The Legal Impetus for Entrepreneurship in the Saudi E-commerce Market: A Legal Examination of Enacted Changes in the Saudi Legal System

Abstract

This dissertation conducts a legal analysis of short-term legal-regulatory changes in the Saudi legal system between 2016 and 2022, exploring their assumed impact on the decision-making process of Saudi entrepreneurs adopting e-commerce technology and launching startups in the Saudi e-commerce market. These changes are categorized into three types: fundamental, procedural, and substantive changes. Utilizing the normative legal research method and considering the concept of the direct legal cost of doing business, the analysis reveals a consistent removal of identified legal barriers to entrepreneurial adoption of e-commerce technology. The implemented legal-regulatory changes are anticipated to significantly enhance the quality of the Saudi legal system, foster entrepreneurship in the Saudi e-commerce market, and contribute to the development of the Saudi digital economy in alignment with the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030. However, the findings of the legal analysis regarding the assumed impact of legal-regulatory changes in motivating entrepreneurial growth in the Saudi e-commerce market are limited due to a set of certain challenges. These challenges are transformed into integrated recommendations to guide Saudi decision-makers, including lawmakers, in enhancing the entrepreneurship environment in the Saudi e-commerce market and creating a conducive atmosphere that motivates Saudi entrepreneurs to enter the e-commerce market.