E-commerce evolution: a Gulf region review

E-commerce has become a priority for many corporations since it is seen as a way to overcome many obstacles of the traditional distribution channels. To date, however, and despite the fact that e-commerce is likely to have far-reaching implications for the international market, only a few studies have explored e-commerce growth in the Gulf region from an international perspective. This paper reviews and examines some of the problems that e-commerce faces through looking at internal and external factors. The review shows that there is great potential for e-commerce in the Gulf region that needs attention from different disciplines and sectors. The paper concludes with a discussion of the possible factors that may contribute to e-commerce success in the region, including but not limited to government support, trust-related issues, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure and Information Technology (IT) skills development.