Saudi Arabia retains top spot in global cybersecurity rankings for 2025
The cybersecurity indicator ranking reflects what officials describe as continued support from the country's leadership, including King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Officials added the leadership's national digital transformation strategy has helped propel the Kingdom to the forefront of international benchmarks.
They also said the Kingdom's achievements in cybersecurity stem from a comprehensive, long-term strategy that balances national security with economic and technological development.
Saudi Arabia was also designated a Tier 1 'role-modeling' nation in the Global Cybersecurity Index 2024 published by the UN's International Telecommunication Union, further underlining its international standing.
Central to this model is the National Cybersecurity Authority, the country's primary body for overseeing cybersecurity affairs, and the Saudi Information Technology Company, which serves as its technical and strategic partner.
Together, these institutions have helped strengthen national cyber defenses, localize key technologies, and expand collaboration both domestically and internationally.
The NCA, which acts as the national reference point for all matters relating to cybersecurity, is tasked with enhancing the Kingdom's digital resilience by safeguarding critical infrastructure, key sectors, and government services.
It is also responsible for setting policies, frameworks, and standards while encouraging innovation, investment, and growth within the Kingdom's cybersecurity sector.
These initiatives form part of Saudi Arabia's wider efforts to build a secure and trusted digital environment that supports economic growth and global cooperation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Trump sets 50 percent US tariffs on copper, Brazilian imports starting in August
US President Donald Trump launched his global tariff assault into overdrive on Wednesday, announcing a new 50 percent tariff on US copper imports and a 50 percent duty on goods from Brazil, both to start on August 1. 'I am announcing a 50 percent TARIFF on Copper, effective August 1, 2025, after receiving a robust NATIONAL SECURITY ASSESSMENT,' Trump said in a post on his Truth Social media platform, referring to a 'Section 232' national security trade investigation into the red metal that has been underway. The announcement came hours after he also informed Brazil that its 'reciprocal' tariff on August 1 would rise to 50 percent from 10 percent — a shockingly high level for a country with a balanced US trade relationship. Trump first broached the copper tariff during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, setting off a scramble by companies to import as much copper as possible from Chile and other major suppliers. He blamed the decline of the US copper industry on past administrations, saying copper was needed for semiconductors, aircraft, electric vehicle batteries, and military hardware. 'America will, once again, build a DOMINANT Copper Industry,' Trump wrote. Trump's Brazil tariff order came in a letter to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva that vented anger over what he called the 'Witch Hunt' trial of Lula's right-wing predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, adding to an increasingly bitter public feud with Lula. Trump also criticized what he said were Brazil's attacks on free elections, Americans' free speech, and 'SECRET and UNLAWFUL Censorship Orders to US Social Media platforms.' He ordered the US Trade Representative's office to launch a new 'Section 301' unfair trade practices investigation that could add even more tariffs, citing 'Brazil's continued attacks on the Digital Trade Activities of American companies.' Lula responded to Trump's letter by issuing a statement saying that any unilateral measure to increase tariffs would be met with a response in accordance with Brazilian law. Brad Setser, a former US trade official now with the Council on Foreign Relations, said Trump's action could easily spiral into a damaging trade war between the two democracies. 'This shows the danger of having tariffs that are under the unilateral control of one man,' Setser said. 'It's tied to the fact that Lula beat Trump's friend Bolsonaro in the election.' Brazil is the 15th largest US trading partner, with total two-way trade of $92 billion in 2024, and a rare $7.4 billion US trade surplus, according to US Census Bureau data. Top US exports to Brazil are commercial aircraft, petroleum products and crude oil, coal, and semiconductors, while Brazil's top exports to the US are crude oil, coffee, semi-finished steel, and pig iron. The South American country has held off on implementing a digital services tax but has sought to advance legislation with stronger competition regulations on digital platforms. Trump earlier on his Truth Social media platform issued August 1 tariff notices to seven minor trading partners that exported only $15 billion in goods to the US last year: a 20 percent tariff on goods from the Philippines, 30 percent on goods from Sri Lanka, Algeria, Iraq, and Libya, and 25 percent on Brunei and Moldova. The latest letters add to 14 others issued earlier in the week, including 25 percent tariffs for powerhouse US suppliers South Korea and Japan, which are also to take effect August 1 barring any trade deals reached before then. They were issued a day after Trump said he was broadening his trade war by imposing a 50 percent tariff on imported copper and would soon introduce long-threatened levies on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. Trump's rapid-fire tariff moves have cast a shadow over the global economic outlook, paralyzing business decision-making. As more tariff drama unfolded in Washington, US and European Union negotiators pushed closer to a trade deal to ease Trump's tariffs on the biggest bilateral US trading partner bloc. Trump said he would 'probably' tell the EU within two days what rate it could expect for its exports to the US, adding that the 27-nation bloc had become much more cooperative. EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said good progress had been made on a framework trade agreement and a deal may even be possible within days. Sefcovic told EU lawmakers he hoped that EU negotiators could finalize their work soon, with additional time now from the extension of a US deadline to August 1 from July 9. 'I hope to reach a satisfactory conclusion, potentially even in the coming days,' Sefcovic said. However, Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti had earlier warned that talks between the two sides were 'very complicated' and could continue right up to the deadline. EU officials and auto industry sources said that US and EU negotiators were discussing a range of potential measures aimed at protecting the European Union's auto industry, including tariff cuts, import quotas, and credits against the value of EU automakers' US exports. Equity markets shrugged off the Republican president's latest tariff salvo on Wednesday, while the yen remained on the back foot after the levies imposed on Japan. Following Trump's announcement of higher tariffs for imports from the 14 countries, US research group Yale Budget Lab estimated consumers face an effective US tariff rate of 17.6 percent, up from 15.8 percent previously and the highest in nine decades. Trump's administration has been touting those tariffs as a significant revenue source. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington has taken in about $100 billion so far and could collect $300 billion by the end of the year. The United States has taken in about $80 billion annually in tariff revenue in recent years. The Trump administration promised '90 deals in 90 days' after he unveiled an array of country-specific duties in early April. So far, only two agreements have been reached, with Britain and Vietnam. Trump has said a deal with India was close.
