The International Arab Journal of Information Technology, Vol. 6, No. 1, January 2009 7 A Delphi Study on Issues for Successful Information Technology Transfer in the Arab World Khalid Al-Mabrouk and Jeffrey Soar Faculty of Business, University of Southern Queensland, Australia Abstract: Adoption of enabling technology is one beneficial and significant way countries can improve their developmental progress and achieve higher living standards. Many complex issues are involved in the consideration of information technology transfer. Some of those issues are not completely defined and studied, or cannot be precisely measured. Thus, a Delphi study was conducted in this research to investigate, identify and prioritise major issues for successful information technology transfer in developing countries from the perceptions of stakeholder groups in the Arab World. Responses were elicited from information technology academics, information technology practitioners, government officials and information technology suppliers. Valid questionnaires were returned from 73 respondents in the first round survey, providing a net response rate of 61% and yielded 410 perceived issues. Through two rounds of the Delphi survey, these issues have been synthesised and categorised into 10 major issue categories with 71 sub-issues. This study aims to assist in understanding the major issues surrounding information technology transfer success in the Arab World and to better realise the benefits of information technology transfer. Keywords: Information technology transfer, major issues, Delphi study, Arab world. Received January 23, 2007; accepted June 16, 2007 1. Introduction The technology transfer concept has been one of the complicated issues for developing countries during the last four decades. Developing countries such as those in the Arab World are at quite heterogeneous stages of industrial development and tend to differ according to their situations and the dynamics of their strategic pathways of development. Technology is important as it supports and sustains socio-economic growth, human needs and national development. More specifically, technology is believed to be one of the major forces promoting socio-economic growth; therefore, an efficient technology transfer system is expected to lead to an optimum use of resources [13, 30]. Technology transfer has long been identified as a key issue within the development process. However, the history of technology transfer has not been one of unqualified success. Many failures have occurred for reasons that have not always been clear [3, 5]. Information Technology (IT) is becoming an increasingly significant component of projects undertaken by international development organisations [18]. It provides a means by which countries progress and succeed in international economic, political, social, cultural and educational domains. IT is beneficial in improving productivity, efficiency and administration and in maximising usage of limited resources. Therefore, IT transfer seeks to promote economic growth, competitiveness, equitable distribution of goods and services, access to global markets, and support business processes, as well as narrowing the gap between developed and developing countries. Many complex issues are involved in the consideration of IT transfer. Some of those issues are not completely defined and studied, or cannot be precisely measured. In general, there has been relatively limited research conducted on IT transfer to the Arab World [1]. Arab World countries need to recognise the key issues for successful IT transfer process. Some of these might be the same issues which must be addressed for an organisation to succeed in achieving its goals and objectives [3]. Additionally, issues which affect IT transfer critically impact on an organisation’s current operating activities and its future success [28]. Consequently, this study seeks to fill the gap in the Arab World literature related to successful IT transfer studies. This study contributes to the area of technology transfer in three particular ways. First, it examines IT transfer process from the stakeholders’ point of view and highlights the importance of identifying those stakeholders who identify the issues associated with IT transfer process. In contrast, past IT key issues studies have not been very detailed in addressing to whom the issue is related. Second, the study applies a new methodological approach towards understanding the IT transfer process. The Delphi method has not been used