PhD Degree Awarded to Ms. Kareema Al-Nuwaira in Geography and Geoinformatics

Ms. Kareema Abdullah Ali Al-Nuwaira was awarded a PhD degree in Urban Planning for her dissertation titled: Spatial Analysis of Commercial Markets in the Capital Secretariat (1962–2024), which was submitted to the Department of Geography and Geoinformatics, Faculty of Arts and Humanities – Sana’a University. The dissertation defense was held on Thursday, January 22, 2026.

The PhD Viva-Voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following:

# Committee Members Designation Position
1 Prof. Abdulwali Mohsen Mohsen Al-Arashi ‎ Internal Examiner Chair
2 Prof. Mohammed Abdulaziz Saad Yusr Main Supervisor Member
3 Prof. Nabila Ali Ahmed Al-Senaini ‎ External Examiner Member

The dissertation aimed to:
 Conduct a spatial analysis of commercial markets in the study area using Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
 Prepare digital maps illustrating the geographical distribution of existing markets.
 Perform spatial suitability analysis to identify optimal locations for future commercial markets.
 Identify the factors influencing the growth and distribution of markets and examine their associated impacts and challenges.
 Analyze the characteristics of markets and their users in terms of functional composition, number, size, adequacy, and efficiency.
 Classify markets into groups based on qualitative geographic and analytical criteria.
The study yielded several key findings summarized as follows:
 The number of commercial markets in the study area reached 209, including popular markets, strip markets, traditional central markets, Qat markets, and shopping malls.
 The current spatial distribution pattern of markets in the study area is predominantly clustered.
 The most suitable locations for establishing future markets and commercial centers are situated in the northern, northwestern, and southern parts of the study area, particularly along the outskirts of directorates under study.
 Existing commercial markets have largely not adhered to established planning standards and market design criteria.

In light of these findings, the researcher recommended the following:
 Enacting laws that mandate compliance with planning standards and market design ‎requirements to prevent random development and regulate market organization.‎
 Allocating specific commercial streets for particular types of commercial activities ‎based on comprehensive assessments of existing conditions and prevailing service ‎patterns.‎
 Establishing regulatory measures to limit the continuous conversion of residential land ‎use into commercial use.‎
 Relocating Qat markets to the outskirts or suburban areas of districts, away from ‎residential neighborhoods, due to the traffic congestion, visual pollution, and ‎environmental impacts they generate.‎
The dissertation defense was attended by a number of academics, researchers, and specialists, students, colleagues, and the researcher’s family.