RIYADH — Saudi Arabia maintained its top global ranking in the Cybersecurity Index, according to the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook's cybersecurity indicator for 2025. The Yearbook is an annual report published by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), based in Switzerland, on the competitiveness of nations. The yearbook benchmarks the performance of 63 countries based on 340 criteria measuring different facets of competitiveness. 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 and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. Their vision 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 2024, published by the UN specialized agency, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). This success is part of a broader series of achievements since the adoption of the leadership's insightful and proactive approach to establish a comprehensive cybersecurity sector. This holistic approach integrates both security and development dimensions, encompassing local and international levels. Dr. Musaed Al-Aiban, chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Cybersecurity Authority, affirmed that this achievement "adds to the series of achievements and successes scored by Saudi Arabia in all fields since the launch of the leadership's insightful, proactive vision to establish the cybersecurity sector, in a comprehensive manner, encompassing both security and development aspects, with all its local and international dimensions." He said that the cybersecurity system has witnessed significant development in record time since the establishment of the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) as the Saudi entity responsible for cybersecurity and the national authority for cybersecurity affairs and the establishment of the Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE) as its strategic and technical partner. "These are two fundamental pillars of the Saudi model for cybersecurity, the outcomes of which have contributed to strengthening national cybersecurity and technological sovereignty, localizing priority technologies, and enhancing information sharing and international cooperation," he said. It is noteworthy that the NCA is the competent authority for cybersecurity in the Kingdom and the national authority for cybersecurity affairs. It aims to strengthen cybersecurity to protect the country's vital interests, infrastructure, and national security. It is responsible for stimulating the growth of the cybersecurity sector in the Kingdom, encouraging innovation and investment in it, and developing policies, governance mechanisms, frameworks, standards, controls, and guidelines related to cybersecurity. This is to achieve a secure and reliable Saudi cyberspace that enables growth and prosperity.
