This article analyses the case of Dubai’s smart city from a public policy perspective and demonstrates how critical it is to rely on the use of the public-private partnership (PPP) model. Effective use of this model can guarantee the building of a smart city that could potentially fulfill the vision of the political leadership in Dubai and serve as a catalyst and blueprint for other Gulf states that wish to follow Dubai’s example. This article argues that Dubai’s smart city project enjoys significant political support and has ambitious plans for sustainable growth, and that the government has invested heavily in developing the necessary institutional, legal/regulatory, and supervisory frameworks that are essential foundations for the success of any PPP project. The article also points to some important insights that the Dubai government can learn from the international experience with the delivery of smart cities through PPPs.

Despite the existence of a voluminous body of literature covering the impact of infrastructure public-private partnerships (PPPs) on public value within the context of Western countries, scant attention has been paid to this topic in the Middle East. Given that the region has hosted numerous PPP projects that were implemented even without the rudimentary legal and regulatory frameworks considered essential for such projects to succeed, a study of PPPs within that region would thus be particularly useful, since an unpacking of the success factors for PPPs in the Middle East can reveal important practical insights that will advance the knowledge of PPP success factors overall. This paper, therefore, explores the rehabilitation and expansion of Jordan’s Queen Alia International Airport via the PPP route. It finds that the factors contributing to the project’s successful implementation can be categorized into those on the macro level related to political support, and the micro level factors concerned with management of daily activities involved in the partnership between the public and private sectors.

This paper aims to explain the administrative and the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) of the Indonesian Spaceport Project in Biak, Papua, Indonesia, under the Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) scheme, particularly from the protest to fear of environmental damage and traditional rights. This paper analyzes the factors that cause the local society’s reluctance to accept the development of Indonesia’s very first commercial spaceport. This paper uses a doctrinal methodology, which examines changes in the trend of ESG in implementing PPP projects. The method used is a qualitative systematic review of national and international studies. This paper finds that the lack of legal certainty for administrative and ESG as the main factor contributing to the pitfall of the PPP project in Biak Papua. No clear Government Contracting Agency (GCA), plus the fact that the Indonesian government puts too much weight on business consideration in PPP while Papuan people need more ESG, especially considering the historical conflict in the region, has been the epicenter of the problem. Given the ESG-PPP regulatory failure of spaceport development in Biak, more focused studies using comparative study methodology are needed to propose a more robust and customized ESG in PPP regulations in a politically and historically sensitive area. The authors forward a regulatory reform to balance administration, ESG, and business considerations in PPP projects for a spaceport.

The research objective is to affirm the play of gender diversity and the role of leaders in promoting the concept among businesses for growth and long-term sustainability. The detailed literature search indicated that the culture of gender diversity can only be implemented if the leader practices three key leadership elements, which are effective communication (EC), emotional intelligence (EI), and better decision-making (DM). The paper strives to project the importance of gender diversity in managing market competition, the role of a leader in managing gender diversity, and how gender diversity impacts business growth and sustainability. The paper provides a different model for organizational leaders to instill and promote diversity. The study undertook a literature research approach to gain an in-depth understanding of the leadership role based on the current pool of literature to identify the factors that could promote diversity. The literature review concurred with the importance of implementing gender diversity in the business and assessing the long-term growth and the critical role of leadership as an enabler. The research concluded that leaders are required to play an active role in promoting gender equality to ensure it would directly impact business growth. The study provides a potential conceptual framework for future research to take over subsequently using a quantitative or qualitative method.

Leisure education has an impact not only on individuals but also on the environment and society. The present study aimed to explore and describe experts’ knowledge and experience about leisure education to develop leadership among youth with physical disabilities. The present study used a qualitative research approach through an exploratory design to answer the research question. Five participants were purposefully recruited and selected based on their expertise in the topic of interest. Participants’ expertise ranged from leisure, recreation, youth and leadership. The participants had experience working in higher education institutions, and community projects, held doctorate qualifications, and have over ten years in this field. Data was collected online using Google Meet software using semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions. Data was analyzed using a thematic analysis framework and guidelines. The findings of this study suggest that youth with physical disabilities can develop personal capacity through leisure education programmes. Leisure education programmes can be meaningful to youth with physical disabilities and have a developmental impact, including leadership. Youth with physical disabilities’ capacities and abilities should be nurtured and protected to allow growth and independence. The implications are that leisure education programmes for leadership development must be intentional to achieve the intended outcome.

This paper highlights the complex relationship between entrepreneurship, sustainable development, and economic growth in 41 European countries, using a reliable K-Means cluster analysis. The research thoroughly evaluates three key factors: the SDG Index for sustainable development, GDP per capita for economic well-being, and the New Business Density Rate for entrepreneurial activity. Our methodology reveals three distinct narratives that embody varying degrees of economic vitality and sustainability. Cluster 1 comprises the financially stable and sustainability-oriented countries of Western and Northern Europe. Cluster 2 showcases the variegated economic and sustainability initiatives in Central and Southern Europe. Cluster 3 envelopes the economic titans with noteworthy business expansion but with the potential for better sustainable practices. The analysis reveals a favourable association between economic prosperity and sustainable development within clusters, although with nonlinear intricacies. The research concludes with a series of strategic imperatives specifically crafted for each cluster, promoting economic variation, increased sustainability, invention, and worldwide collaboration. The resulting findings highlight the crucial need for policy-making that considers the specific context and the potential for combined European resilience and sustainability.