more targeted policies. While these challenges are shared with other Arab countries, as well as other countries exporting oil and gas, the origins, current patterns, and future directions of sustainability reforms in the GCC region reveal interesting lessons to be learnt.The countries of the GCC (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)) are home to a large supply of fossil fuels and various types of minerals, and they are rich with regard to Arabic and Islamic culture and history. The economies of the GCC countries are characterised by their heavy dependence on exports of fossil fuels. These exports have generated significant revenues that have resulted in high per-capita income levels and decent living standards. Since the 1970s, the dominant development view in the region centred on economic growth, wide job creation through public jobs for national citizens, a heavy reliance on immigrant workers, and an ecosystem for a comprehensive distribution of economic and social benefits among nationals. Owing to the significant revenues generated from oil and gas as well as the ambitious plans of the leadership within the GCC, the GCC nations have transformed into very modern states during the past few decades. Recently, the fiscal sustainability of this model has been questioned in response to increasing demands from the growing population and economies for natural resources and for financial support. It is this factor that has made the biggest contribution to the sense of urgency regarding sustainability reforms in the region.Collectively, the GCC nations have a population of more than 40 million people. The region is one of the most urbanised in the world, with around 80% of the population residing in urban areas, mostly in close proximity to coasts where important ecosystems and cultural heritage are located. Roughly 40% of the GCC region's population are people born ou...

The rapid development of tourism worldwide is giving rise to many anxieties about the actual as well as potentially negative consequences of tourism on host societies. However, despite such concerns, much of the academic research on tourism remains grounded in economic analysis with far less attention being paid to assessing the socio-cultural impacts of tourism, whether real or perceived. The neglect in this regard is particularly acute when it comes to research on the rapidly expanding tourism industry in the United Arab Emirates. This paper addresses this research gap by way of examining resident perceptions of tourism in the City of Dubai. In particular, this study, which was based on responses gathered from over 400 Emirati citizens, explores local attitudes to further tourism growth as well as resident perceptions of the cultural, economic, and behavioural similarities and differences of tourists and themselves. The general findings are then situated within a conceptual framework (Irridex model) designed to show the varying levels of tolerance of a host population to changes in tourist numbers.