Mobile challenges and opportunities for e-government in Saudi Arabia

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University London.This thesis analysed the challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of mobile government services in Saudi Arabia using a mixed method approach combining surveys and semi-structured interviews with Saudi citizens and employees of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. Three studies were conducted for the purpose of achieving the aims and objectives of the thesis. The first study shows that the high level of mobile penetration in the country suggests that there is already a demand of a greater range of m-government services despite the fact that still a large proportion of the Saudi population who do not have access to mobile technologies. Nevertheless, the results suggest that there is still a strong desire among users for the provision of mobile government services and the majority of respondents were willing to use such services and understand the benefits of using m-government. This thesis also shows a strong consensus among both government employees and citizens that m-government implementation would contribute to the technological development of the country. The findings of the second study suggest that the high level of mobile penetration offers an opportunity for the Saudi government to offer mobile government services. However, a number of barriers to mobile government exist, including poor quality and speed of internet, lack of customisation of services and data security and privacy issues as well as infrastructural challenges and bureaucratic attitude of the government departments. The third study focussed on the practicality of a mobile phone application, and for this purpose a mobile application for utility bills was developed and evaluated in terms of its usability, reliability and validity of the service. The thesis revealed that the majority of respondents were satisfied with the service usage, as application was easy to use without complications. However, participants were not comfortable to leave their details pertaining to credit card or any personal information. Misuse of information was major threat to participants, which further added reluctance to usage of the application. Respondents were willing to provide financial details if the service was authorised by government agencies. By exploring the opportunities of, and challenges facing m-government in Saudi Arabia, this thesis contributes to the m-government literature on developing countries in particular. This thesis offers important lessons for the m-government policy makers in Saudi Arabia and around the developing world

Mobile Government in Saudi Arabia: Challenges and Opportunities

M-government has gained increasing global attention in recent years, especially among developed countries, as a mechanism to reduce costs, increase effectiveness and improve public access to governmental services. The concept is increasingly being adopted in developing countries, however it faces different challenges and opportunities. This study explores the opportunities and challenges for the deployment of mobile government (M-government) services in Saudi Arabia. Collecting data from 77 semi-structured interviews, this study found that there are many opportunities for M-government in the country, requiring increasing awareness amongst the people about the government initiatives of mobile government services and promoting willingness to use these services. This study also highlights different barriers faced by M-government in Saudi Arabia, including issues of internet quality and speed, customization of services and data security and privacy as well as infrastructural challenges and bureaucratic attitude of government departments

Exploring the Challenges Of M‑Government Adoption in Saudi Arabia

This study explores challenges faced by m‑government services provided by the Ministry of Higher Education and Technical and Vocational Training Corporation in Saudi Arabia. By collecting data through surveys from students registered with the Mi nistry of Higher Education and Technical and Vocational Training Corporation and employees of IT and Communication Ministry in Saudi Arabia, this study shows that the high level of mobile penetration in the country offers an opportunity for Saudi Arabian government to offer mobile government services in the country. The results suggest that students find m‑government services ineffective and expensive. However, employees believe that the effective implementation of m‑government services is a feasible opti on and it would enhance the technological development in Saudi Arabia. Certain barriers to m‑government adoption were identified, including the lack of necessary infrastructure and insufficient level of understanding amongst students. There is also a lack of the customization of mobile government services and lack of access to mobile technologies

m-Government adoption in Saudi Arabia: challenges and opportunities

This study analyzed the challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of mobile government services in Saudi Arabia. By collecting data through surveys from citizens and employees in Saudi Arabia, this study shows that the high level of mobile penetration in the country offers an opportunity for Saudi Arabian government to offer mobile government services in the country. The results suggest that although a large percentage of population does not have access to mobile technologies, there is still a strong desire among users for the provision of mobile government services. The effective implementation of mobile government services would enhance the technological development in Saudi Arabia. However, there exist certain challenges. Sufficient level of understanding among the Saudi Arabian population about the benefits of mobile government services is lacking. There is lack of the customization of mobile government services and lack of access to mobile technologies would be a challenge