Saudi cybersecurity organization launches Ramadan Cyber Nights program in cooperation with Huawei

The organization Saudi Women in Cyber Security (SIC) has teamed up with Huawei to support more female participation in the cybersecurity field through a series of free knowledge-exchange webinars hosted throughout the month of Ramadan. 

The Ramadan Cyber Nights program addresses some of the most important trends on Saudi Arabia’s cybersecurity agenda. The organizers recognize the critical nature of cybersecurity awareness among the public, especially at a time when many need to work and study virtually from home. 

The cooperation is also in line with one of the pivotal initiatives announced by Saudi government leaders earlier this year during the Global Cybersecurity Forum held in Riyadh. The initiative recognizes society’s dependence on technology in nearly all sectors—including healthcare, energy, defense, and others—while seeking to support women’s participation in the cybersecurity field through enhanced professional development opportunities.

The latest webinar sessions explore cybersecurity policies today as well as the different elements of data encryption and how it is developed. This includes a special session hosted by global industry veteran Olivera Zatezalo, Chief Security Officer at Huawei Canada, highlighting security and privacy protection at a time when artificial intelligence (AI) starts to become mainstream. Webinars are also being held on how to conduct forensic analysis of IT network data, and best practices for how women in Saudi Arabia can ultimately plan for an exciting career path in the cybersecurity arena.

The topics are particularly timely as the roll-out of 5G services continues across the Kingdom, facilitating new applications of Artificial Intelligence, cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and augmented and virtual reality within Saudi industries.

Sarah Alharbi, Co-Founder of Saudi Women in Cyber Security (SIC), said: “As Saudi Arabia benefits from strong investments in technology infrastructure, it opens the doors for more of the population to be involved in shaping and protecting our digital future. That journey is accelerated by exchanging views with industry leaders like Huawei, whom we are proud to collaborate with on the Ramadan Cyber Nights program.”  

In line with the goals of Vision 2030, Huawei has been steadfast in its commitment to helping partners in Saudi Arabia to develop talent within the Kingdom’s ICT sector. Programs like Huawei’s Saudi Talent Enabling Program (STEP) aim to benefit 10,000 local talents by 2023 through building talent alliances, setting talent standards, and communicating talent value. 

Terry He, CEO of Huawei Tech Investment Saudi Arabia, noted: “Protecting consumers and harnessing the economic potential of digital transformation requires a strong, cooperative approach to cybersecurity risk mitigation. We fully support the government’s ongoing work in this field and especially its ambition to bring more women into the field. SIC is making a valuable contribution to that effort, and we look forward to sharing our own expertise with them through this latest collaboration.”