Purpose – One of the most significant threats of COVID-19 in the world is the closure of universities, schools, training courses and even companies and organizations. In such a situation and with the free time that has arisen, this threat of education closure can become a golden opportunity for learning and progress in virtual education. E-learning uses information technology (IT) to distribute knowledge and information for training and education. Also, cloud computing is a technology utilized in the IT domain. It can be employed in performing e-learning. Therefore, the main goal of this study is to assess the impact of cultural characteristics, economic situations, skills and knowledge on the development and success of CELS in the COVID-19 era. Design/methodology/approach – Cloud-based e-learning system (CELS) provides all e-learning requirements like software and hardware resources to promote conventional e-learning technologies. The CELS stands on several factors of diverse aspects that have been of high significance in CELS success. So, these systems must be checked to analyze their significance rate and successfully carry out their effectiveness. On the other hand, these days, the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) changes our daily lifestyles. Therefore, the present investigation provides a new model investigating the development and success of CELS in the COVID-19 era. Also, an online questionnaire was used to gather the data. The content validity of the questionnaire was obtained by applying the opinions of ten experts from e-learning specialists. The collected data are analyzed using LISREL and Smart PLS software. Findings – The results from the path coefficient and the sample t-test have implied that skills and knowledge positively influence CELS in the COVID-19 era. In addition, the relationship between cultural characteristics and CELS in the COVID-19 era has been positive and significant. The relationship between the economic situations and the CELS in
