Qatar Foundation Annual Research Conference Proceedings Volume 2014 Issue 1

Microblogging websites such as Twitter have gained popularity as an effective and quick means of expressing opinions, sharing news and promoting information and updates. As a result, data generated on Twitter has become a vital and rich source for tasks such as sentiment mining or newsgathering. However, a significant portion of such data is either biased, untruthful, spam or non-credible in general. Consequently, filtering out non-credible tweets when performing data analyses tasks on Twitter becomes a crucial task. In this work, we present a credibility model for content on Twitter. Unlike previous work that focused on English content or factual tweets, our work analyses the credibility of any tweet type and targets Arabic tweets, a challenging language for NLP in general. We focus on Arabic tweets due to the recent popularity of Twitter in the Arab world and due to the presence of a large portion of non-credible tweets in Arabic. We build a binary credibility classifier that classifies a tweet that belongs to a given topic as either credible or non-credible. Our classifier relies on an exhaustive set of features extracted from both the author of the tweet (user-based) and the tweet itself (content-based). To achieve our objective, we collected 36,155,670 tweets through Twitter streaming API over a period of two weeks and created an index to search our tweet collection. Three topics about the Syrian revolution were retrieved from the collection and given to annotators to annotate. Unlike previous work, we provided annotators with a unique interface that provided a real context for each tweet, such as the author profile and a Web search about the content of the tweet, which we deemed useful for annotators to judge the credibility of a tweet. Overall, 3,393 tweets were annotated for credibility using this interface. Next, we extracted 22 user-based features; such as the expertise of the author on the topic of the tweet, time spacing between her previous tweets, count of followers, etc. In addition, 22 content-based features were extracted including sentiment, count of retweets, count of URLs, etc. Finally, we trained a set of classifiers based on all the features we extracted and using our annotated corpus of tweets as training data. We evaluated our credibility classifiers using a series of carefully designed experiments. Using cross validation on our three different topics and on a combined dataset that contains all the tweets from all the topics, our classifiers surpassed the accuracy of a number of baseline approaches by significant margins. We then applied feature reduction and normalization, which resulted in an additional marginal improvement in accuracy. Finally, to test the robustness of our chosen set of features, we evaluated our model using different training and testing sets. Our classifiers continued to consistently surpass the accuracy of the baseline approaches. Furthermore, we analyzed our feature set by comparing the accuracy of the classifier when trained on user-based features only versus content-based features only. Overall, content-based features only generated better accuracies than user-based features only when tested on multiple topics.

The objective of this research project was to adapt, translate and validate a developmental assessment instrument for use with young children who are visually impaired and who speak Arabic in the Middle-East. Developmental screening has become an established component of child health programs in many developed countries (WHO, 2012, NAECY, 2014, CEC, 2013). Yet according to Bishop (1991) "there are no developmental norms for blind children because of the low prevalence and because there is a lack of any regional or national database from which to draw inferences" (p.1). This project has the potential to make significant contributions to the field since its aim is to create a culturally and linguistically sensitive developmental assessment tool for all Arabic speaking children who are visually impaired or blind worldwide. There is a great need for culturally valid and reliable developmental assessment tools that can assess children who are visually impaired and speak Arabic in the Middle East (Bornman et al, 2010). One approach is to translate already well-established measures from their source language into the target language(s), as the construction of a new instrument into a new language is difficult and time consuming and not recommended if adequate instruments already exist (McCartney, Burchinal, & Bub, 2006). This study was motivated by one of the authors who is blind and is the head of a new school for young children who are blind or visually impaired in Qatar. The conundrum for educational professions was that there were no tools to determine whether the young children who speak Arabic with visual impairments were meeting childhood developmental milestones within normal limits or rates. Increased globalization has revealed the importance of cross-cultural adaptations of a various psychological, educational and health related instruments for use in countries and with languages other than the source language, typically English (Guillemin, 1993; Wiesinger, 1999). Thus there is a great need for Early Childhood Development (ECD) assessments particularly that are valid and reliable for culturally and linguistically diverse students. These developmental assessment tools can accommodate and measure the various domains of children with visual impairments and help to screen and identify those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (Bornman, et al., 2010). Early identification of developmental delays or differences is critical and can lead to improved child and family outcomes through early intervention (Heo et al., 2010). Unfortunately there is a dearth of research and tools to accurately and efficiently screen young children for early identification of developmental problems in children with vision problems and this is further exacerbated with reliable and valid tests in Arabic as well as other countries outside the USA (Heo, KH., Squires J, Yovanoff P., 2008). Our methods consisted of a review of highly recommended methodological approaches to translation, adaptation and cross-cultural validation of research instruments (WHO, 2012). We developed a flow chart and a coding-schemes for the inter-raters. Further analyses included validity and reliability, establishing threshold levels and item discrimination analyses. These analyses resulted in a high internal consistency in each age range for each category

This paper explores emerging themes from our ongoing cross-cultural research (UK and Qatar) into the experience of miscarriage. The approach is grounded in medical anthropology theory and methods, but the project is particularly exciting because of its commitment to interdisciplinarity: the research is informed and led by collaboration between anthropologists (medical and material culture) and medical doctors. Globally, one in four pregnancies end in miscarriage; thus, pregnancy loss is a common women's health issue. Despite its frequency, few researchers have been there to record and interpret the suffering that accompanies reproduction disruption. This is "particularly noteworthy, given the human drama engendered by reproductive failure and its rising worldwide incidence" (Inhorn 1994:459). Reproductive "awry-ness," is produced within particular historical moment and cultural settings: the project aims to better understand the experience of miscarriage in the specific context of Qatar. The research incorporates 12 months of ethnographic fieldwork in Qatar: our main method is semi-structured interviews, but we combine this with other forms of data collection. We observe clinical encounters (doctors appointments, sonography sessions) and conduct participant observation. Themes explored include: the theories of miscarriage causation, cultural significance of reproduction, development of fetal personhood, cultural practices (ie burial) around the fetus, and the impact of religion. All of these forces impact the way a Qatari woman might experience the loss of a baby. Our focus on pregnancy and loss provides a lens through which we can better understand broader themes in Qatari culture; providing valuable ethnographic material on Qatari social life. The paper focuses on the way in which a miscarriage impacts the social role of women in Qatar. Islam is a "pronatalist" religion and procreation is considered to be one of the most important pillars of society. The social status of the Muslim woman, her dignity and her self-esteem are closely related to her procreation potential in the family and in society as a whole (Serour 1993). The fertility rate in Qatar remains high, with it reaching 4 live births per each Qatari woman in 2007 and the average number of children is 5. Men and women experience pressure to produce children and the inability to do so can cause anxiety and lead to marital strife. This paper explores the role of motherhood in Qatar and reflects on how not fulfilling this role may impact a woman. Such a focus is particularly timely given the changing nature of women's participation in Qatari society (i.e. education, work). In our interviews, women suggested they are largely blamed for reproductive problems and failures. Participants also felt that their emotional and psychological state was central to the health and temperament of their baby. Evil eye is often cited as a cause of miscarriage as is linked to envy. By using ethnographic material we explore the way a miscarriage (Tasqeet) may mean lost motherhood and lost potential for the woman. However, a miscarriage also produces a particular kind of being, a "bird in heaven" who protects its mother and speaks for her on judgment day.

