Latest news with #SalmanFaqeeh
Arab News
2 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Driving KSA's digital future: Cisco's Saudi chief talks AI, cybersecurity and local talent development
On the sidelines of Cisco Connect KSA, Salman Faqeeh, managing director of Cisco Saudi Arabia, discussed how the global technology leader is helping to accelerate the Kingdom's digital transformation and build a future-ready economy. With nearly three decades of presence in Saudi Arabia, Cisco's story is closely intertwined with the country's ambitions under Vision 2030. Powering the AI revolution in Saudi Arabia As Saudi Arabia doubles down on its efforts to lead the AI revolution, Cisco is working hand-in-hand with government and enterprise partners to build the infrastructure of the future. Faqeeh highlighted Cisco's groundbreaking initiative with HUMAIN, Saudi Arabia's homegrown AI enterprise, to build one of the world's most open and scalable AI infrastructures. 'Saudi Arabia is laying the foundation for a globally competitive AI ecosystem,' Faqeeh said. 'With local data centers already operational for security cloud services and the Webex platform, and plans underway to bring the Meraki cloud to the Kingdom, Cisco is committed to enabling businesses to scale confidently in a cloud-first, AI-driven world.' Upskilling the next generation Beyond technology, Cisco is investing heavily in Saudi talent. Faqeeh announced the company's plans to launch the Cisco AI Institute at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, a center dedicated to driving AI innovation and preparing the next generation of Saudi talent. Cisco is also scaling its efforts through digital upskilling, pledging free training for 500,000 learners over the next five years in critical areas such as AI, cybersecurity, and data science. This builds on the success of Cisco's Networking Academy, which has already trained over 401,000 learners in the Kingdom — 36 percent of whom are women. 'Our goal is to prepare Saudi talent to thrive in an AI-powered world,' Faqeeh said. 'Partnerships with institutions like King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology are also helping expand the pool of Cisco Certified Internetwork Experts, ensuring the Kingdom has the skilled workforce it needs to manage complex networks that support the AI future.' Driving local manufacturing Cisco is also laying the groundwork for local manufacturing operations in Saudi Arabia, starting with wireless technologies. According to Faqeeh, this effort will evolve in response to market demand, supporting the Kingdom's goal of building a sustainable and diversified economy. A rapidly advancing digital landscape Reflecting on the pace of digital transformation, Faqeeh praised Saudi Arabia's vision and execution. Over the past six years, the government has invested more than $24.8 billion in digital infrastructure. Internet penetration has reached 99 percent, with mobile Internet speeds surpassing 215 Mbps. The Kingdom now ranks first regionally and fourth globally for government digital services. 'Saudi Arabia is no longer just a consumer of technology; it's becoming a global leader,' Faqeeh said. 'We see immense opportunities for Cisco to contribute, especially in building AI-ready data centers, driving digital resilience, and developing future-proof workplaces.' Strengthening cybersecurity in the age of AI With the Kingdom accelerating its adoption of emerging technologies, cybersecurity has become a top priority. Cisco's recent Cybersecurity Readiness Index shows that 91 percent of Saudi organizations experienced AI-related cyber incidents last year, yet an impressive 93 percent of organizations already leverage AI in strengthening security strategies. 'Cybercriminals are using AI to automate and scale their attacks. Organizations can no longer rely solely on human-scale defenses,' Faqeeh explained. 'Cisco is embedding AI across its security portfolio to help SecOps teams assist, automate, and augment their capabilities.' Cisco's AI Defense solution protects both the development and use of AI applications, safeguarding enterprises against misuse, data leakage, and sophisticated cyberthreats. Also Cisco's cloud security data center in Saudi Arabia powers cloud-based security services such as Secure Service Edge, Cisco Secure Access, and Umbrella DNS, providing local organizations with flexible, AI-powered protection. Preparing for the future of industry transformation Looking ahead, Faqeeh highlighted several critical trends shaping Saudi Arabia's industries. AI is transforming sectors from healthcare to finance, with organizations deploying secure, scalable infrastructures to harness practical AI use cases — such as predictive maintenance and automated onboarding. The next leap, he said, will be agentic AI: autonomous AI tools capable of learning and acting independently. Supporting this evolution will require ultra-fast, low-latency, energy-efficient networks, as well as integrated security at every layer. 'We are on the verge of an AI-powered future that is difficult to fully comprehend today,' Faqeeh said. 'The infrastructure we build now — whether in networking, compute, or cybersecurity — will determine how far we can go.' Vision 2030: A blueprint for the digital economy Saudi Arabia's transformation is already bearing fruit. The digital economy contributes 15 percent to the GDP, equivalent to SR495 billion ($132 billion). The ICT market surpassed SR180 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $43.5 billion by 2027. The AI sector alone is expected to add $135 billion to the Saudi economy by 2030, accounting for 12 percent of the GDP. 'Vision 2030 isn't just a set of goals — it's a blueprint for building a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy,' Faqeeh added. 'At Cisco, we are proud to partner with Saudi Arabia on this journey, helping turn bold ambitions into reality.'
