Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Wednesday, Aug 05, 2026

Saudi cybersecurity initiative launched as part of International Women’s Day

Saudi cybersecurity initiative launched as part of International Women’s Day

An initiative to develop the leadership skills of Saudi female cybersecurity specialists was launched this week by Hemaya, the information security association, as part of International Women's Day.
The initiative, called Wamda, will involve high-profile individuals and cybersecurity experts working in a voluntary capacity to transfer their experience to Hemaya’s female members as a way to empower women and to also promote specialist volunteer work.

Hemaya welcomed Haitham Alohali, who is vice minister at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, at Wamda’s first meeting.

He met several women at the meeting and shared aspects of his professional and leadership experience that could help them on their path.

Hemaya, which is the first nonprofit of its kind in Saudi Arabia, uses cybersecurity experts to help raise awareness on information security.

It focuses on strengthening its role in the nonprofit sector through three pillars: Volunteering, partnership, and sustainability.

Saudi Arabia launched the National Cybersecurity Authority in 2017, which aims to build a resilient and secure cyberspace that enables growth and prosperity.

In 2020, the NCA developed new initiatives aimed at increasing the number of women in cybersecurity jobs, as well as encouraging and supporting them in pursuing leadership roles in this field.

The empowerment of women in all areas of Saudi society, including the workforce, is an important part of Vision 2030.

At the Wamda meeting, Alohali also discussed the awards launched by the ministry.

These are presented to individuals and large and medium-sized companies in the sector with the aim of encouraging them to raise the percentage of women in leadership positions, and to promote a standard of working environment that is suitable for women. An executive program was also launched to support the success of female leaders in the digital world.

Hemaya has more than 500 members who specialize in cybersecurity. Together they have contributed more than 24,000 volunteer hours at the association.

Its cybersecurity experts are all members of six society groups related to Hemaya: The Main, Hemaya Operation, Hemaya GRC, Hemaya Academics, HameyaT, and HAT.

HemayaT is a community that includes several women who specialize in cybersecurity.

The chairman of Hemaya’s board of directors, Mutaib Al-Dhubaiti, emphasized during the meeting the association’s keenness to contribute to the promotion of specialist volunteering, the transfer of expertise and knowledge-sharing between leaders and specialists.

He said that Vision 2030 placed attention on empowering women and enhancing their role in the labor market, which the Wamda initiative would support by providing specialists with the leadership experience and expertise necessary for their success by opening direct channels with Hemaya’s guests.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
AI Is Remaking the US Economy, From GDP Growth to iPhone Prices
FIFA’s Retreat Leaves a Larger Question Over Who Guards the Game
Finland Deploys Commercial-Scale Thermal Batteries Using Crushed Rock to Store Renewable Grid Energy
Valued at $109 Million: F-35B Fighter Jet Crashes in Southern California
US Says It Has Carried Out Heavy Strikes on Iran After Attempted Attacks on Its Forces
Over 24 Hours in the Air: Qantas Airbus Completes Record-Breaking Test Flight
Arrest Warrant Issued in Lebanon for Tycoon Spotted Meeting Netanyahu in Washington
Trump says Israel ‘would not survive’ without US
Nvidia Reportedly Takes Vast Texas Data-Centre Lease to Underwrite AI Expansion
FIFA’s Private-Investment Plan for World Cup Rights Draws European Revolt
Following OpenAI's Cyberattack: 'Most Companies Still Do Not Understand What Is Coming'
OpenAI Sued After ChatGPT Allegedly Discouraged Emergency Care Before Near-Fatal Embolism
Miliband Sets Climate and International Law at Centre of UK Diplomacy
Pentagon Discloses Nearly 100 US Troop Injuries During Renewed Iran Fighting
Trump Readies New Tariffs as Temporary Global Levy Nears Expiry
High Prices Push Coffee Drinkers Toward Whole Beans and Home Brewing
Trump Draws Boos and Podium Scrutiny at Spain’s World Cup Triumph
Spain Defeats Argentina in Extra Time to Win Second World Cup
Turkey Explores S-400 Transfer to UAE in Bid to Rejoin F-35 Program
US Retaliates Against Iran After Two American Troops Killed in Jordan
Proposed U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Pact Could Permit Limited Uranium Enrichment Under International Safeguards
Why Kentucky Fried Chicken Became KFC—and Why the False Explanations Persist
Iran Claims It Destroyed Bahrain’s Main Artificial Intelligence Center in Missile and Drone Strike
Ukrainian Drones Strike Wildberries Warehouses Deep Inside Russia
Reported CIA Mission Helped Clear the UAE’s Path to Advanced US AI Chips
Artificial Intelligence Capital Fuels Markets While Governments and Regulators Face Mounting Strategic Tests
China’s Moonshot’s Kimi K3 Narrows the Gap With Anthropic Through Scale, Openness and Lower Cost
The Ledger Will Not Trust on Faith
Passenger Bound for Germany Refused to Sit Beside a Woman on a Plane — Then Slapped a Flight Attendant
Ukraine’s Leadership Rift Spills Into the Streets as Protesters Target Army Chief
The Ten World Cup Finals That Defined Football History
Smartphones Are Getting More Expensive, Sales Are Collapsing, and Even Apple Admits: "Prices Will Rise"
Leadership Change and Strategic Rivalry Redraw the Political Map
The AI Race Enters Its Infrastructure Era
Britain Nationalises British Steel to Protect Scunthorpe Production and Strategic Supply
Thomas Tuchel Faces Fierce Backlash After Tactical Retreat Costs England World Cup Final Berth
A Quiet Bastille Day: France Grapples with World Cup Heartbreak and Leftover Fireworks
Spain in Ecstasy: "We Feel Unbeatable, We Taught the Whole World a Lesson"
Harvard Astrophysicist to Lead U.S. Scientific Advisory on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
Emergency Sirens Activated Across Bahrain as Interior Ministry Issues Shelter Directives
World Cup Visitors Turn American Big-Box Stores Into Souvenir Stops
Netflix Weighs Always-On Channels, Bundles and Short-Form Video
The AI Invoice Shock: Layoffs Didn't Save Managers Money — They Cost Them More
Concern: Sexually Transmitted Bacterium Among Men Develops Antibiotic Resistance
Passenger Partially Pulled Out of Ryanair Jet After Cabin Window Fails Mid-Flight
Severe Heatwave Drives Dangerous Ground-Level Ozone Pollution Across Two Thirds of European Union
The Physical and Electronic Barriers Disrupting Domestic Wireless Networks
France and Morocco Open World Cup Quarter-Finals as Collina Defends Refereeing
Tech Pulse: The Future of AI and Screen Culture
Global News Briefing: Escalating Geopolitical Tensions and Corporate Shakeups
×