Background: New genetic and reproductive technologies pose several challenges to the established structure of Islamic regulations concerning the nuclear family, which covers the marital connection and lineage regulations. More particularly, they raise questions about traditional definitions of both paternity and maternity and the extent to which these two concepts should be tied to marriage. For example, while DNA technology questions the traditional primacy of legal factors over biological factors in the determination of paternity, assisted reproduction with donor gametes and surrogacy arrangements challenge the classical definition of both paternity and maternity. These new developments have stirred heated debates on the future of the nuclear family worldwide with increasing demands for clearer criteria for the definition of both paternity and maternity. In Most Muslim-majority countries, where personal status issues are regulated according to sharia, legislation does not always keep up with these developments. In the absence of binding laws, disputes are settled according to the general principles of Islamic law, mostly in the form of non-binding fatwas and recommendations. The absence of formal or unified decision-making mechanisms gives rise to a wide range of views on these issues. Important open questions include: to what extent are the new forms of the nuclear family compatible with shari'ah? And, to what extent does the Islamic ethico-legal assessment depend on established scientific facts? The working thesis of this presentation is that modern Muslim discourses often seek to accommodate scientific explanations in the construction of Islamic ethico-legal assessments concerning the structure of the nuclear family in the wake of new genetic and reproductive technologies. Objectives: This project aims to identify gaps in current scholarship on this important topic and suggest ways to fill these gaps. This project illustrates the result of several years of original research. It benefited from the research infrastructure that was established and funded by two three-year NPRP grants. This infrastructure includes a sizeable physical and digital collection of resources (stored in an electronic database), a vibrant research program currently developing a first-rate reference work scheduled to be published by a reputable academic publisher, and a large network of subject experts developed through presentations at local, regional, and international conferences including the organization of two international conferences in Doha. Methods: The presentation will explain the different components of the project, which include: - Conceptualization, planning, and research design - Available resources and previous studies - Interdisciplinarity of the subject, which requires thorough understanding of o The Islamic ethico-legal tradition o The current (positive) legal landscape in most Muslim- majority countries o Relationship between religion and law on the one hand and science on the other as well as the nature of legal development o Role of the social sciences (mainly sociology and anthropology) in capturing, documenting, and accounting for social change - Dissemination and outreach activities Results and Conclusion: The presentation will share the results achieved as well as challenges encountered. It will also discuss suggested policy and legal reforms relevant to Qatar (and the Arab region) and plans for future development.

The past three generations of Qataris have witnessed unprecedented economic, social and cultural changes. The juxtaposition of economic growth and social conservatism causes many conflicts or gaps between traditional values and the opportunities offered by modernity; perhaps one of the most startling examples of this is the current generation of Qatari females who are attending university, preparing for professional fields, and still expected to fulfill traditional gender roles as wives and mothers, within the same time frame as their own mothers or grandmothers. Within a kinship or tribal society, where relationships are determined by exchanges between families, marriage is a symbolic institution as much as a social one; the exchange of partners is a private act that has public significance with socio-economic ramifications. Marriage is a way of maintaining and enforcing social order, particularly the behavior of women by patriarchal societies; therefore it is at the very heart of traditional society. This study examines whether the tertiary education of Qatari women in co-educational settings is impacting the institution of marriage within a patriarchal Arab society. Does the level of a woman's education hamper or enhance her marriage prospects? This question is particularly relevant given the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030) which outlines human capacity building as central to the development of the nation and another example of the explicitly stated intentions of the State of Qatar in investing in a knowledge based economy. The research team has studied marriage practices from 2000-2012 through surveys, focus groups, interviews, and the analysis of marital documents to analyze the way attitudes towards educated women as prospective brides. Over 350 Qatari women from a variety of academic institutions in Qatar, including Hamad Bin Khalifa University branch campuses, Qatar University, College of the North Atlantic Qatar, and the Community College of Qatar were surveyed. 150 women from these institutions also participated in focus group interviews. The findings interpret the broader social ramification of balancing the education of women within the expectations of traditional gender roles during state-building.

*Qatari Media Overview *Qatar General Broadcasting and Television Corporation was established in 1970 and is Government owned. It airs in Arabic language and has two domestic, and one satellite channel.Al-Jazeera was established in 1996 . It airs in Arabic language via satellite.Al-Jazeera International was established in 2006 and is privately owned by Al-Jazeera Network. It airs in English and is satellite. *Despite the abolishment of media censorship in 1995, direct and indirect media censorship (e.g. self-regulation) still exists within Qatar. Social media: 1.Qatar is very engaged in video viewing and sharing. YouTube is Qatar's top social media site. Over 200,000 Qataris are active Facebook users while over 500,000 Qataris are active Twitter users. 2.Google.com.qa is the most popular search engine in Qatar. 3.Qatar News Agency: News agency transmitting mainly in English and Arabic with a daily service in other languages. *According to ictQATAR (2011)Qatar ranks among the top three in the Arab world in terms of combined performance in basic ICT indicators, such as the numbers of computer users, Internet users, mobile telephone, fixed telephone lines, and broadband Internet subscribers. In terms of internet and broadband penetration, Qatar is already near the European level and also growing steadily.However, this doesn't include expatriate workers who constitute a large part of the Qatari population. *TV and computer penetration levels are high - mobile penetration is top-of-the-world as there are 1.2 - 1.3 mobile subscriptions per citizen *The usage of internet focuses mostly on simple applications, such as email. Online banking and government e-services are still underdeveloped *Methodological issues Studying journalism in Qatar is a complicated issue as we can observe some important signs. For example, we have Qatari journalism but very few Qatari journalists and this may affect the general attitude of journalists towards journalism freedom and whether this attitude represents the journalist's opinions about journalism freedom in their home country or in the country where they work. *Major Issues to be discussed: *There is a huge gap among Qatari media freedom as we can classify al Jazeera network in one category and other media (Print- Radio - Television and online journalism) in another one. *The Qatari media, especially Al Jazeera was one of the main supporters of the Arab Spring revolutions and this situation affected on its editorial policy. *There is no independent newspapers . *There is no syndication or any form of journalism association. *Journalists are working as expats according to renewed annually contract and sponsorship law ( we have about 75 nationalities are working in journalism industry and 28 nationalities relevant to editorial process. *Journalists have to be committed to advertising pressures, societal regulations, media editorial policy and self-censorship *All these controversial issues affect the journalist's insights and feedback about journalism freedom in Qatar.

