A Framework for the Adoption of Agile within Software SMEs in Saudi Arabia

Agile is an established and globally adopted software development methodology for managing software projects, known for reducing time to market and costs, and improving customer satisfaction. However, in developing countries, such as those in the Middle East, Agile is still in the early stages of adoption compared to Europe and North America. This is problematic, specifically in the case of Saudi Arabia, which is increasingly looking at the software industry to diversify its economy to reduce the reliance on the oil industry. It is essential to understand the factors that influence the decision of Saudi software organisations to adopt Agile. Hence, this study aims to critically review the influential factors identified in the Agile adoption framework that may support or challenge the adoption of Agile in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Saudi Arabia. To this end, we carried out a focus group study with five software practitioners working in different Saudi software SMEs. The main findings indicate the apparent influence of all the identified factors in the developed framework except those related to process, with a high level of importance attached to culture, people and knowledge factors. This study refines the framework and helps software organisations assess their readiness for adopting Agile during the development process.