FaceOf: Nouf Abdullah Al-Rakan, executive director of the Saudi cyber security federation

Updated 05 May 2018
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FaceOf: Nouf Abdullah Al-Rakan, executive director of the Saudi cyber security federation

  • Al-Rakan was appointed executive director of the Saudi Federation for Cyber Security and Programming (SAFCSP) just recently
  • She began her entrepreneurial career at age 18, trading in leather goods, and has worked in a broad range of industries, including education, journalism, publishing, information systems, banking and telecommunications.

JEDDAH: Nouf Abdullah Al-Rakan has been appointed executive director of the Saudi Federation for Cyber Security and Programming (SAFCSP), with the unanimous approval of board members impressed by her practical and administrative experience.

Saud bin Abdullah Al-Qahtani, adviser at the Royal Court, chairman of the board of directors, SAFCSP, announced the appointment of Al-Rakan, whose many professional roles include being CEO of an educational organization, through his Twitter account, describing her as a great addition to the federation.

Al-Rakan is a graduate of the George Washington University Project Management Program.

She is also a Windsor Leadership Program Alumni. She is the managing director of Alimtiaz which includes Educational Initiatives and Edama projects.

She has more than 14 years’ experience in consulting, project management, communication and light manufacturing. She began her career at age 18 in the trading and importing of leather goods, and has worked in a broad range of industries, including education, journalism, publishing, information systems, banking and telecommunications.

In 2004, she established MITSCo, an information technology company specializing in programming mobile-phone applications, and continued in the technology field by expanding to sports portal programming and creating the Universal Sports web portal. In 2008, Alimtiaz Project Management and Consulting was established to provide consulting and business-advisory services to government organizations and local companies.

In 2010 she established Educational Initiatives to help develop educational and training programs in partnership with leading global organizations, focusing on promoting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to support Saudi businesswomen and train them in leadership and entrepreneurial skills, as well as technical and managerial training.

She also started an extensive program with leading global institutes and agencies offering extensive on-site research and development programs in support of SMEs.


Saudi Hajj Ministry suspends Umrah firm, overseas agent over contract violations

Updated 29 December 2025
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Saudi Hajj Ministry suspends Umrah firm, overseas agent over contract violations

  • Company failed to provide accommodation for a number of Umrah pilgrims, despite these services being documented in the contractual programs, ministry says

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on Sunday announced the suspension of an Umrah company and its overseas agent for failing to provide accommodation services for pilgrims in line with approved contractual programs.

In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the ministry said the company’s failure constitutes a clear violation of regulations governing services for Umrah pilgrims and visitors to the Two Holy Mosques.

It noted that a number of pilgrims arrived in the Kingdom without secured accommodation, despite these services being documented in the contractual programs.

This prompted immediate regulatory action against the company and its overseas agent under the established legal frameworks, the ministry said. 

Pilgrims circumambulate the Holy Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Makkah in this photo taken earlier this month. (SPA)

"The measures are intended to safeguard the rights of affected pilgrims, prevent a recurrence of such violations, and ensure the continued enhancement of service quality," it added.

Last June, the ministry suspended seven Umrah companies due to deficiencies in providing transport services to pilgrims.

In an earlier report quoting the Hajj Ministry and the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, SPA said more than 1.7 million Muslims from all over the world arrived in the Kingdom to perform Umrah during Jumada Al Akhira alone.

Also referred to as Jumada Al Thani, Jumada Al Akhira is the sixth month of the Islamic calendar. For Hijri year 1447, this sixth month ended on December 20, 2025 in the Gregorian calendar.