The archaeological site, situated at the southwest edge of the Qattārah oasis, has been excavated recently by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) as part of a redevelopment project of the area to create the Qattārah Community Art Centre on the rebuilt structures of the Bayt Bin 'Ātī al-Darmakī complex. These excavations revealed that Bayt Bin 'Ātī had a long occupational sequence, with a deep stratigraphy that covers from the Iron Age until the Late Islamic period. No monumental structures have been unearthed at the site so far. The main archaeological evidence found is constituted by pits, postholes and irrigation ditches associated to agricultural and industrial installations. Since the first occupation phase of the site, agriculture seemed to be the main economic activity at the site but, during the Iron Age II (aprox. 1100-600 BC), copper smelting also played an important role, as suggested by the find of more than 50 kg of metallurgical residues, such as slags, furnace walls, fragments of metallurgical vessels and some metal lumps. This debris was spread on a 10 cm-thick layer in the southeast corner of the Southern Baulk, which is located between the arts workshop area and the semi-subterranean energy centre of the complex. No metallurgical structures or furnaces had been identified in the area. In this paper, we present the preliminary results of the analytical study of a small selection of this copper production debris, namely two fragments of tap slags, a fragment of a ceramic crucible and a large tongue-shaped metal lump. These samples have been examined by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and the results obtained indicate that sulphidic ores were exploited to produce copper. This kind of mineral deposits is commonly found in ophiolite rock, mined on a vast scale in the al-Hajar Mountains since the Bronze Age. Bayt Bin 'Ātī finds point at the continuation of those copper mining activities during the Iron Age, but only a more in-depth study of the metallurgical debris will allow us to obtain a better understanding of the patterns of ore exploitation and metal production on the territory during the Iron Age. In fact, it is worth mentioning that there are no mines known so far in the area of the Qattārah oasis. The closest mine is Wādī Jizzī in Oman, situated at approximately 60 km from Bayt Bin 'Ātī. The reason why they were transporting minerals instead of producing metals closer to the mining area is still unknown. The need for fuel and water could have been important factors but a broader study of the region is needed to shed light on this topic.

According to Graddol (2004) "The world's language system is undergoing rapid change because of demographic trends, new technology, and international communication. These changes will affect both written and spoken communication." The previous quotation reflects a linguistic reality. It is impossible to deny the influence of technology and international communication, not only on language, but also on our daily lives. The process of borrowing is one of the many ways in which technology and international communication affect language. Some of the borrowed words have Arabic equivalents, while others do not. Nevertheless, most of these borrowed words are subject to phonological and morphological changes. The main cause of the borrowing phenomenon may be that, as Baker stated, "translation activity in the Arab World is still too slow when compared to the speed with which new terms are coined for new concepts in the West and the frequency of their usage once coined" (1987, 88). Many of the loanwords, some of which are Arabized, are widely used today in Qatari Arabic. Arabization involves the rendering of foreign terms into Arabic in its original linguistic form, after introducing minor phonetic and/or morphological changes where necessary. This method has received much opposition from language purists, who fear that the assimilation of foreign terms may change the identity of Arabic and, if applied to excess, would even result in some form of a hybrid language. However, faced with the massive influx of new terms which need to be rendered into Arabic, even the purists have had to accept Arabized terms which have found their way into the language and increasingly gained acceptance, with or without academies' approval. (Ibrahim, 2006). Although linguistic borrowing is a universal phenomenon that has been noted historically and studied a lot , it is of interest to investigate this practice and its patterns in Qatari Arabic and to know to what extent the Qatari informants are able to know the meaning and the origin of some of the borrowed words in Qatari Arabic. Thus, the researcher collected one hundred of exotic foreign words which are Arabized and used in Qatari dialect and will ask Qataris to identify the meaning and the origin of the borrowed words. The focus in this study will be on the ability of the Qatari informants to identify the meaning and the origin of the borrowed words in question. Objectives: Identify some borrowed words used in the Qatari dialect. Identify the origin of the borrowed words. Identify the types of borrowed words. measure the knowledge of the sample to know the meaning of the borrowed words. measure the ability of the sample to determine the origin of the borrowed words.

In late 2002, Qatar established key elements of educational reform, known as "Education for a New Era", including curriculum standards, emphasis on problem-solving through student-centered teaching; standards-based assessment; and extensive professional development for teachers. Qatari education reform emphasizes student-centered teaching and learning where teachers are facilitators and students actively engage in learning through systematic inquiry and problem solving. Classrooms characterized by these elements should emerge as more successful on Qatari standards-based assessments, but little research has been done to determine whether these elements can be promoted though specifically designed professional development programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of learner-centered professional development on teaching behaviors in math/science classrooms in Qatari independent elementary schools. The present study is a part of a three year QNRF funded research project which involved two major phases. The first phase of the research project was primarily descriptive and involved a sample of 67 teachers and approximately 1150 students randomly selected from 17 independent schools. The research in this baseline phase depicted the classroom instructional strategies implemented in response to Qatari educational reform goals, and described the extent to which students in Qatari Independent elementary schools engaged in self-regulated learning. The second phase of the research which is the focus of the present study used a quasi-experimental design to investigate the effect of specifically designed learner-centered professional development modules, which were developed based on the initial baseline data, targeting improvement of student-centered teaching behaviors (including perceived teaching efficacy). The study sample consisted of 47 math and science elementary teachers whose classroom teaching practices were assessed, pre and post intervention, using the teacher Attributes Observation Protocol (TAOP), teachers were also administered the Teacher Efficacy Scale (TES) pre and post professional development training. Overall, the results in this study show that student-centered teaching behaviors increased significantly post intervention for both intervention and control groups. The implications of the study findings for the implementation of reform and provision professional development training for teachers in Qatar were discussed.

