Saudi Arabia, UN launch global initiative to boost cybersecurity capacity

Dubai: Saudi Arabia and the United Nations on Wednesday unveiled a sweeping initiative to build cybersecurity capacity worldwide, seeking to narrow a critical shortage of trained professionals at a moment when digital threats are escalating.

Announced at the Global Cybersecurity Forum’s 2025 annual meeting in Riyadh, the plan will deliver expert-led training, cyber drills, policy development support, and collaborative research to strengthen the skills of practitioners ranging from policymakers to law enforcement officers and cyber diplomats.

The launch adds to the Kingdom’s expanding cyber diplomacy portfolio, including initiatives on child protection and women’s empowerment in cyberspace introduced under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The effort comes amid a shortfall of 2.8 million cybersecurity workers globally and reports from 43 per cent of information security executives that their organisations face major skills gaps, according to the forum’s 2024 Cybersecurity Workforce Report.

Saudi National Cybersecurity Authority, the Saudi Information Technology Company, and the forum itself will lead the rollout, in partnership with UN agencies including UNDP, UNODC, UNODA, UNICRI, UNIDIR, and the ITU, alongside INTERPOL and other global partners.

“This multistakeholder initiative will complement efforts across borders to build the skills and resilience needed for a safer Cyberspace for all,” said Majed Al Mazyed, Governor of the National Cybersecurity Authority.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the partnership, calling global cooperation essential to ensure digital technologies serve the common good. “We must act together by investing in people, building skills, and fostering inclusion,” he said.