An overview of institutional repository developments in the Arabian Gulf Region

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of institutional repository (IR) developments that are taking place in the Arabian Gulf Region. Design/methodology/approach The data were mainly drawn from various sources on the internet and by e‐mail contact with the authors' acquaintances in several universities and institutions of the Arabian Gulf region. The approach takes the form of a general review of the open access and IR developments in the Arabian Gulf region. Findings The study finds that open access and IR developments are at the early stages in the Arabian Gulf region. There is an imperative need to spur the developments in these areas in order to derive utmost benefits to both researchers/stakeholders and institutions. Research limitations/implications The study covers educational institutions of higher learning and research of the Gulf Cooperation countries only, which include Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Practical implications The paper makes a few recommendations, which when implemented, will hopefully further spur the open access and IR developments in the Arabian Gulf region. Originality/value The lack of information on open access and IR in the Arabian Gulf region, plus the current interest of the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals University (KFUPM) stakeholders in establishing an IR led to the development of this study. Hopefully, this study will contribute to the already scarce literature in the area of open access and IR fields in the Arabian Gulf region.