Internet Financial Reporting Practices in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This paper examines the firm characteristic and corporate governance determinants of Internet Financial Reporting (IFR) practices in Saudi Arabia to help address the paucity of research for MENA region firms. The paper employs manual content and regression analyses of online annual report data for Saudi listed firms for the year 2018 using 28 IFR disclosure items. The results show that Saudi firm IFR has increased over time compared to previous studies to an average of 85% disclosure as a result of IFRS implementation and new corporate governance regulations. Firm size is a positive determinant of IFR disclosure, firm age and ownership concentration are negative drivers. Further, the extent of IFR disclosure varies by industry type, while profitability, liquidity, leverage, board size, board independence and role duality have no impact on IFR disclosure. Employing agency and signalling theories, the paper determines the influence of firm characteristics and corporate governance on IFR, identifying implications for stakeholders, and providing some evidence on the impact of IFRSs and corporate governance regulation on such disclosure. Further, the paper provides additional insight into progress towards Saudi’s Vision 2030.