The Impact of Artificial Intelligence Capabilities on E-Governance Excellence within the Saudi Ministry of Health

Abstract

This study examined the impact of Artificial Intelligence Capabilities on E-Governance Excellence within the Saudi Ministry of Health. The study was motivated by the growing importance of AI in improving public-sector performance, digital service delivery, decision-making, and healthcare governance under Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation agenda. A quantitative research design was adopted using a structured questionnaire distributed to employees involved in digital transformation, information technology, healthcare administration, and e-governance-related activities within the Ministry. A total of 384 usable responses were analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS. The analysis included normality testing, descriptive analysis, measurement model assessment, discriminant validity, coefficient of determination, and direct hypothesis testing through PLS-SEM. The findings confirmed that Artificial Intelligence Capabilities have a positive and significant impact on E-Governance Excellence. This indicates that AI-related infrastructure, employee skills, data readiness, technological resources, and organizational willingness to adopt AI contribute to better digital governance performance. The results suggest that strengthening AI capabilities can help the Saudi Ministry of Health improve service efficiency, transparency, accessibility, responsiveness, decision-making, and overall digital healthcare governance. The study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the role of AI capabilities in enhancing e-governance excellence in a Saudi public healthcare context. Practically, it highlights the need for continued investment in AI infrastructure, workforce training, data management, and organizational readiness to support effective AI-enabled governance.