Evaluating Citizen Satisfaction with Saudi Arabia's E-Government Services: A Standards-Based, Theory-Informed Approach

TL;DR

This study assesses citizen satisfaction with Saudi Arabia's e-government services using a standards-based, theory-informed framework, revealing high usability and trust but highlighting areas for improvement in engagement and responsiveness.

Contribution

It introduces an integrated approach combining ISO standards and UTAUT to evaluate e-government satisfaction, providing new insights into citizen perceptions and behavioral factors.

Findings

High satisfaction with usability and trust.

Challenges in service clarity and responsiveness.

Limited emotional engagement among users.

Abstract

As digital government platforms become central to public service delivery, understanding citizen assessment is crucial for enhancing usability, trust, and inclusivity. This study investigates citizen satisfaction with the e-government services in Saudi Arabia through a quality-in-use framework based on ISO/IEC 25010 and ISO/IEC 25022 standards, interpreted through the lens of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). A structured questionnaire was administered to 500 citizens, yielding 276 valid responses. Satisfaction was evaluated across four dimensions: overall satisfaction, feature satisfaction, trust, and emotional engagement (pleasure). The findings demonstrate consistently high levels of satisfaction regarding usability and trust, aligning with Saudi Arabia's top-tier global ranking in e-government development. However, the results also highlight persistent challenges related to service clarity and system responsiveness. Emotional engagement was limited, indicating that users perceive these services primarily as functional tools rather than as engaging digital experiences. The study offers valuable insights for policymakers and contributes to the theoretical integration of standards-based and behavioral adoption models in the context of citizenship.