The UAE and Saudi Arabia will enhance cybersecurity during 2024

During 2024, the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia achieved an advanced ranking in the global cybersecurity index issued by the International Telecommunication Union, which reflects the two countries’ commitment to enhancing the protection of technical infrastructure, supporting sustainable digital transformation, and consolidating the trends of the knowledge economy, according to a new research paper prepared by the Interregional Center. Strategic Analytics, based in Abu Dhabi.
According to the International Telecommunication Union, the UAE was ranked in the highest category in the world (leading model) in the Global Cybersecurity Index 2024, which confirms that the country provides a secure and advanced digital infrastructure that keeps pace with its ambitions in digital transformation and strengthens its position as a global center for innovation and technology, while Saudi Arabia received Ranked as a “Leading Model” in the top category of the 2024 Global Cybersecurity Index.

Top priority
According to Interregional, cybersecurity is considered a top priority in the UAE for strategic and vital reasons related to technological development, national security, and the digital economy, as the country relies heavily on digital infrastructure in vital sectors such as: energy, transportation, communications, and financial services.
The UAE seeks to be a global center for the digital economy, and with increasing reliance on modern technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and cloud computing, the need to protect data and digital transactions from cyber attacks doubles.
The UAE works to enhance confidence in the digital environment by protecting data and systems, which enhances the confidence of investors, commercial partners, and citizens in the country’s digital environment, and contributes to attracting foreign investment.

Initiatives
Interregional stated that the UAE has launched many initiatives to enhance cybersecurity, the most important of which are: the establishment of the National Electronic Security Authority and the UAE Cybersecurity Strategy to enhance digital protection. The country also invests in research, development, and building national competencies in the field of cybersecurity, making it a model in confronting cyber threats and protecting its growing digital economy.
The size of the cybersecurity market in the UAE is estimated at approximately 2.1 billion dirhams in 2024, with expectations to grow to 3.9 billion dirhams in 2029, with a compound annual growth rate of 12.72%, which reflects the commitment of government institutions and companies to protecting their digital assets.
Interregional said: “Digital threats have witnessed profound transformations driven by technological advancement, making the cybersecurity industry a rapidly growing sector. The evolving threat landscape, including the emergence of generative artificial intelligence, has led to governments increasing their interest in strengthening their presence in the cybersecurity industry.

Continuous efforts
Saudi Arabia achieved 100% in all criteria of the index, which measures countries’ commitment through 83 sub-indices distributed over 4 axes, thanks to the continuous efforts it is making to enhance its cybersecurity and protect its digital infrastructure.
According to the report of the National Cybersecurity Authority for the year 2024, the size of the cybersecurity market in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reached about 13.3 billion riyals in 2023, where the spending of private sector establishments constituted 69% of this amount (about 9.2 billion riyals), while the spending of government agencies constituted 31% ( About 4.1 billion riyals) Expectations also indicate that the cybersecurity market in the Kingdom will continue to grow at a compound annual growth rate of about 13% until 2029.


Big market
According to a report issued by Frost & Sullivan, the value of the cybersecurity industry in the Middle East region is expected to reach $13.4 billion in the year 2030, while market research Statista indicates that global cybersecurity market revenues are likely to reach about $538.30. Billion dollars in 2030.
“Interregional” explained that the expansion of the Internet of Things, the weaknesses of cloud computing, ransomware, and fraudulent messages are the most prominent forms of cyber threats targeting digital infrastructure, while financial and service facilities were the most vulnerable to attacks, which requires relevant government agencies to enhance monitoring and conduct continuous updates to programs and firewalls in a manner Proactive is the best way to confront escalating threats.