Resource planning in emergency management is a challenging task as it involves disaster situations where the demands are rapidly increasing and the resources are scarce. Conventional planning involves a centralized network structure where resources are distributed through a few prepositioning facilities located near to the disaster regions. In this research, we develop a novel multi-echelon network distribution structure for emergency resource planning. The structure at its highest echelon consists of a set of potential Supply Points (SPs), where resources are purchased and consolidated which is more practical in comparison to the conventional centralized structure. SPs are considered as typically large facilities in metropolitan cities in and around the potential disaster region from where the resources are distributed to the prepositioning facilities in order to be able to supply the materials immediately after the disaster in the area. The proposed structure also allows direct shipment of resources from SPs to the disaster regions in the response stage which is more close to the reality. Under the network structure, we formulate a new two-stage stochastic mixed integer programming model for an integrated emergency preparedness and response planning. The objective is to obtain the optimal allocations of the resources along with locations of the SPs and prepositioning facilities to satisfy the demand of disaster victims in a timely and cost-effective manner. We assume demand for supplies in the disaster hit areas are aggregated at locations called Aggregated Demand Points (ADPs). For the current study, the demands at the ADPs are obtained with a set of disaster scenarios each with a probability of occurrence. To develop the resource allocation model, we consider two distribution stages that are decided simultaneously: pre-disaster and post-disaster stages. In the pre-disaster stage, the analysis provides the location of SPs and the pre-disaster purchasing amounts to be acquired at the SPs. All or part of the purchased resources are positioned in prepositioning facilities located at selected ADPs. In the post-disaster stage, detail distribution of the resources to satisfy demands following the disaster event is considered. The demands in the post-disaster stage are met through pre-positioned resources at the prepositioning facilities and additionally, if required, through the direct shipments of resources from the SPs. We consider limited post-disaster purchasing opportunities at SPs as the quantities are to be purchased during a short and chaotic period. The optimization model proposed in this research consists of logistics and deprivation costs. The logistics costs include cost of provisioning, prepositioning, and delivering the resources. The deprivation costs represent the cost of not providing or delays in providing the supplies at the point of demand. The model is tested in a network for numerical analysis. The result shows that multiple SPs in the proposed network distribution structure helps to overcome the possible resource disruption that occurs with single sourcing in the centralized structure, resulting decrease of the demand shortage. Sensitivity of the model with different pre-disaster and post-disaster purchasing conditions at SPs are also discussed in order to represent realistic disaster scenarios. (Acknowledgement: Qatar/QNRF/NPRP Project: 5-200-5-027)

Introduction This paper is based on ongoing audience research that conducted on behalf of Qatar Museums. The study, which started in September 2010, focuses on families across Qatar and aims to discover their needs, motivations and interests towards visiting museums. This ongoing project, which mainly targets Qatari and Arab families, has approached its audiences' needs and wants through quantitative and qualitative methods. A quantitative methodology was employed through a broad reaching family survey which has been the base for all the following research. This bilingual survey was distributed via schools in Qatar and in return received around 1,700 responses from families representing over 4,500 children. On the other hand, qualitative methods were applied through focus groups and in-depth interviews with individual family members or family groups. These two methods were used in order to develop our understanding of the family behavior, customs and values, as well as explore their interests and needs when deciding to visit a museum. In addition, families' behaviors, attitudes and interactions were also observed in museums and fun centers in Qatar and the UAE to pay close attention to the roles played by adults and their children throughout their visits. Findings Through various methods employed with different family members and groups, several findings have been shown: oMost families and children consider museums as places for displaying precious and valuable collections that engage them with their heritage or their grandparents' era. oFamilies in Qatar are socially motivated (72% of families interviewed or surveyed are primarily motivated by social factors). Qatari and Arab Qatar-based families identify visiting museums as an opportunity to spend time together and have an entertaining time as a family. oFamilies seek appropriate facilities in the museums to meet their social and practical needs such as a family lounge or café, as well as breastfeeding and baby changing rooms. oFamilies prefer to ignore using maps or asking information desks. However, they prefer to be engaged with exhibits through guidance or even conversation with each other or the exhibits' facilitators. oWord of mouth is key to attracting about 60% of families to museums and fun centers, especially those with young children. oThe research informs us of the greatest and least interesting topics that families would like to learn about. Implications of the Study The research has indicated very remarkable findings about families in Qatar and the Gulf, which help offer some significant implications: oEngaging and interactive environment should be offered in our museums' exhibits and facilities to allow social interaction among all family members with different ages. oVarious amenities should be provided to meet the families' practical needs such as special spaces for breastfeeding and baby changing. oThere is a need for more energetic and educated facilitators to effectively deal and engage with different ages in the museums' exhibits as well as extend their communication means to reach as much families as possible .

Wage-led growth: the dynamics and rigidity of gross mean wage in Lithuania Gediminas Mačys Professor of Economics, Dr. Institute of Economics and Business, Mykolas Romeris University, Lithuania Ateities str. 20, LT-08303 Vilnius, Lithuania www.mruni.eu; [email protected] tel. No. +3705 2714547 & Member of American Association of International Researchers (AAIR, New York, USA) Member of Global science and technology forum (GSTF, Singapore), Member of Regional Studies association (RSA, London, UK) Objectives 1) to analyse econometrically the relation between different contributors and the gross average wage. 2) Using the simple polynomial model, to analyse the dynamics of real wage rigidity 3) to propose the long-term, pro-labour policy means that would soften the real wages rigidity and the increase the wage share. Method. The paper presents the regressive analysis of real wage driving factors. The analysis confirmed an existence of strong, linear relationship between the GMW and three driving factors. The multinomial logit model of GMW rigidity has been applied in current research. Data. Both the wages and economic growth driving factors in Lithuania are based on panel data from 2002-2013 and were withdrawn from the Lithuanian national statistic surveys and individual surveys have been subjected to the Lithuanian business and household entities. The measures of downward nominal and real wage rigidity are derived on the basis of individual wage change distributions observed in household survey. Results. A strong linear relation of the real average wage and three driving factors was found. It circumstantiates that the economy of country is export-sided. The analysis found a strong rigidity of the real wage and the stiffening of rigidity over past few years in Lithuania. A shift in the bargaining power of the employers to the employees was found too. The application of wage-led growth model to Qatar economy is on the subject of paper discussion. The points of reference to pro-labour policy means that would soften the real wages rigidity and the increase the wage share in Qatar are discussed too. Conclusions. The regressive analysis of real average wage has revealed the strong linear dependence from three factors. Such permutation of the real average wage driving factors is normally appropriate for the small country that economy draws the strong export sector, i.e. the economy of Lithuania is mostly export-sided. The wage rigidity is a binding constraint on wage setting for large segments of the work force in a low inflation environment like a Lithuania period. In the Lithuania a shift in the bargaining power of the employers to the employees was found. The upward pressure on wages was caused by the decline in unemployment and is a result of strongly improved job market position of employees in Lithuania. Keywords: econometric analysis, dynamics of real average wage, rigidity of real average wage, wage-led growth, means of pro-labour policy.