Zawya
06-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Major industry's shift: Infrastructure is critical for the AI era as KSA advances Vision 2030
Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Ahead of its flagship event in Riyadh 'Cisco Connect – CXO Edition', Cisco has revealed key local findings from its global networking study, highlighting how AI and modernized networks are driving fundamental changes in enterprise infrastructure. As AI assistants, agents, and data-driven workloads reshape how work gets done, they're creating faster, more dynamic, more latency-sensitive, and more complex network traffic. The rise of connected devices, 24/7 uptime demands, and growing security threats are pushing infrastructure to adapt and evolve. IT leaders are rethinking networks—what they do, how they enable growth, and how they protect businesses. The network they build today will decide the business they become tomorrow. Salman Faqeeh, the Managing Director of Cisco in Saudi Arabia, commented: "Our research highlights a critical shift in network architecture that aligns with Saudi Arabia's focus on innovation. The AI era relies on ultra-fast, low-latency, and highly secure networks, and KSA is leading the way by building the AI infrastructure of the future. At Cisco, we are proud to partner with Saudi Arabia to develop networks that will drive the Kingdom's ambitious Vision 2030 goals." Key Insights: The Future of Networking in Saudi Arabia The network has become a strategic priority: all participants say a modernized network is critical to rolling out AI, IoT, and cloud. 94% of IT leaders plan to increase the share of their overall IT budget allocated to networking. Secure networking is mission critical: 98% say secure networking is important to their operations and growth; 65% say it's critical. 97% believe an improved network will enhance their cybersecurity posture. AI intensifies demand for resilient networks: 97% say a resilient network is critical, at a time when 73% faced major outages in the past two years – driven largely by congestion, cyberattacks, and misconfigurations. Leaders look to AI to grow revenue: 52% say a modernized network's greatest impact on revenue will come from deploying AI tools that automate and tailor customer journeys – enabling faster, more personalized experiences that can strengthen loyalty and drive growth. AI is reshaping computing infrastructure: 67% say their data centres can't yet meet today's AI demands, and 90% plan to expand capacity – on-prem, in the cloud, or both. Leaders want to make networks smarter: 98% say autonomous, AI-powered networks are essential to future growth – yet only 40% have deployed the intelligent capabilities – like segmentation, visibility, and control – to make their network adaptive. The Network is the Value: Modern Infrastructure Unlocking Growth and Savings IT leaders in KSA are already delivering financial value from today's networks: largely by improving customer experiences (61%), boosting efficiency (62%), and enabling innovation (54%). But much of that value is at risk if it comes from infrastructure that hasn't been designed for AI or real-time scale. The Path Ahead: Bridging the Gaps To unlock the full growth and savings they expect, IT leaders in KSA have identified critical gaps they must close: Breaking Down Silos: 62% cite siloed or partially integrated systems as a major challenge. Scaling Deployments: 42% say incomplete implementations are holding them back. Reducing Manual Oversight: 39% highlight the need for greater automation and intelligent management. Smarter, more secure, more adaptive networks are the business case for investment. 92% say improved networks will directly drive revenue, and 97% expect meaningful cost savings – driven by smarter operations, fewer outages, and lower energy use. Discover more of the key findings from Cisco's Networking Research here. About the research This global study is based on a survey of 8,065 senior IT and business leaders responsible for networking strategy and infrastructure at organizations with 250 or more employees. The survey was conducted across 30 markets in December 2024 by Sandpiper Research & Insights, on behalf of Cisco. About Cisco Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide technology leader that is revolutionizing the way organizations connect and protect in the AI era. For more than 40 years, Cisco has securely connected the world. With its industry leading AI-powered solutions and services, Cisco enables its customers, partners and communities to unlock innovation, enhance productivity and strengthen digital resilience. With purpose at its core, Cisco remains committed to creating a more connected and inclusive future for all. Discover more on The Newsroom and follow us on X at @Cisco. Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word 'partner' does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.
