Electronic Commerce Adoption in the Arab Countries – An Empirical Study

This study examines the factors that affect Electronic Commerce (EC) adoption in the Arab countries. The five countries that are represented in this study include Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The purpose of this study is analyzing the crucial factors affecting EC adoption among the Arab consumers. The study examines the effect of risk perception, trust and consumer knowledge on their EC adoption. It also highlights consumer’s knowledge mediation in affecting their perception of risk and trust towards EC adoption. Upon filtration, three hundred samples were selected for data analysis in this study. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses including statistical mediation technique were carried out to analyse the data. Results reveal knowledge as the most important factor that contributes to EC adoption and it mediates consumers’ perception of risk and trust in contributing to their EC adoption. The preliminary finding of this study was presented in the International Arab Conference of E-Technology held in Amman, Jordan from 14th to 16th October 2008. This paper presents the complete study and further data analysis with extended report and discussions.