Okaz/Saudi Gazette

RIYADH – Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman will patronize the first edition of International Forum on Cyber Security in Riyadh in February 2020.

The National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) will organize the two-day event, which aims to explore new horizons for international cooperation in the field of cybersecurity, through which global initiatives are formulated, and experiences and expertise between countries are exchanged in this critical area.

The forum will highlight the efforts to enhance cybersecurity in the Kingdom under the leadership of NCA and in cooperation with all sectors, apart from achieving national capacity building and cybersecurity growth in the Kingdom. The forum will also aim at encouraging investment and innovation in cybersecurity and highlight various national efforts in this sector to contribute to the realization of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

Several senior officials and executives, representing government and private sectors from within and outside the Kingdom, in addition to a number of eminent academics, decision-makers, investors and leaders of a number of international organizations will take part in the forum.

The event will witness presentation of papers and addresses by international cybersecurity experts on a number of key themes related to confronting cyber challenges, threats and risks, as well as enhancing the level of international cooperation in this area, and explore opportunities to address those challenges. They will also explore ways to develop cybersecurity industry locally and globally, and stimulate the launch of national and international initiatives to enhance cybersecurity.

The forum comes in conjunction with the Kingdom’s taking over of the presidency of G20 Summit for 2020, and the Kingdom’s huge investment and technological projects in the light of Vision 2030.

It also comes in the backdrop of the growing significance attached to cybersecurity in the Kingdom with the government’s serious efforts to enhance its cybersecurity and access to a Saudi cyberspace that achieves the highest standards of international security and reliability, and supports the investment of the numerous economic and development opportunities offered by the rapid technological changes taking place in the present day world.

One of the fruits of these efforts was the Kingdom’s first ranking in the Arab World and 13th ranking among 175 countries in the Global Cybersecurity Index recently issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).