The sedimentary and evaporative environment that has prevailed on the southern shores of the Arabian (Persian) Gulf region, has produced salt encrusted flat areas known as 'sabkha', along the coast and in some nearby depressions.In this paper the morphology, development, mineralogy and hydrology of coastal sabkhas have been briefly reviewed. Geotechnical properties and problems associated with sabkha deposits have been described.The authors' general view of sabkha as cemented and uncemented layers of varying thickness and properties has been confirmed by a limited field study in terms of pits and boreholes carried out near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Calcium carbonate and more recent diagenetic minerals such as gypsum serve as the primary cementing agents.Laboratory experiments aimed at simulating the development of cementation in sabkha material, by chemically precipitating calcium carbonate and calcium sulphate within pluviated sand samples, have shown that marked increase in static penetration resistance is exhibited with the addition of 2-5% precipitate (by weight of sand) as compared to uncemented sands. The results also demonstrate the potential advantages of using static cone pentrometers in the field to assess the strength and layering of sabkha. Coastal Sabkha Morphology and developmentThe coastal sabkha plains generally lie above the high tide level and slope gently seaward at approximately 0.4 m per km (Evans et al. 1969). At their

faces many challenges today. Changes in the external environment (e.g. reduced funding, increased costs, demands by industry for well-seasoned graduates, and rapid advances in technology) coupled with the quest for educational relevance in undergraduate engineering, are forcing colleges of engineering in the Region (the Arab Gulf States) to "rethink" engineering education and to undertake constructive steps towards reforming the current system.

Current industry-academia relationships in the Arab Gulf States are minimal, and do need to be strengthened and improved. The paper calls for increased "relevancy" of engineering education, with greater industry-academia collaboration on many fronts. It was inspired by a round table discussion, where engineering graduates of the Region's colleges have suggested ways to develop viable and enduring connections between local industries and the academic institutions of the Region. Activities perceived as effective in closing the gap between academia and industries are outlined. The paper focuses on: the mission, the nature, and some relevant strategies that could lead to collaboration. Slanting curricula towards industrial relevance and the "practice", helps equip graduates with the "tools of the trade", thus lessening the burden on industries, in having to prepare and train employees at the start of their career.Index Terms -Arab Gulf States, Industry-academia collaboration, Industrial relevance and the practice, To cultivate mutually beneficial and lasting relations.

The latter part of the twentieth century has witnessed an unprecedented economic, social, and technological change in many regions of the world. Perhaps, no region has experienced as dramatic a change as the states of the Arab Gulf region, referred to as the Arab Gulf States. These six neighboring states (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and The Sultanate of Oman) share common heritage, history, and language. Oil is the Region's most valuable natural asset and production and revenues have increased dramatically in recent years, most notably since OPEC price rise in 1973. Great strides since the early 1970s have been made in the provision of human services (health, education, and welfare) and in building infrastructures and urban sprawls, which are comparable in many ways, to those in North America. People's lives have greatly changed in the Region, and modernization and western technologies have found their way to every village, town and city within the six States. The educational arena has also been greatly impacted at all levels. University education has also had its ample share of growth, expansion, and proliferation. Many public universities were established in the Region between 1960 and 1985. Except for Saudi Arabia where the public university system is comprised of several universities, there is today, at least one public university in each of the five other states. When compared to Saudi Arabia, these five States are considerably smaller in area and population.

This paper focuses on "viable teaching-learning" protocols for potential adoption by educators in the Arab Gulf States, seeking to improve their classroom effectiveness. It was inspired by remarks and suggestions made by a number of engineering graduates, who have experienced "negative" aspects of the "classroom environment" as students in the Gulf Region. The paper dwells on those strategies, believed to be appropriate for the development of a "positive teaching-learning" environment; and in particular, those activities that are more relevant to the Arab Gulf States. Strategies pertaining to:(i) planning courses, (ii) conducting courses, and(iii) developing positive learning environment, in and outside the classroom, are discussed and supplemented with general advice and suggestions based on the experience of the author. It is also argued that "reformation" and "active learning" ought to start within the public school systems of the Region, where existing "traditional" teaching methods tend to suppress independent thinking, and have failed in equipping students with the desired traits and analytical skills deemed necessary for students who wish to get into engineering. The paper also examines the potential role that industry in the Region could play in "shaping" engineering education, and demanding that "reformation" ought to include a shift toward industrial relevance. The essay asserts that colleges of engineering in the Arab Gulf States should aspire for setting up and sustaining a principled, dynamic, and forward-looking educational framework that fosters constant renewal and is in tune with prevailing social and cultural realities. Alongside, a more liberal classroom setting that features active learning, care, and strives to accommodate students varied learning styles. Introduction:An increasingly global and technically interconnected workplace is pressuring engineering colleges in the Arab Gulf States