IMPACT OF INTERNATIONALIZATION ON THE PROCESS OF SAUDI STARTUP BUSINESS: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

摘要

This study aimed to explore the impact of internationalization on the process of Saudi startup business. Three startup companies have been selected to explore the objective of this study concerning the internationalization motives, paths and obstacles of Saudi startups. Thematic analysis has been performed by establishing themes based on the objectives of the study. The digital media & marketing, the education and the payment processing startups in this study were found to be internationally incentivized by domestic market stability, prior contractual arm-length relationships with international counterparts, competitiveness of foreign markets, existence of untapped niche international markets, vision realization and other factors. Motives, paths and obstacles based implications were discussed and avenues for future research were suggested in this study.