The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, led by Eng. Majid bin Mohammed Al-Mazid, Governor of the National Cybersecurity Authority, chaired the inaugural regular session of the Council of Arab Cybersecurity Ministers in Riyadh. The session was attended by cybersecurity officials from member states of the League of Arab States, as well as the Secretary-General of the League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit. During the session, the Arab Cybersecurity Ministers Council approved the appointment of Ibrahim bin Saleh Al-Furaih as the Council’s Secretary-General for a five-year term.
The Governor of the National Cybersecurity Authority opened the first regular session of the Council with a speech in which he stressed that the initiative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to propose the establishment of the Council of Arab Cybersecurity Ministers came from its firm and authentic principle towards maintaining joint Arab security, developing cooperation with Arab brothers, and coordinating Arab efforts in everything that would preserve the vital interests of our countries and protect our capabilities, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
He pointed out that the Arab leaders' welcome of the establishment of the Council comes as an affirmation of the importance of cybersecurity in the creation of development, prosperity and stability, in addition to it being an integral part of the system of maintaining international security and peace.
For his part, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, stressed the importance of enhancing joint Arab cooperation at this time when the world is witnessing renewed challenges and threats in the field of cybersecurity, noting that collective and joint work at the Arab level is the best way to build a solid system through which we stand together on this extremely important front, indicating that he is confident that the Council of Arab Cybersecurity Ministers will represent a qualitative addition to the Arab national security system, extending his sincere thanks to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its pioneering initiative to establish the Council.
The Council made several key decisions, including initiating the preparation of the Arab Cybersecurity Strategy, approving the appointment of the Secretary-General and members of the Executive Office, organizing joint cyber exercises, and confirming the structure and operational mechanisms of the Council. Additionally, the Council discussed cybersecurity developments in the areas of security, economics, and development, as well as collaboration with international organizations focused on cybersecurity, aiming to strengthen cybersecurity at the Arab level.