The latest issue of the Arabian Gulf Journal of Scientific Research: Water, Energy, Food, and Environment (AGJSR-WEFE), published by the Arabian Gulf University, has been issued. This is the journal’s first issue under its new scope and title, as part of Volume 43, Issue 1. The new name reflects the journal’s commitment to promoting sustainable, interdisciplinary research that addresses the complex interconnections between these vital sectors.

Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Waheeb Al-Nasser explained that the journal adopted its new name following consultation with the scientific publisher Emerald to focus on the interdependence between water, energy, food, and the environment (WEFE), noting that the journal achieved a milestone this year by moving from the fourth quartile (Q4) to the second quartile (Q2) in international journal rankings, thereby reinforcing its growing academic standing and regional leadership in the field of sustainability research.

The journal's editorial board has continued, since opening the call for research papers under the WEFE framework in February 2025, to serve as a platform for publishing scientific research that supports sustainable resource management, technological advancement, and the enhancement of environmental resilience. This issue opens with an article presenting the journal’s new vision and expanded focus under the Water, Energy, Food, and Environment (WEFE) framework. The issue also includes research assessing the quality of groundwater for agricultural use in arid regions of Saudi Arabia, studies addressing effective leadership in achieving carbon neutrality, and predictive analyses of renewable energy adoption and green innovation in the Sultanate of Oman.

Furthermore, the issue features an article discussing regulatory innovation to balance technological transformations with climate and geopolitical challenges, underscoring the journal’s commitment to supporting sustainable practices and integrated resource management within the WEFE sectors. The scope of the Arabian Gulf Journal of Scientific Research: Water, Energy, Food, and Environment encompasses integrated research fields, most notably a focus on the water, energy, food, and environment (WEFE) through the promotion of sustainable resource management, increased reliance on renewable energy, and the integration of systems, alongside the development of conservation strategies that support water, food, and energy security at the regional and global levels. It also addresses the impacts of climate change on this system, including climate modeling, mitigation and adaptation measures, and the pursuit of carbon neutrality, with a particular focus on the contexts of the Arabian Gulf region and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

The issue also highlights the role of space and geographic information technologies in supporting this field through Earth observation, the use of geographic information systems, and the application of satellite technologies in climate monitoring, disaster risk reduction, and renewable energy project planning.

The issue also highlights circular waste management as a pillar of sustainability through recycling, resource recovery, the adoption of clean technologies, and the integration of circular economy principles into food and energy systems. It covers vital applications in WEFE sectors such as bioprocessing, bioenergy, sustainable agriculture, biofertilizers, and decontamination, while also focusing on innovation as a driver of sustainability through supporting green startups, developing sustainable cities, promoting eco-friendly business models, and fostering social responsibility to enhance the resilience of the water, energy, food, and environment

For more information and to view the full issue, please visit the journal's page at the following website www.emerald.com/agjsr.