Exploring Mobile Computing Trends in Saudi Arabia: An Initial Investigation of M-Government and M- Business

The main purpose of this research was to gain an understanding of the adoption behavior of mobile computing in Saudi Arabia. In particular, it aimed to acquire new insight into mobile computing trends in Saudi Arabia, in order to develop hypotheses and formulate precise criteria for mobile computing evaluation. In order to achieve these aims, a focus group was created through the recruiting of eight participants with solid background knowledge of usability engineering and mobile computing. The focus group proposed a four-phase process: determination, qualification, categorization and evaluation of the mobile computing applications developed by Saudi organizations. During the determination phase, a total of two hundred and twenty seven (n=227) mobile applications, developed by organizations in Saudi Arabia, were determined. During the qualification phase, one hundred and forty two (n=142) mobile applications were qualified. During the categorization phase, only the qualified applications were categorized by the experts into a two-level categorization hierarchy. Finally, in the evaluation phase, the qualified applications were evaluated in terms of purpose, platform, visual appearance, content, organization and usability. The results herein revealed that 43% of the mobile applications in Saudi Arabia were M-Government applications, while 57% were M-Business applications. In addition, the study proposed a sample of thirty six (n=36) applications, representative of the population of mobile applications in Saudi Arabia, to have statistical significance. Keywords– mobile computing; Saudi Arabia; exploratory; mobile business; mobile government