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This paper presents findings from a study of factors affecting the rate of diffusion and adoption of online retailing in Saudi Arabia. In general, Saudi retailers have not responded actively to the global growth of online retailing. Accordingly, this research was conducted to find the key factors involved in this phenomenon. A major finding presented here, is that both buyers and sellers emphasize the need for government involvement to support and promote development of online commerce. Particularly, it indicates the need for strategic government initiatives to provide regulation, legislation, education, and trusted infrastructure for secure payment and delivery. Saudi Arabia presents a unique cultural, technological and political context for the development of e-commerce. We highlight the particular motivators and potential benefits of Saudi government involvement in e-commerce development. A new model for formulating roles and strategic government initiatives to support the successful diffusion of online retailing in KSA is presented and discussed. This will be of interest to any following the development of e-commerce and the information economy in the Arab nations.

Item Type:	Refereed Conference Paper
Keywords:	online retail, Saudi Arabia, e-commerce development, government roles
Research Division:	Language, Communication and Culture
Research Group:	Communication and media studies
Research Field:	Communication technology and digital media studies
Objective Division:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Group:	Expanding knowledge
Objective Field:	Expanding knowledge in the information and computing sciences
UTAS Author:	Drew, S (Dr Steve Drew)
ID Code:	112112
Year Published:	2011
Deposited By:	Curriculum and Academic Development
Deposited On:	2016-10-27
Last Modified:	2018-03-15
Downloads:	0