Success and failure of IT projects: a study in Saudi Arabia

Abstract: This study investigates the reasons for the success and failure of IT projects in Saudi Arabia. Three hundred and eight project managers who have managed various IT projects in Saudi Arabia responded to an online structured questionnaire. Also a semi structured interviews were conducted with eight project managers. Project managers were from various nationalities and worked either in public or private sectors in Saudi Arabia. Common reasons for failure of IT projects in Saudi Arabia were identified, with characterizing organizational culture and conflict of interest and the instability and lack of clarity of the set of requirements as the most important causes for failure. In addition, Critical Success Factors (CSFs) that should increase the project success were also enumerated based on the questionnaire responses and the interviews. Clear statement of requirements and the project manager leadership and soft skills were seen as the most important CSF that enhances the chances of project success