Saudi Arabia’s industrial sector thrives as 174 licenses issued in September 

Saudi Arabia’s industrial sector thrives as 174 licenses issued in September 

Saudi Arabia raising the bar with its information security approach: WEF official 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s government and private sectors are advancing in cybersecurity, with the leadership strongly emphasizing the importance of electronic information protection, according to a top official from the World Economic Forum. 

Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the Global Cybersecurity Forum, Akshay Joshi, head of the industry and partnerships at the Center for Cybersecurity at the WEF, highlighted Saudi efforts in cybersecurity and its role in the global landscape. 

“There is a well-established national cybersecurity authority. On top of that, you have leading organizations such as Saudi Aramco, SITE, NEOM and Saudi Telecommunications Co. — all of which are partnering with us,” said Joshi, who was elated to see the GCF in its third iteration.   

He added: “One aspect is to be a leader in cybersecurity and prioritize it for your own country. The second is to try and take leadership in terms of bringing other players on board this problem as well.”   

Talking about the significance of focusing on cybersecurity amid increasing online threats amid technological developments such as artificial intelligence, Joshi said that cybersecurity today is so vital that it intersects all aspects of life.

“We have seen that technologies are developing at an