RIYADH: The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, along with the Cyber Defence Centre, participated in the inaugural meeting of the Arab Cybersecurity Ministers Council, held earlier this week in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The meeting was attended by the heads of delegations from Arab countries, as well as the Secretary-General of the Arab League.
The Omani delegation was led by Dr Ali bin Amer al Shaithani, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology for Communications and Information Technology.
In his speech, the Under-secretary emphasised that the establishment of the Arab Cybersecurity Ministers Council builds on successful initiatives and efforts aimed at fostering development and collaboration to address the growing challenges in cybersecurity and safeguard against risks and threats.
He also highlighted that the council seeks to seize opportunities to strengthen the digital economy and drive innovation.
Additionally, he underscored the importance of investing in and localising the cybersecurity industry, which can contribute to building a secure digital economy and creating an attractive, innovative business environment.
The meeting covered several key topics, including the draft constitution of the Arab Cybersecurity Ministers Council, the appointment of the Secretary-General and members of the executive office, as well as the council’s structure and operational framework.
The preparation of the Arab Cybersecurity Strategy was also discussed, alongside the council’s logo and identity, and a number of programmes and initiatives.
In 2022, the Sultanate of Oman launched the Cybersecurity Industry Programme with the aim of establishing a specialised cybersecurity industry to achieve economic diversification under the goals of Oman Vision 2040.
The programme is part of the National Programme for Digital Economy, which aims to raise the contribution of the sector to the local GDP from 2% currently, to 5% by 2030 and 10% by 2040.
— ONA
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