Orientality: an Open Door to the World For the success that the Orientalist Museum has achieved in the conference entitled 'Orientality', I would like to represent one of our leading projects in research which was referred in the press "provides a forum for the continued investigation, facilitation,, and promotion of the study of Cultural Orientalism, including visual art, literature, music and dance'. I.The Orientalist Museum The Orientalist Museum has one of the most significant collections of Orientalist art ever assembled in the world. Indeed we are the only museum solely dedicated to Orientalist art, a movement which discusses the topic of the 'other'; Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in the eyes of the Western artists. This movement attracted a huge number of international talented artists who depicted this 'other' either by a first-hand or a second-hand experience. Their works reveal their impressions and give us a global understanding of the world. The Orientalist Museum is reassessing our past and present in order to bring back our forgotten and unknown memories. In this way, the museum is reclaiming the term 'Orientalist' by allowing local and greater MENA audiences to look at themselves through the eyes of outsiders. By doing so, we preserve a part of our heritage and take ownership of it. Though our museum is not yet open to the public, we hold exhibitions and conferences in order to reach our audience and to build a better mutual understanding between people. The artworks of this movement are a fascinating record of our past. II.The Orientalist Museum and Research Through exhibitions, conferences and research the Orientalist Museum opens the door for a conversation of cross-cultural experiences by discussing different related issues such as: social values, politics, ethnography, etc. The Orientalist art movement which emerged in the Renaissance period and reached its peak in the nineteenth century, had a great impact on art and culture today. Therefore through these conferences and exhibitions and by conducting and publishing research, the museum strives to increase knowledge and awareness about this very important art movement. III.The Orientality Conference For the purpose of raising the public awareness and developing their knowledge about the Orientalist art movement, the Orientalist Museum is hosting a biennial conference series entitled 'Orientality'. This conference aims to bring together leading academics to discuss the Orientalist art movement and its surrounding culture, in order to exchange ideas and thoughts based on original research. The represented papers will in turn be published in an associated journal. Our first conference was hosted in association with Pembroke College, Cambridge University in the UK on May 17 and 18, 2013. The conference was titled "Orientality: Cultural Orientalism and Mentality". Our next conference, subtitled 'Beyond the Foreign Affairs', will be held at the National Portrait Gallery in London in 2015, and the follow up will take place in Istanbul in 2017. We hope to spread the word by partnering with prestigious museums, academic institutions and media to convey our message.

This research project addresses "Human Capacity Development" which is one of Qatar's Cross-cutting Research Grand Challenges. This grand challenge, which is a priority for Qatar, aims to develop sustainable talent for Qatar's knowledge economy in order to meet the needs for a high-quality workforce. As Qatar moves into the 21st century, it is important that Qatar develops its workforce to become more competitive and a model country for others to follow. At the same time, the quality of life of Qataris will be advanced. This presentation will describe a leading edge research project using emerging mobile training technologies to train workers in the oil and gas industry in Qatar. This project is funded by the Qatar National Research Fund. Subjects for this research project were employees at Qatar Petroleum. A total of 70 employees participated in this research project. The training was delivered on a variety of mobile devices which allowed employees to access the training materials from anywhere and at anytime. The research used a pre-post test design where a pre-test was administered before the employees took the training and a post-test was administered after the employees completed the training. The average percent score on the pre-test was 71 percent while the average score on the post-test was 79 percent indicating that employees' performance improved after completing the training using the flexible delivery method. In terms of the amount of time the employees spent on completing the training lesson, the time ranged from less than 30 minutes to more than three hours indicating the flexibility that mobile learning provided in training workers. In terms of where employees completed their training, 44 percent said that they completed some of the training at work and some at their home/residence; 22 percent completed the training at their home/residence; 19 percent completed the training either at work, home, or while travelling; and 15 percent completed the training at work. Again, these results show the flexibility that mobile learning provides in training. The results from this research project conducted at Qatar Petroleum show that the use of mobile technology for training workers improved performance and provides flexibility when and where workers completed their training. Delivering training using emerging mobile technology is important for the young generation of Qatari who are comfortable using mobile technology. Also, because of the flexibility of using mobile technology in training, workers can use the technology for just-in-time training so that they can apply when they learn right away which will facilitate high level learning. This research projects developed best practices for using mobile technology in training which will result in a paradigm shift in training to develop Qataris for the 21st century workforce. A well-trained Qatari workforce is important to achieve Qatar National Vision which aims at "transforming Qatar into an advanced country by 2030, capable of sustaining its own development and providing for a high standard of living for all of its people for generations to come"

Childhood cancer can be a traumatic, physically painful and emotionally turbulent experience. Little is still known on the psychological impact of receiving medical treatment for children with cancer, in particular children displaying symptomology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of their painful medical procedures. Literature indicates that art therapy can be a powerful therapeutic tool for paediatric oncology patients, faced with the uncertainties of their illness allowing for exploration of diagnosis and control over an uncontrollable sickness. A crucial first step for art therapists would be the need to focus on understanding the unique perspectives of children living with cancer, in order to effectively tailor interventions. To address this gap, this study aimed to understand children's lived experience of cancer, and art therapy as a therapeutic intervention in managing the emotional repercussions of their condition. Six case studies of expatriate (Western) children residing in Singapore, diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia aged between five and eight years, are presented with fragile ego structure, suspected PTSD, displaying poor awareness of their disease and having an inability to effectively cope with their illness are presented. Research has been carried out over a duration of eight one hour sessions. Images depict the child's progression in developing ego strength by working through the child's defense mechanisms, and strengthening of the ego through the framework of sublimation of internal instinctual drives (id drives). Positive gains were evident through the results of pre/post parental questionnaires, pre/post PTSD evaluation, pre/post art therapy assessment assessing ego strength 'superhero assessment', and analysis of case content and artwork. This indicated a reduction of PTSD symptoms, management of external stimuli (treatment related procedures) was better managed due to an increase in the child's ego strength which resolved internal conflict through the act of sublimation of internal id drives. The findings offer preliminary support not only limited to the use of art therapy as a modality for a child diagnosed with cancer, but also provides insight to the child's emotional experience helping health care professionals managing paediatric oncology and the parents of children with cancer. Thus, emphasizing art therapy as a non-invasive therapeutic support, a support vital for a child diagnosed with a potentially terminal illness. Ongoing research is warranted to investigate ways in which art therapy can assist in managing paediatric oncology. Keywords: paediatric, oncology, art therapy,PTSD

