Saudi Arabia, in partnership with the United Nations, has launched the Global Initiative for Capacity Building in Cyberspace, a major program designed to address the worldwide shortage of cybersecurity professionals amid rising digital threats.

The initiative was announced at the Global Cybersecurity Forum 2025 in Riyadh, held under the theme “Scaling Cohesive Advancement in Cyberspace.”

Led by the Kingdom’s National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA), the Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE), and the Global Cybersecurity Forum Foundation, the rollout will be supported by UN agencies including UNDP, UNODC, UNODA, UNICRI, UNIDIR, and ITU, as well as INTERPOL and other global partners.

The programme is structured around five core tracks: research and development, cyber simulation and exercises, training, policy development, and workshops. These efforts will provide expert-led training, cyber drills, and policy support to a wide range of stakeholders, including policymakers, law enforcement agencies, diplomats, and technical professionals.

The initiative comes amid a critical shortfall of 2.8 million cybersecurity workers globally, with 43% of information security executives reporting significant skills gaps in their organizations, according to the 2024 Cybersecurity Workforce Report issued by the forum.

Officials noted that the effort expands Saudi Arabia’s growing cyber diplomacy portfolio, which has previously advanced initiatives on child protection and women’s empowerment in cyberspace under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

“This multistakeholder initiative will complement efforts across borders to build the skills and resilience needed for a safer cyberspace for all,” said Majed Al Mazyed, Governor of the NCA.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the launch, emphasizing the importance of global cooperation to ensure digital technologies serve the common good. “We must act together by investing in people, building skills, and fostering inclusion,” he said.