Riyadh – Saudi Arabia ranked second globally among 193 countries, and first among the Arab states in the Global Cybersecurity Index issued by the United Nations specialized agency in information and communications technology – the International Telecommunication Union 2021.
Kingdom jumped by 11 positions from 2018 where it was at 13th position globally, and by more than 40 positions since the launch of Vision 2030, where it was ranked 46th globally in the 2017 edition of the index.
The National Cybersecurity Authority thanked the great support of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Al-Saud, and the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al-Saud, for the cybersecurity system in the Kingdom, and to enable it to reach a safe and reliable cyberspace that enables growth, safety, and prosperity.
The authority indicated that the Global Cybersecurity Index is implemented periodically based on five main axes; The legal axis, the technical axis, the regulatory axis, the capacity building axis, and the cooperation axis. By analyzing the performance of countries in 80 sub-indicators, with the aim of raising the level of cybersecurity and enhancing the exchange of experiences and the sharing of experiences among the countries of the world.
Saudi Arabia achieved advanced points in all of these axes, and one of the most prominent contributions was the presence of a specialized reference body for cybersecurity, issuing policies, governance mechanisms, frameworks, standards, controls and guidelines related to cybersecurity. Moreover, following up on compliance with them, building capacities and competencies and developing relevant performance measurement indicators.
In addition to strengthening cooperation with other countries and international organizations, Saudi Arabia has also enabled protection of children in the cyber world, and empowered women in the field of cyber security.
The government ensured that it will continue to redouble its efforts to reach a safe and reliable Saudi cyberspace by strengthening cooperation and joint work with national authorities so that the Kingdom will continue to be a leading country in the Cybersecurity arena.
