About the Journal

Afaaq Research for Urban Studies (ARUS) seeks to become a leading reference in its field through the following objectives:

  1. Publishing High-Quality Scientific Research
    ARUS publishes original research articles, review papers, technical notes, and case studies that advance theory, methods, and practice in the built environment and geospatial sciences. The journal encourages work that demonstrates clear methodological rigor, solid data foundations, and practical implications for planning and policy.

  2. Promoting Interdisciplinary Dialogue
    The journal serves as a forum for urban planners, architects, engineers, geographers, geomatics experts, data scientists, and policy makers to exchange ideas and foster interdisciplinary collaboration. It welcomes studies that integrate spatial analytics with social, economic, environmental, and technological dimensions.

  3. Localizing and Transferring Global Knowledge
    ARUS aims to connect global geospatial and built-environment innovations with national and regional priorities, especially in the MENA region and global sustainable urbanism. Comparative and applied research that adapts global methods to local conditions is particularly encouraged.

  4. Supporting Evidence-Based Policy and Practice
    By publishing policy-relevant analyses, evaluation frameworks, and decision-support tools, ARUS contributes to evidence-based planning, infrastructure investment, and urban governance at municipal, regional, and national scales.

Publication Frequency:

  • The journal is planned to be issued biannually.
  • The Editorial Board may introduce special issues on key themes (e.g., smart cities, climate resilience, GeoAI, coastal cities) as the journal develops.

Peer-Review Process:

  • All submissions undergo double-blind peer review.
  • At least two expert reviewers evaluate each manuscript for:
    • Originality and relevance
    • Scientific and methodological quality
    • Clarity of analysis and presentation
    • Contribution to knowledge and practice

The Editorial Board may reject submissions that do not meet the journal’s standards before external review (desk rejection).

Open Access Policy:
All articles published in Afaaq Research for Urban Studies are freely available online without charge to readers or their institutions. The journal supports the principle that freely accessible research fosters greater global knowledge exchange.

Copyright Notice:
Authors retain full copyright of their work and grant the journal a license to publish under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. This permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Sponsorship & Publication Ethics:
Afaaq Research for Urban Studies is published independently by Afaaq Research & Studies, with no external sponsorship or publication fees at this stage. The journal adheres to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines.

Archiving and Indexing:
The journal participates in the LOCKSS and CLOCKSS archiving systems to ensure the long-term preservation and accessibility of all published content.

Privacy Statement:
The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of the journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.