This thesis examines the structure, dynamics, and sustainability of Digital Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (DEEs) within the policy-driven context of Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation under Vision 2030. DEEs are distinct from traditional entrepreneurial ecosystems as they evolve in digitally mediated environments, where platforms, data flows, and governance mechanisms shape entrepreneurial activity. While scholarship on DEEs has grown, existing research remains fragmented, with limited attention to systemic interactions, interpretive practices, and non-Western contexts. Addressing these gaps, the thesis adopts an interpretivist, qualitative design structured around three interconnected papers.

The first paper develops a conceptual framework grounded in General Systems Theory (GST), reframing DEEs as complex adaptive systems characterised by feedback, interdependence, and emergent behaviour. This systems-based perspective moves beyond static, component-focused models and provides analytical principles for understanding ecosystem dynamics. The second paper extends the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) to digital entrepreneurship, drawing on twenty-one semi-structured interviews. It proposes the Multi-Level Adaptive DEE (MLA-DEE) model, which illustrates how interactions across firm-level, regional, and global domains generate tensions, adaptive strategies, and institutional realignments. The third paper constructs an empirically grounded Systemic Model of DEE Sustainability, identifying three interrelated dimensions: Core Objectives (strategic intent and financial continuity), Structural Enablers (human capital and digital trust), and Adaptive Enablers (ecosystem fluidity and sociocultural readiness).

Collectively, the three studies advance theoretical, methodological, and practical contributions. Theoretically, the thesis reconceptualises DEEs through systems thinking, contextualises the MLP within digital entrepreneurship, and develops a grounded typology of sustainability enablers. Methodologically, it demonstrates the value of interpretivist, qualitative approaches for studying complex socio-technical systems in non-Western settings. Practically, it offers diagnostic and strategic tools for policymakers, ecosystem builders, and entrepreneurs to navigate complexity, foster systemic alignment, and enable long-term resilience. Overall, the research positions DEEs as adaptive systems whose sustainability depends on coherence, feedback, and inclusive governance.