Cybersecurity to receive boost in Saudi Arabia thanks to new Cisco data center

The facility will support the company’s cloud security services in Saudi Arabia, including its new Secure Service Edge solution, Cisco Secure Access. (Shutterstock)
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Updated 19 June 2023
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Cybersecurity to receive boost in Saudi Arabia thanks to new Cisco data center

RIYADH: Digital security in Saudi Arabia is set to be strengthened after global technology firm Cisco announced a new data center for the Kingdom to better protect users, infrastructure and investments.

The facility will support the company’s cloud security services in Saudi Arabia, including its new Secure Service Edge solution, Cisco Secure Access.

This product automates decisions about how users connect to the internet, Software as a Service products and private applications, a move which the firm claims helps increase productivity.

The data center will be carrier-neutral, and available on any internet service provider in the Kingdom. Cisco intends for the data center to have service availability by mid-2024.

Saudi Arabia has increasingly taken the lead in boosting cybersecurity, and in November last year a special forum was held in Riyadh dedicated to the issue.

Announcing the new data center, Salman Faqeeh, managing director of Cisco in Saudi Arabia, said: “Today’s announcement reconfirms Cisco’s alignment to provide advanced cloud security protection and services to the Saudi community.

“It builds on Cisco’s long-standing commitment to our customers and reflects our continued support for digital transformation, by using the power of technologies to create a secured thriving digital economy in Saudi Arabia.”

Findings of the latest Cisco Security Outcomes Report underscore the importance of security resilience.

The report revealed that 54 percent of organizations surveyed in Saudi Arabia experienced a security event that impacted business.

The most common incidents were distributed denial of service attacks at 60 percent, network or system outages at 54 percent and malicious insider abuse events at 40 percent.

The global report also states that converging networking and security into a mature, cloud-delivered secure access services protocol boosted security resilience scores by 27 percent.

In January, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman issued a royal decree to establish a new institute for the Global Cybersecurity Forum in Riyadh.

The institute aims to harness the potential of cyberspace and support efforts to boost cybersafety on a global scale.


New Murabba seeks contractors for Mukaab Towers fit-outs: MEED

Updated 28 January 2026
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New Murabba seeks contractors for Mukaab Towers fit-outs: MEED

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s New Murabba Development Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, has issued a request for information to gauge the market for modular and offsite fit-out solutions for its flagship Mukaab development, MEED reported on Wednesday.

The RFI was released on Jan. 26, with submissions due by Feb. 11. NMDC has also scheduled a market engagement meeting during the first week of February to discuss potential solutions with prospective contractors.

Sources close to the project told MEED that NMDC is “seeking experienced suppliers and contractors to advise on the feasibility, constraints, and execution strategy for using non-load-bearing modular systems for the four corner towers framing the Mukaab structure.” The feedback gathered from these discussions will be incorporated into later design and procurement decisions.

The four towers — two residential (North and South) and two mixed-use (East and West) — are integral to the Mukaab’s architectural layout. Each tower is expected to rise approximately 375 meters and span over 80 stories. Key modular elements under consideration include bathroom pods, kitchen pods, dressing room modules, panelized steel partition systems, and other offsite-manufactured fit-out solutions.

Early works on the Mukaab were completed last year, with NMDC preparing to award the estimated $1 billion contract for the main raft works. This was highlighted in a presentation by NMDC’s chief project delivery officer on Sept. 9, 2025, during the Future Projects Forum in Riyadh.

Earlier this month, US-based Parsons Corp. was awarded a contract by NMDC to provide design and construction technical support. Parsons will act as the lead design consultant for infrastructure, delivering services covering public buildings, infrastructure, landscaping, and the public realm at New Murabba. The firm will also support the development of the project’s downtown experience, which spans 14 million sq. meters of residential, workplace, and entertainment space.

The Parsons contract follows NMDC’s October 2025 agreements with three other US-based engineering firms for design work across the development. New York-headquartered Kohn Pedersen Fox was appointed to lead early design for the first residential community, while Aecom and Jacobs were selected as lead design consultants for the Mukaab district.

In August 2025, NMDC signed a memorandum of understanding with Falcons Creative Group, another US-based firm, to develop the creative vision and immersive experiences for the Mukaab project. Meanwhile, Beijing-based China Harbour Engineering Co. completed the excavation works for the Mukaab, and UAE-headquartered HSSG Foundation Contracting executed the foundation works.