The train of change that is storming through the Kingdom is so powerful and so fast that there is no way to stop or alter its course and the average citizen and resident should embrace it and hop on! Among the positive changes that we have witnessed in the past two years is the introduction of electronic banking, commerce and government. In less than 15 minutes and while sitting at your home computer sipping coffee and listening to your favorite soothing nasheed, you can pay your mobile phone and electricity bills, make airlines reservations and purchase your tickets, pay any traffic violation charges and take care of Saudi passport or residency transactions. Not only do you save time but you spare yourself the nerve-wracking drive through the Kingdom's congested streets and avoid the long lines that quickly form in government buildings. Proponents of this new high-tech movement mention another advantage: E-government is eco-friendly because it reduces the usage of paper which helps save trees. Electronic government may not have yet reached a top notch level in the Kingdom but it is making progress and has impressively advanced in recent years. The e-government project aims to link all government agencies with each other, as well as with citizens, via the Internet, in order to facilitate government services. Some governmental institutes have already moved their transactions to the Internet. In the 2012 E-Government Survey report recently released by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Saudi Arabia has been ranked 41st out of 193 countries relating to the level of its e-government infrastructure development. Saudi Arabia advanced 17 positions from its rank of 58th in the previous report in the year 2010. The report is released every two years and it evaluates countries based on online services available, telecommunications infrastructure and human capital. Due to Saudi Arabia's large jump from 58 to 41, it is now among the top 25 emerging e-government leaders. The top five countries in the 2012 e-government development index are South Korea, the Netherlands, the UK, Denmark and the US. The Saudi e-government portal, www.saudi.gov.sa, provides both citizens and businesses with a single location to access a range of information and services. Among the various services offered are the ability to apply for professional licenses; download government forms; renew work licenses; apply for education programs; pay utilities, education and business fees; and submit comments and queries to government agencies. Many view electronic government not as a luxury of living in a developed country, but as a pressing necessity. “Routine governmental procedures that used to require a number of trips back and forth, and drained hours of time can now be taken care of in a matter of minutes. Electronic government saves both the resident and the government employee time and exertion, and decreases the stress level involved to finalize such transactions. Those who have full-time jobs can now easily take care of many governmental transactions from their office at work,” said Khalid Al-Ghamdi. “The citizen's time should be valued and respected, and the new system of online governmental services accomplishes that. The scope of the electronic government should expand in the near future as it will mitigate the suffering that we have been enduring to carry out simple governmental transactions,” commented Hamdan Al-Sahaimi. Some obstacles may stand in the way before successfully implementing e-services in all branches of the government but optimists are confident that they can and will be overcome. In Fahad Al-Harby's research for his Master's of Science dissertation, he reported, “The major challenges and barriers that may delay the development of e-commerce and e-government in Saudi Arabia include: Lagging of telecommunications technology, lack of appropriate legislation and regulation, scarcity of highly qualified IT staff to operate the governmental services, and absence of internet access in some homes especially in the Kingdom's remote regions. Some members of Saudi society may be slow to welcome electronic government due to security and privacy reservations, cost of internet access, resistance to technological change, English language problems and lack of computer skills among the general public.” Much work will be needed to improve infrastructure and technical support in the Kingdom to attain electronic government. Widespread internet accessibility is a main requirement. Half of the participants in Al-Harby's survey responded that they have low internet access or no access at all from their homes. Regarding the information technology skills of his sample, 66% of the participants assessed themselves as being well skilled in information technology and computer usage. Khalid Al-Abdulkarim from the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce said, “Electronic government will circumvent much of the bureaucracy and endless paper work in carrying out necessary transactions, which is too time-consuming on the individual and the government offices. We need more investment in the information and communications technology infrastructure especially in the small towns and rural areas outside the larger cities of the Kingdom, so that electronic government can encompass all areas and be accessible to all citizens and residents.” Focusing on education and training will play an important role in establishing and maintaining electronic government services. “Unless businesses, customers, and all segments of society are educated about the opportunities and benefits offered by e-commerce and e-government services, they will not be launched. The e-commerce and e-government implementation and development process in Saudi Arabia should have two main factors present in order to accomplish a satisfactory usage level: Free and fast internet access and more security regarding the confidentiality of transactions and web sites,” said Al-Harby. Recommendations from specialists in the field include: Education and training in efficient use of new technologies. Educating teachers and increasing internet access and computers in schools. Enhancing information technology training programs at universities and technical colleges. The government should encourage demand for digital information exchange by providing information and services online. __
