RIYADH: The UN Institute for Training and Research has launched its first office dedicated to cybersecurity, establishing a new global hub in Riyadh to support efforts to strengthen cyber resilience through training, research, policy development and knowledge exchange.
The Riyadh-based UNITAR Cybersecurity Office is the third facility in the institute’s global network, alongside its offices in Hiroshima, Japan, and Bonn, Germany.
The establishment of the office reflects Saudi Arabia’s growing role in hosting platforms for international cooperation and advancing global cybersecurity initiatives.
Assistant Secretary-General of the UN and Executive Director of UNITAR Michelle Gyles-McDonnough said the launch underscores the need for collective action to address increasingly complex cyber threats.
“Cybersecurity is a global imperative that demands global cooperation — no country can build resilience in isolation,” she said.
“We are pleased to launch in Riyadh the world’s first UNITAR office dedicated to cybersecurity, a choice that reflects the Kingdom’s role in advancing collective progress in this domain.
“By connecting people and institutions across regions, the new office will contribute to bridging the critical gap in cybersecurity capabilities worldwide and, ultimately, help to turn shared risk into shared resilience.”
Michelle Gyles-McDonnough, United Nations assistant secretary-general and UNITAR executive director, speaks during the signing ceremony. (SPA)
The office will work with Saudi Arabia’s National Cybersecurity Authority, the Kingdom’s authority and reference body for cybersecurity matters, to support skills development and capacity-building initiatives for beneficiaries around the world.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, NCA Gov. Majed Al-Mazyed said strengthening cybersecurity requires investment not only in technology but also in people and institutions.
“Strengthening cybersecurity requires more than technology; it also demands investment in people, skills and institutions.
“Through this partnership with UNITAR, we aim to advance capacity-building and knowledge exchange that strengthen cyber resilience not only for the Kingdom and the region, but for the wider international community,” he said.
Majed Al-Mazyed, governor of Saudi Arabia’s National Cybersecurity Authority, speaks during the signing ceremony. (SPA)
The new office adds momentum to Saudi Arabia’s broader efforts to promote international dialogue and collaboration in cybersecurity.
In 2025, Saudi Arabia and the UN launched the Global Initiative for Capacity Building in Cyberspace, aimed at accelerating efforts to address critical cybersecurity capacity gaps worldwide.
The Kingdom is also home to a growing number of regional and international cybersecurity organizations and initiatives, including the Arab Cybersecurity Ministers Council, the Global Cybersecurity Forum, and the Centre for Cyber Economics, established through a partnership between the GCF and the World Economic Forum.