Arab News
8 hours ago
- Arab News
Yemen crisis ‘deeply volatile and unpredictable,' UN special envoy tells Security Council
NEW YORK CITY: The UN Security Council convened on Wednesday for a briefing on the escalating conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen, amid growing concerns about regional instability and the resumption of Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The UN's special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, described the present period as 'deeply volatile and unpredictable,' while noting that there were some fragile hopes for a deescalation following the recent ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel. However, he cautioned that the Houthis continue to launch missile attacks against Israel, and recently targeted two commercial vessels in the Red Sea, resulting in civilian casualties and potential environmental damage. They were the first such assaults on international shipping in more than seven months. 'These attacks threaten freedom of navigation and risk dragging Yemen further into regional crises,' Grundberg warned, as he underscored the imperative need to safeguard civilian infrastructure and maintain stability in the country. He emphasized that while the front lines in the Yemen conflict have largely held, military activity persists across several governorates, with troop movements suggesting an appetite for escalation among some factions. Grundberg urged all parties involved in the conflict to demonstrate a genuine commitment to peace, including the release of all conflict-related detainees, a process that has been stalled for more than a year. He also highlighted the dire economic situation in the country, describing it as the 'most active front line' of the conflict, with currency devaluation and worsening food insecurity pushing millions toward famine. In a call for practical cooperation, Grundberg praised recent developments such as the reopening of Al-Dhalea Road, which he said has eased movement and improved economic activity. He urged both sides to build on such progress to restore salaries, services and oil production. The UN's under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Tom Fletcher, briefed council members on the accelerating food-security crisis in the country. 'More than 17 million people are going hungry in Yemen, with numbers expected to rise to over 18 million by September,' he said, highlighting the threat to more than a million malnourished children under the age of 5. Despite funding shortfalls, Fletcher said progress had been made in controlling cholera outbreaks and scaling up nutritional treatments, with more than 650,000 children receiving life-saving aid. He also cited local-level agreements in Taiz governorate for the joint management of water supplies, and the reopening of a key road between Aden and Sanaa that is facilitating civilian and commercial transport for the first time in seven years. However, he stressed the urgent need for increased funding of relief efforts, and called for the immediate release of detained UN workers and employees of nongovernmental organizations, echoing Grundberg's demands. The US Ambassador to the UN, Dorothy Shea, condemned the recent Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, including the sinking of the cargo vessel Magic Seas, describing them as 'destabilizing' and a violation of freedom of navigation. She urged the Security Council to renew calls for transparency regarding Houthi attacks on commercial vessels, and reaffirmed the US position in support of Israel's right to self-defense against Houthi missile and drone attacks. She also condemned the continuing detention by the Houthis of UN and NGO workers and called for their immediate, unconditional release. 'The United States remains committed to depriving the Houthis of resources that sustain their terrorist actions,' she said, stressing that any assistance provided to the Houthis constituted a violation of US law as a result of the group's designation by Washington as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. In addition, Shea called for the termination of the UN Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement, which she described as outdated and ineffective. Established following the 2018 Stockholm Agreement between the Yemeni government and the Houthis, the role of the mission has been to monitor the ceasefire agreement in the port city of Hodeidah (the UN uses an alternative spelling of the city's name), oversee the redeployment of forces, monitor ports to ensure they are used for civilian purposes, and facilitate coordination between stakeholders in Yemen, including UN agencies.
Arab News
8 hours ago
- Arab News
Program to boost youth, SME role in Saudi economy
RIYADH: The Small and Medium Enterprises Loan Guarantee Program, known as Kafalah, in collaboration with the Riyadh Chamber, will hold interactive sessions on July 15 to mark World Youth Skills Day. The initiative aims to raise awareness and develop entrepreneurial skills among youth, entrepreneurs and SMEs, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday. The sessions will cover key topics to boost youth contributions to national economic development, in line with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 reform plan. Focus areas include access to finance, building administrative and financial capabilities, enhancing SME sustainability, and turning ideas into viable projects. These sessions highlight the collaboration between entities supporting the SME sector in the Kingdom, the SPA added. The Kafalah program and Riyadh Chamber aim to foster youth growth and strengthen their role in the national economy. Kafalah supports micro, small and medium enterprises by providing financial guarantees, improving their access to financing and reducing lending risks for banks.
