Designing Inclusive Mobile Government Services in the Middle East: A User Experience–Centered Framework

Mobile government (m-government) services constitute a central pillar of digital transformation strategies across the Middle East. Governments in the region have invested extensively in mobile platforms to improve public service efficiency, accessibility, and citizen engagement. Despite these efforts, adoption and sustained use of m-government services remain uneven, largely due to user experience (UX) challenges. This paper presents a comprehensive investigation of UX issues affecting mobile government services in the Middle Eastern context. Drawing on an extensive review of academic literature, regional digital government reports, and empirical UX studies, the paper identifies key usability, accessibility, linguistic, cultural, and trust-related barriers. Based on these findings, a contextualized UX framework is proposed to guide the design of inclusive, usable, and culturally responsive m-government services. The study contributes to both theory and practice by extending UX discourse into non-Western public sector contexts and offering actionable guidance for policymakers and designers.