The role of forgiveness in building social harmony in modern society One may ask, what is the purpose of having different religions globally? Religions are meant to promote peaceful feelings, and stabilize the society. As a result, we find that most, if not all, the religions offer a great deal of wisdom and guidance when it comes to purifying the heart from all sorts of worldly malevolence. Finding ways to nourish and cleanse our hearts is essential and eventually causes the heart to be harmonious and peaceful. Forgiveness is step one to turning the heart into a peaceful masterpiece. A person will see that the concept of forgiveness has a multitude amount of significances. When forgiving, a person forgoes any hostility in their heart. That ultimately yields a productive and a wholehearted environment within the society. It pushes the society to be a lot more cohesive and friendly. Additionally, it leads to happiness as well, since forgiveness emanates from deep below a person's heart. Islam is a great example of a religion that tackles the idea of forgiveness beautifully. Forgiveness starts from the creator who promises limitless forgiveness to his creations. He names himself The Merciful, The Forgiving, and The Most Compassionate. The creator sets a wonderful example for his creations to follow. He asks his believers to ponder upon the essence of his names so that they can learn from the insights each name carries. A believer must act upon his lord's attributes. If you expect forgiveness, then you should practice forgiveness. In order to be forgiven by your God, you must be forgiving to the creation of God. One cannot deny that forgiveness helps build a cordial society. Conflict is inevitable in any society; therefore, encompassing a forgiving, forbearing heart can be the solution to dissolving such conflicts. Mutual forgiveness is what will keep a society in tact. This study aims at finding the role that religion plays in establishing a strong, cooperative society by utilizing one of the most potent tools: forgiveness. Moreover, this study will indefinitely prove that forgiveness is potentially the most effective method to establishing a profound community. That latter is due to the belief that our life is being architected solely in and within our hearts. Keywords: religions, forgiveness, society, community, creation, God, harmony, happiness, conflict, stability.

'Green jobs' help reduce negative environmental impact ultimately leading to environmentally, economically and socially sustainable enterprises and economies. More precisely green jobs as defined by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) are jobs that: *Reduce consumption of energy and raw materials *Limit greenhouse gas emissions *Minimize waste and pollution *Protect and restore ecosystems The above definition covers activities related to both mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. It implies in its inclusivity and breadth that every job can potentially become greener and can help to resolve global environmental issues. Four areas of change have been identified as necessary for green jobs: physical changes in the environment itself; environmental policy and regulation; technology and innovation; and changes in prices, markets and consumer habits. These areas are interrelated but their relative importance differs among countries. In developed countries consumer behaviour and hence market forces are seen as critical for change, whereas in developing countries environmental changes and policy and regulation remain more important. Lessons from viewing early change patterns in the take up of environmentalism in industrialized countries may be useful in deepening our understanding of the policy-making and incentives necessary for appropriate investment, business development and technology transfer. Countries like Australia and Qatar are currently coping with a host of environmental challenges, particularly in the areas of construction and tourism and their impact on the environment. To take on this challenge, Australia and Qatar have produced strong policies designed to enhance environmental conservation. However, without developing supporting job skills, knowledge and abilities in the labour force, this challenge remains difficult to achieve. In view of this, the project will focus on identifying and understanding the role of particular skills, knowledge and abilities to build and sustain a green economy within these sectors. The project is to meet the following objectives: *To identify the necessary green skills, knowledge and abilities needed to develop and sustain an environmentally engaged construction and tourism industry; *To identify and describe existing and emerging 'green jobs' in the building and tourism industries to assist in the creation of a database of 'green skills'; *To analyse and describe the skills gaps/weaknesses of current 'green jobs' in the construction and tourism industry; *To review the current skills and training system, in particular institutional capacities and skills/competency standards in relation to their ability to create and support an environmentally engaged construction and tourism industry; *To propose 'skills for green jobs' responses (in terms of policies and programmes) to support the creation of new qualifications and to adjust existing qualifications in the construction and tourism industries; and *To provide recommendations on the best way to integrate green skills/green jobs components into existing skills/competency standards for selected priority occupations within the construction and tourism sector and other industry sectors.

The use of research-based educational practices when serving students with disabilities is an essential component of special education policy as, if such a research foundation is missing, policies are compromised. Because of government funding that has supported individual and programmatic research efforts for decades, much of the special education research base used throughout the world comes from the United States. Does such research, though, automatically transfer to the context of special education services in Qatar and other Arab countries? Standard assumptions about educational research suggest that the answer might be, not necessarily. What literature from Arab countries, then, is available to guide policy makers, researchers, administrators, and educators in the Middle East and North Africa? This QNRF-funded Undergraduate Research Experience Project: (a) identified the published literature on special education in the Arab world, (b) indexed it, and (c) conducted preliminary analyses of important characteristics of the journal articles to provide a broad yet detailed preliminary characterization of the body of work that exists about special education in Arab countries. Using five library catalogs, three electronic databases in Arabic—EduSearch, Shamaa, and Al Manhal—and two in English—EBSCO's Academic Search Complete and PsycArticles—the project identified 1,916 unduplicated items about special education for Arab students: 1,247 journal articles, 408 books, 186 theses, 58 reports, 8 book chapters, 2 artworks, 1 conference proceeding, 1 newspaper article, and 5 other items. Results from the analyses of the journal articles indicate that: (a) there is indeed a literature, (b) it is research-based, (c) to a large extent it deals with educationally related topics, and (d) it is quickly increasing over time. The amount of literature, though, is relatively small when one takes into consideration the size of the Arab world. A 2009 study of 11 special education journals in the United States found 6,724 articles over a 19-year period, whereas this project only uncovered 1,274 over a longer period of time from a less restricted number of journals. In addition, it appears that there may be large gaps in the Arab scholarly literature on special education in regards to specific countries and regions of the Arab world, disabilities, and age groups. The project also raises important questions about the implications of what literature is available and to whom, questions that speak directly to the challenges of being aware of and understanding the issues about special education in the Arab world as Qatar and other Arab states make the transition to knowledge-based societies. For instance, how does the Arab special education literature that is available in Arabic differ from that published in English, and what does that mean for educational leaders who can only access material in one of the languages? As it is much more difficult to export the results of searches from the Arabic databases than it is from those in English, what might be the effects on conducting systematic reviews from those sources? And what steps can be taken to remedy such differences in Arab special education knowledge accessibility?

