An Investigation into Saudi Online Shoppers´ Behaviour Abroad

The investigation reported in this paper is part of a large study comparing the online behaviour of Saudis living in Saudi Arabia and those living in the UK. The study attempts to answer a more general question on whether the environment plays an important role and affects the behavior of online shoppers. The environment here has a wider coverage and includes both technological and social aspects. This paper deals only with the research conducted in the UK and attempts to understand the behaviour and perception of Business to Customer E-Commerce among Saudis living in the UK. This study attempts to evaluate the impact of the environmental change on the online shopping behaviour. Quantitative data was collected from 169 Saudi participants who live in the UK. The key factors tested were: Internet usage, satisfaction on using the Internet, security and payment, integrity, and affiliation and reputation of online merchants. The findings show that there is a high number of Saudi citizens living in the UK that are engaged with E-Commerce and are consistently buying online. These early findings suggest that the environment plays a role in changing the shopping habits of online shoppers.