Abstract
The rapid spread of smart mobile technology is transforming the way how governments provide information and services to their citizens. We all are rely more on our devices, namely smartphones, laptops, or desktop to get information and a wide range of services from government websites. Such heavy usage of government websites results in an increased need for efficient and effective delivery of government services. Therefore, mobile government websites' usability and accessibility are essential dimensions that determine the quality and accessibility of mobile e-government. The main objective of this research is to analyze the accessibility and usability aspects of selected public sector websites in Saudi Arabia. This study investigates how well the Saudi mobile e-government websites comply with usability standards and accessibility guidelines recommended in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Websites assessments were conducted using manual evaluation and complemented by different automated analysis tools. This study applies a number of evaluation techniques to assess Saudi government websites accessed from desktop or mobile devices, such as an automated website testing technique, mobile-friendliness testing, and content observation technique. Various tools have been used for site evaluation, such as GTmetrix (PageSpeed Score, YSlow Score), WAVE, Google mobile-friendly test, and Dareboost for mobile websites. The study uncovers shortcomings regarding non-compliance to international web standards recommendations. The findings revealed usability and accessibility problems that affect the performance of government websites. In order to improve these websites within these aspects, several recommendations were suggested for improving the usability and accessibility of websites in Saudi Arabia that will make sure different groups of citizens are satisfied with the website features and services provided by them.
Highlights
Advancements in wireless technologies play a major role in the growing number of mobile internet subscribers worldwide
We investigate and evaluate manually the current accessibility and usability provided by the Saudi government websites, followed by complementing automated evaluation tools of the websites over desktop and mobile devices
ASSESSMENT OF USABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF SAUDI ARABIA MOBILE E-GOVERNMENT WEBSITES we investigate the status of usability and accessibility of websites at ministries and governmental agencies in Saudi Arabia
Summary
Advancements in wireless technologies play a major role in the growing number of mobile internet subscribers worldwide. The development of smartphones and associated tools created the possibility of wireless access to countless online recourses through mobile devices. This is the reason behind the increased importance of moving from e-government to mobile government; it is the driving force toward the adoption of m-government [1]. By using wireless and mobile devices, governments can provide citizens with efficient public services and share information within and between agencies. As smartphones are increasingly replacing desktop computers to become the primary internet access devices for m-government, it is important to make sure that all government mobile websites are mobile-friendly and provide easy access to citizens to find needed information and services
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