Recent qualitative studies of the relationship between public opinion and U.S. foreign policy put decisions into the following two categories: the President tends to lead or to follow public opinion; public opinion influences decision-making, constrains the decision, or has no impact. These studies typically research the initial decision to intervene, but fail to examine the subsequent decisions to sustain and win a war: financial and human means, conduct, objectives, duration, and communication. I argue that these elements of a winning strategy are impacted by concerns with public support at home. The impact of public opinion on the decision whether to use force is better understood when analyzing the compromise between the perception of anticipated public opinion and the necessities of a military campaign. Public opinion impacts the strategy, the timing, and length of an intervention, and inversely, those elements impact the anticipated public opinion and ultimately the decision to use force or choose a different course of action. The president can expect to influence public opinion and raise the acceptability of an intervention through various means: he can assess the possibility to alleviate the potential political damage of a war by relying on the legitimacy of a UN mandate, using airstrikes to prevent casualties, or framing the debate to emphasize the link of the intervention with national security for example. Only if these options are not expected to be sufficient, will they consider comprising their desired goals for a more popular policy and strategy. As a consequence, there is a back-and-forth process between anticipated public support for a given intervention and the consideration of the use of force: the strategy envisioned for a potential intervention affects the anticipated support, which in turn affects the preferred strategy and in the end the final decision to intervene. Contrary to the current literature, which tends to conclude that the president enjoys a substantial margin for maneuver, an analysis of post Cold War cases of interventions, limited interventions, and military escalations shows that anticipated public opinion limited the president's margin for maneuver and influenced not only the decision to intervene but also the military strategy and in the end, the result of the intervention. These findings contradict the realist paradigm for which only the structure of the international system matters and domestic politics are irrelevant in the study of international relations. This research is primarily based on extensive interviews with high-ranking staffers from the National Security Council (NSC), the State Department, and the Department of Defense involved in the decision-making process as well as the White House pollster and high-ranking officials on the ground. These interviews are completed with open sources. Decisions are also scrutinized in light of their "political context". Indicators include the President's approval ratings and their current trend, the electoral cycle, the support of Congress and the elite opinion, polls on the issue and the salience of the conflict at the time.

Clinical studies in the face perception literature report that schizophrenics have a deficit in face identification. However, it is not clear whether this deficit is a part of a general cognitive impairment or is specific to faces per se. In this study, 40 male patients with schizophrenia and 40 male healthy controls were presented with a match/mismatch face identification task, in which faces were presented upright or upside down, and a standard 1-in-6 object matching task, which consisted of a target line drawing of common objects and a six-variant target-present line-up. Schizophrenic patients performed worse with objects and all faces than the control subjects. In addition, the schizophrenic patients also showed a marked decline in performance over the course of the experiment. These findings suggest that the perceptual problems that have been observed with faces in schizophrenic patients reflect a general cognitive impairment that also affects object perception.

Background & Objectives Previous project research identified three challenges for Qatari middle school students studying science: 1) a curricular and "real world" need to learn from both Arabic and English texts; 2) poor student reading comprehension across languages; 3) teaching methods that require reading comprehension and oral fluency without attention to reading processes. To help students improve their reading comprehension Qatari teachers need 1) a deeper understanding of reading as a strategic, goal-oriented process and 2) practical techniques for helping students read more strategically. There are also challenges for teacher learning. The baseline research found that teachers have a general idea of what they should report they do, but when observed in the classroom the strategic reading practices were not evident. A key objective, therefore, of teacher development in this project was helping teachers make connections between their learning and practice. Lesson Study (Lewis & Perry, 2006) is an approach to teacher development in which teachers collaboratively study an idea for improving their practice, plan a lesson together that incorporates the idea, observe student learning while the lesson is being taught by a member of the group, and then reflect on the lesson's effectiveness. This cycle is implemented multiple times to promote greater understanding. Pilot Lesson Study programs were initiated at one boys' and one girls' Qatar independent preparatory school. The programs aimed to promote science and English teachers' knowledge of strategic reading processes and their repertoire of techniques for incorporating this knowledge into teaching. This presentation examines the programs' contribution to teacher development. Method The programs in each school brought together three English and three science teachers with two members of the research team and met for six weeks. The teachers were interviewed using the same protocol before, in the fourth week, and in the week following the program. Group meetings were audiotaped, and the weekly lessons taught by group members observed. Researcher notes also provide triangulation. Transcripts of the interviews and session meetings were coded for comments indicative of the ways in which participants' knowledge, perceptions, and practices changed over the course of the six weeks. Results Areas of development identified include conceptual knowledge of reading, reading strategies, and means of professional development; perceptions of reading-related challenges faced by students and teachers; and teachers' repertoire of instructional and assessment techniques. The key components of Lesson Study that seemed to foster this development are: the reflective cycle linked to teachers' actual practice, a focus on student learning, and support provided for a community of practice. Furthermore, the inclusion of teachers from two disciplines (English and science), a unique component for Lesson Study programs, enabled participants to gain a wider perspective on their practice. Conclusions The qualitative analysis identifies a number of positive outcomes for participants and provides insight into the characteristics of Lesson Study that promote these outcomes. Future research using a more controlled experimental procedure will address whether these outcomes also lead to improved student reading.

The purpose of this study was to raise awareness about and understanding of the meaning and significance of Jinn, black magic and evil eye for undergraduate nursing students studying at the University of Calgary in Qatar. Nursing students are educated using a Canadian curriculum that purports nursing as a science through evidence-based best practice. Based on instructor experience, it was apparent that many Muslim nursing students attribute the person's mental or physical health disorder to the presence of Jinn, black magic and evil eye. These concepts do not fit within the context of evidence-based care, yet are important considerations in developing nursing education that will result in client-centred, culturally competent nursing practice. The researchers administered the survey "Beliefs about Jinn, Possession, Black Magic and Evil Eye" developed for use in previous studies regarding beliefs about possession among Muslims in Dhaka, Leicester, and Bangladesh (Khalifa, Hardie, Latif, Jamil, & Walker, 2011; Khalifa, Hardie, & Mullick, 2012; Mullick, et al, 2012). One hundred and twenty-eight (128) approximately 41% of the nursing student population of undergraduate nursing students participated in the study. Participation was voluntary and only those who self-identified as Muslim were invited to take part. The results of the survey were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to generate descriptive statistics and frequencies data. The benefits of this research may include enhancement of teaching strategies and curriculum by improving cultural sensitivity and competence of nursing faculty related to increased knowledge and understanding of Jinn, black magic and evil eye. This research will also enhance and add to the limited literature available on nursing education for Muslim students in the Middle East. The scholarly benefit will be more culturally inclusive content related to Islamic beliefs of Jinn, black magic and evil eye, and the potential impact on nursing care. The researchers will report on the findings of the study within the context of nursing education and share recommendations for consideration of other health science programs in Qatar. Khalifa, N., Hardie, T., Latif, S., Jamil, I., Walker, D.M. (2011). Beliefs about Jinn, black magic and the evil eye among Muslims: Age, gender and first language influences. Journal of Culture and Mental Health, 4, 68-77. Khalifa,N., Hardie, T., &Mullick, M.S.I. (2012). Jinn and psychiatry: Comparison of beliefs among Muslims in Dhaka and Leicester. Royal College of Psychiatrists. Mullick, M.S.I., Khalifa, N., Nahar, J.S., & Walker, D.M. (2012). Belief about Jinn, black magic and evil eye in Bangladesh: The effects of gender and level of education. Mental Health, Religion & Culture. DOI: 10.1080/13674676.2012.717918

