RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s institutions and facilities sustained nearly 1,000 cyberattacks in 2016 from hackers seeking to prevent services, steal data and target infrastructure, according Saleh Ibrahim Al-Motairi, director general of the National Cyber Security Center.
The Kingdom’s Cyber Security Center reports that a number of recent attacks are similar to breaches suffered by some Saudi companies four years ago with the same modern software, said Prince Bandar bin Abdullah Al-Mishari Al-Saud, assistant minister of Interior for Technology Affairs at the Ministry of Interior. Prince Bander called for the development of the cybersecurity systems in the country,
Al-Motairi and Prince Bandar made their remarks during 2nd annual International Cyber Security Conference (ICSC) Monday and Tuesday at the Security Forces Officers’ Club in Riyadh.
About 1,000 delegates – mostly corporate officers and IT and security managers – attended the conference..
“Cyber security is a shared responsibility, so we look forward to everyone’s cooperation to protect national security and the pledge and commitment to apply basic standards, share data and strive to develop national capacities,” Prince Bandar said in his opening remarks.
Saudi Arabia is rapidly developing and diversifying its economy. A key factor of Saudi Arabia’s new economic plan through Vision 2030 is information and communications technology (ICT).
However, the widespread use of ICT heightens the risk of cybersecurity threats from hackers, hacktivists, organized criminals and foreign governments.
To successfully combat these threats, the Kingdom must develop standards, policies and legal frameworks; share and disseminate critical information and alerts; and most importantly, create further education and awareness among cybersecurity stakeholders, cybersecurity experts said.
Al-Motairi said that 992 hacking attempts occurred in 2016 with 124 cases of hacking reported at the national level. The center reported 1,865 instances of warnings of planned attacks.
Al-Motairi added that Saudi Arabia recently finished building a national platform to monitor cyberspace risks around the clock. The government also developed national technical capacities to understand the risks that threaten the country’s networks and its digital system.
Lt. Col. Bassam Al-Maraj, Bahrain’s interior ministry director, blamed Iran for many of the cyberattacks infrastructure of the banks and the interior ministry.
He said Manama was exposed to 250 breach attempts per month, and that most attempted penetrations allegedly originated in Iran through orders issued by accounts of individuals wanted by the Bahraini security and harbored by Tehran.
The financial institutions in Kuwait have also been targeted, according to Quasai Alshatti, director general of Kuwait’s central agency for information technology.
Saudi facilities sustained nearly 1,000 cyber attacks in 2016
Saudi facilities sustained nearly 1,000 cyber attacks in 2016
‘Cake not hate’ campaign becomes ‘Dates not hate’ in Madinah
- Dan said he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality and that his family was warmly welcomed
- He said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam
LONDON: A British autistic and non-verbal boy who has been visiting UK mosques and distributing cakes to promote solidarity amid an increase in far-right support in the country has taken his message of love to Madinah.
Joshua Harris, or “The Joshie-Man” as the 12-year-old is known to his social media fans, has handed out hundreds of his baked goods to worshipers at mosques in major British cities over the last few months.
The “Cake not hate” campaign came about after an Islamophobic attack on a mosque in his home city of Peterborough in October 2025.
Harris and his father visited Masjid Darassalaam, the mosque that was targeted, with cakes that the boy had baked and distributed them to the congregation soon after the attack. Since then, Harris has visited dozens of mosques in the UK.
On a recent trip to the Middle East, he and his father visited Madinah. In a local twist that pays tribute to the holy city’s famous date varieties including ajwa and ambar, Harris handed out dates to people in the courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosque. The “Cake not hate” campaign became “Dates not hate” for Saudi Arabia.
“He was greeted really, really warmly. There were some really touching moments where people were kissing his hands and his head. It was really lovely,” his father, Dan Harris, said.
Dan, the founder of global charity Neurodiversity in Business, said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam.
“We met people from all around the world. It was amazing. It’s like the United Nations there, you get people from different countries and it just goes to show you that the Muslim community, or the Ummah more generally, is not a homogeneous group,” he said.
“We saw people from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and it was really interesting for us.”
Dan said his visit to Madinah, considered the second holiest city in Islam after Makkah for Muslims, was “profound and life-changing.”
He added: “I would say it’s my favourite city in the world due to the peace and tranquillity I felt there.”
Dan added that he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality: “Everywhere we went, people were taking down my number and insisting that we come for dinner, insisting they pick us up from the location. They were extremely attentive to Joshie as well, making sure his needs were met. We felt a great sense of welcome, something Saudi Arabia is known for.”
