Saudi Arabia maintains leadership in global cybersecurity rankings for third consecutive year
Saudi Arabia maintains leadership in global cybersecurity rankings for third consecutive year
Publish Date: 2026-06-19 08:29:00
Source Domain: economymiddleeast.com
Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points. Achievement is the result of the wise leadership’s directives to empower the cybersecurity sector as a fundamental pillar of the national security systemSaudi Arabia continues its global leadership in cybersecurity, maintaining the top position in the global ranking of the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook‘s cybersecurity index for 2026.The National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) stated that this top ranking is a direct reflection of the unwavering support and guidance provided to the Kingdom’s cybersecurity sector by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.The achievement is also the result of their wise directives to empower the cybersecurity sector as a fundamental pillar of the national security system.National Cybersecurity Authority drives Saudi Arabia’s cybersecurity developmentSaudi Arabia’s cybersecurity sector has seen remarkable development since the establishment of the authority as the Kingdom’s specialized and national authority for cybersecurity affairs. The establishment of the Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE) as its strategic and technical partner also played a key role in the Kingdom’s advancement.The two entities have propelled Saudi Arabia to achieve leading positions year after year across various international indicators. This includes the Kingdom’s classification as Tier 1 – “Role-modeling” in the Global Cybersecurity Index 2026, published by the UN specialized agency, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).The NCA is the national entity responsible for cybersecurity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the national reference for all its affairs. It aims to enhance the Kingdom’s cybersecurity posture to safeguard its vital interests, national security, critical infrastructure, priority sectors and government services and activities.The authority undertakes several key efforts, including promoting the growth of the cybersecurity sector within the Kingdom, fostering innovation and investment, and establishing policies, governance mechanisms, frameworks, standards, regulations and guidelines related to cybersecurity. These efforts are designed to cultivate a resilient, secure and trusted Saudi cyberspace that enables growth and prosperity.Read: UAE enters new phase of government development built on deploying Agentic AI, says Al GergawiSaudi Arabia advances to 13th globally in competitivenessSaudi Arabia also advanced four positions in the 2026 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook, ranking 13th globally among 70 economies and securing 3rd place among G20 economies.The Kingdom’s progress was driven by improvements across all four competitiveness factors: Economic Performance, Government Efficiency, Business Efficiency and Infrastructure. Saudi Arabia also improved its performance in 15 of the 20 sub-factors assessed by the yearbook.