Background & Objectives This study investigates effects of source texts and writing prompts on university students' writing. In courses across the curriculum, students are required to write analytical, argumentative essays based on sources and in response to prompts provided by the instructor. However, variation in source texts and prompts can greatly impact students' written productions. Much existing research on these effects has focused on quantitative measures of writing quality, such as number of words and clauses, or on raters' scores of writing quality. In addition, most research has focused on high-stakes assessment situations, such as TOEFL or IELTS testing. These leave us with little information about the effects of source texts and prompts on university classroom writing. Drawing on data from a larger 4-year longitudinal study of academic writing development at an English-medium university in Qatar, this study investigates effects of source texts and essay prompts on students' writing of argumentative history essays. Methods Student essays written based on two source texts, and in response to one of four prompts for each source (N=90 essays), were qualitatively analyzed using an established taxonomy of history genres. Students' essays were classified as Textual Recounts (include information directly from the source text), Descriptive Explanations (focus on causes and effects), and Arguments (argue for a claim using evidence from the source text). To supplement our analysis of the student writing, we also draw on interviews with students, interviews with the history professor, assignment descriptions, and grading rubrics. This additional data provides insight into the professor's and the students' perspectives, and informs and enhances our interpretations of the analysis of student writing. Results Results showed dual constraints of source text and prompt on produced genres. Overall, the analysis found that although the professor expected students to write Arguments, only 45% of the essays were Arguments. Many students in the study resorted to writing Recounts and Explanations, engaging in "knowledge telling" rather than "knowledge transformation" through argumentative writing. When the source was non-argumentative, prompts asking students to synthesize or evaluate information more often resulted in argumentative essays than prompts asking for description or comparison. However, when the source itself was argumentative, few students wrote an argument, and only in response to prompts that explicitly invited an evaluation of the source text. With argumentative source texts, most students simply mimicked the argument of the source text in a Recount. Conclusions Consistent with previous research, our findings suggest that students are drawn to and can achieve better results in their writing depending on the source text genre and also the wording of the prompt. Based on these findings, we make recommendations for source text selection and prompt construction for eliciting argumentative writing. We also suggest additions to history genre typology that take university-level writing expectations into account.

Eye movements are now widely used to investigate cognitive processes during first language (L1) reading. However, comparatively few studies have been conducted on second language reading (L2). This presentation will describe a study which used eye tracking technology to investigate the differences in eye movements between English L1 and Arabic L1 speakers when reading English texts. A total of 75 participants were involved in the study: 36 faculty and staff members and 39 students from the College of the North Atlantic in Qatar. Reading materials were presented on a 23-inch monitor attached to an HP Z400 Workstation PC interfaced with a Tobii TX 300 eye tracking system. Participants were presented with 16 images of common signs such as street signs or shop signs. They were then asked to read at their own pace and say which of two ensuing sentences referred to the sign they had just seen. Data were exported into R, a system for statistical computation and graphics, and outcomes from 6 metrics were calculated using Wilcoxin rank-sum tests. The critical value for hypothesis tests, p, was set at 0.05. Results showed that the two groups differed significantly in 5 of the 6 metrics calculated: 1) number of fixations per individual 2) fixation duration 3) saccade length 4) number of saccades per individual and 5) length of regressions. The sixth metric calculated (number of regressions per individual) approached but did not meet significance levels. The study found that the Arabic L1 participants displayed eye movement patterns that were significantly different from, and potentially less effective than, the patterns executed by the skilled English L1 speakers. The aim of the presentation is to illustrate the results, discuss the pedagogical implications and suggest possible classroom interventions to help Arabic L1 students develop effective word-level reading skills in English.

Purpose: Although a great number of research studies for service quality take place in the context of developed countries, the similar studies in the context of developing countries like in Egypt are limited. The purpose of this study is to modify a service quality scale for measuring the performance of Islamic Banks in Egypt using the SERVQUAL multi-item scale after adapting it to fit the Egyptian culture. Research design: The popular multi-item scale of measuring service quality used in this study is SERVQUAL (developed and modified by Parasuraman et al.1985, 1988, 1991,1994). Qualitative research in the form of focus groups was conducted to modify the SERVQUAL scale to fit the Egyptian Islamic banking culture. Three focus groups were conducted with managers and employees working in Islamic banks. Furthermore, a convenience sample of 30 Islamic bank clients was surveyed in order to measure the reliability and validity of the new SERQUAL dimensions derived from the focus groups conducted. Findings: Transcriptions from the 3 focus groups were analyzed using initial and focused coding techniques. Exploratory and factor analytic techniques were used to explore the dimensionality of the scale. The study developed 22 statements for measuring the five different dimensions of service quality in Islamic banks that included: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, Empathy, Assurance and two new dimensions of trust and Shariah- compliance. Research Implications: After the 25th of January revolution, there has been a significant rise of Islamic banking and finance in Egypt. However, this trend is still considered in it's growth stage in Egypt compared to other countries specifically in the Gulf and parts of Europe where Islamic finance and banking is very well established and understood amongst vast amounts of both Muslims and non Muslims. Thus understanding points of weakness and strengths through analyzing the SERVQUAL scale dimensions is essential for Islamic banks as well as the perceptions of current clients about the service quality delivered by such banks. This paper shows that the SERVQUAL after modifications is valid and reliable in the banking industry in Egypt. Based on this study and other studies cited, it appears that future research on Service Quality should involve the development of industry specific measure of service quality.