Editorial: Reflecting on MSAR’s growth and strategic direction: Pioneering sustainability and research in the Arab world

MSAR proudly enters its fourth year, having first appeared online in early 2022 as a pioneering platform dedicated to advancing research in management and sustainability within the Arab world. In this brief period, the number of submissions to the journal in 2024 has increased more than sixfold compared to our inaugural year. This significant growth underscores the expanding interest in MSAR, attracting attention not only from scholars within the region but also from a diverse international community, as evidenced by the varied institutions and countries our authors represent. The significant rise in submissions has not only prompted us to increase our targeted volume for 2025 by about 40% but has also affected the acceptance rate, which decreased to less than 30% in 2024. Despite these challenges, we remain dedicated to efficiently managing all submissions in line with the publisher’s guidelines, ensuring that each manuscript undergoes a thorough and fair review process. Building on my previous editorial in early 2024 (Elbanna, 2024), it is timely to reflect on the strategic framework I outlined for shaping MSAR’s future. This reflection will allow us to evaluate our progress and chart the path forward, ensuring that our journal continues to serve as an important resource for the academic community in the Arab World and beyond. In this editorial, I will reflect on certain aspects of the strategic framework designed to propel MSAR towards achieving its visionary goals.

In this section, we discuss various elements of the strategic framework that have been instrumental in guiding MSAR towards achieving its visionary goals. As we navigate through these reflections, we aim to assess our progress, identify areas for enhancement, and outline future directions for continued growth and impact.

It seems appropriate to start with the journal scope and coverage. We remain committed to “advancing both management and sustainability discussions that offer insights pertinent to the Arab region” (Elbanna, 2024, p. 110). Our editorial policy embraces a wide array of research methodologies, geographic regions and topics. However, it is crucial to address some prevailing confusion regarding the scope of the journal. Specifically, submissions that do not directly focus on sustainability or management, or their intersections, such as pure accounting, finance, economics or marketing topics, will not be considered for publication in MSAR. This clarification ensures that our content remains aligned with our core mission to advance discussions in management and sustainability relevant to the Arab region.

Given the increasing challenges facing Arab nations, we have urged our authors to address the practical and social implications of their research and elaborate on these aspects in both the abstract and discussion sections. This directive encourages a deeper exploration of how scholarly work can directly benefit the communities it studies. Throughout 2024, our contributors have responded positively to this direction, making it a common practice for papers published in MSAR to clearly demonstrate the practical implications of their research and its potential to assist relevant communities. This focus not only enriches academic discourse but also ensures that the research published in MSAR is purpose-driven and delivers actionable insights and real-world benefits (Elbanna and Child, 2023; Grandori and Morley, 2022). We extend our heartfelt thanks to our authors for their enthusiastic embrace of this approach.

On our ongoing efforts to enhance the role of the editorial board in achieving the vision of the journal, we have welcomed several new members who were previously rigorous reviewers for MSAR. We anticipate this trend will continue, with the intention of setting a maximum term of five years for editorial board membership to introduce fresh perspectives. Our editorial board members start to actively participate in the review process, leveraging their extensive research experience to further enhance the quality of our reviews. Throughout 2024, the average review process involved two rounds of reviews, accompanied by a new practice of providing editor’s comments on most papers to ensure the quality of our review process. While this has extended the review period, it has significantly improved the quality of the articles published. The practice was complemented by extending the timeline for major revisions to three months and minor revisions to four weeks. This increase in review time was designed to give authors ample opportunity to comprehensively address reviewers’ comments, a practice that has proven to be beneficial.

In line with this, we will be appointing several associate editors who possess expertise in sustainability, as well as in key disciplines such as marketing, accounting, economics and finance. This initiative is expected to benefit us in two significant ways. First, it will support the current editorial team in managing the growing number of submissions to the journal and ensure a robust quality review process. Second, given the interdisciplinary nature of sustainability and its connections to various disciplines, which can be challenging for a single scholar to fully grasp, the diverse backgrounds of the new associate editors will represent a valuable addition to the current editorial team. Their expertise will be instrumental in advancing the journal towards its vision.

In our commitment to supporting sustainability and research initiatives in the Arab World, we announced our first call for a special issue titled “Advancing Sustainability: Exploring Innovations and Challenges Toward a Greener Future.” ^[1] This special issue is led by three distinguished guest editors—Hany Kamel, Marwa Elnahass, and Alain Daou—who bring extensive research and sustainability expertise. Despite the submission deadline being set for February 28, 2025, we have already received over 10 submissions, indicating a strong interest in contributing to this important discourse on sustainability. This special issue emphasizes the integration of sustainability into various disciplines, spurred by urgent climate challenges highlighted in the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report and underscored by events like COP28 and the 2024 Gulf floods. It showcases research and practices in areas like renewable energy, eco-friendly industry practices, and climate change mitigation, aiming to advance sustainability in the MENA region. Through promoting interdisciplinary collaboration among academics, professionals, and stakeholders, and aligning with several UN Sustainable Development Goals, this special issue seeks to address economic impacts, social inequities and environmental challenges, fostering sustainable development and innovative solutions to achieve net-zero targets and enhance economic resilience.

As MSAR enters its fourth year, the journal has significantly expanded its scope and improved its editorial processes to better address the pressing issues of management and sustainability in the Arab world. With the addition of new editorial board members and a clear focus on impactful, purpose-driven research, we are steering towards more robust scholarly contributions. The upcoming special issue on sustainability, led by expert guest editors and already attracting numerous submissions, further exemplifies our commitment to fostering meaningful research that tackles regional and global challenges. Together, these efforts not only advance academic discourse but also ensure that our work has real-world implications, contributing positively to societal and environmental outcomes, particularly in the Arab region.