Corporate governance in Saudi Arabia

: a stakeholder perspective

Abstract

This thesis investigates corporate governance in Saudi Arabia by examining the perceptions of different stakeholder groups. The study examines the understanding of corporate governance, the current practice, the corporate governance framework and the impact of the social, cultural and economic aspects on the situation on corporate governance in Saudi Arabia. The study uses semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire survey with wide groups of stakeholders and an accountability perspective is adopted to interpret the results. The findings suggest that corporate governance in Saudi Arabia is in its early stages and is characterised by a lack of accountability, a weak legal framework and poor protection of shareholders. The influence of the social, cultural and economic factors is evident and boards of directors are dominated by major shareholders; thus good corporate governance practices have many challenges.

Date of Award	2009
Original language	English
Supervisor	Christine Helliar (Supervisor) & David Collison (Supervisor)