RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s cybersecurity market expanded 10.7 percent annually to SR16.3 billion ($4.35 billion) in 2025, as businesses and government entities increased spending on digital protection amid the Kingdom’s broader technology transformation. Private sector spending accounted for 69 percent of the market, or SR11.2 billion, while government entities spent about SR5.1 billion, representing the remaining 31 percent, according to the National Cybersecurity Authority’s Key Economic Indicators in the Cybersecurity Sector 2026 report. The market’s expansion comes as Saudi Arabia accelerates the digitization of government services under Vision 2030. The Kingdom’s Digital Government Strategy for 2025–2030 aims to generate an estimated cumulative SR11.4 billion contribution to gross domestic product and create more than 26,000 jobs by 2030, highlighting the economic stakes of securing increasingly digital public services and infrastructure. The strategy seeks to deliver integrated digital services and improve government efficiency, increasing the importance of protecting public-sector systems and data.The NCA launched its CyberIC program in 2022 to develop national cybersecurity capabilities, localize technologies and training content, and stimulate the domestic industry. Its initiatives include encouraging the development of locally produced cybersecurity products, services and solutions. In a release, NCA stated: “The contribution of the cybersecurity sector to the Kingdom’s GDP at current prices reached approximately SR20 billion in 2025, with a CAGR of 13.2 percent between 2023 and 2025.” It added: “Of this total, cybersecurity product and service providers contributed SR9.7 billion directly, while indirect contributions amounted to SR10.3 billion.” NCA added that these contributions account for 0.42 percent of the Kingdom’s total GDP and 0.71 percent of the GDP of non-oil activities, reflecting its growing role in the national economy. Saudi Arabia’s strength in the sector has repeatedly been recognised in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook, which for the past three years has placed the Kingdom in top position in its cybersecurity index.Cyberattacks drive security investment The growing sophistication of cyberattacks is making cybersecurity a strategic business priority as organizations adopt artificial intelligence, cloud computing, automation and connected technologies, according to Mohamad Hashem, general manager for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain at Kaspersky. “This is driving greater investment in security solutions that can help businesses identify threats earlier, respond faster and maintain operational continuity,” Hashem told Arab News. He said Saudi Arabia’s cybersecurity sector was becoming an increasingly important economic contributor, while stressing the need for continued investment in cyber resilience. Mohamad Hashem, general manager, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain at Kaspersky.Economist Ahmad Chreim said that cybersecurity is becoming a strategic investment, with global security spending projected to reach between $240 billion and $308 billion in 2026 as AI simultaneously increases cyber risks and strengthens defensive capabilities. Workforce exceeds 22kThe Kingdom’s cybersecurity workforce exceeded 22,000 professionals in 2025, growing at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 5.9 percent between 2023 and 2025, according to the report. Women accounted for 33 percent of the Kingdom’s cybersecurity workforce, above the global average of around 22 percent.Cybersecurity products accounted for SR8.3 billion, or 51 percent, of the Kingdom’s market, while services represented SR7.9 billion, equivalent to 49 percent. The report also identified endpoint security and management, network security, cybersecurity operations solutions, cybersecurity system integration and data security among the most in-demand products and services.The NCA attributed the market’s growth to initiatives aimed at boosting competitiveness, attracting investment and encouraging innovation, alongside stronger cooperation between the public and private sectors to develop the Kingdom’s cybersecurity industry.The report draws on a comprehensive study involving stakeholders from the public and private sectors, academic institutions and cybersecurity professionals. The NCA said the study used a three-level classification framework covering five main categories and 25 activities, spanning more than 100 cybersecurity products and services.Economist Ahmad ChreimNew business opportunities Economist Chreim identified AI-driven threat detection, cloud security, and identity and access management as areas of opportunity, particularly as AI agents and automated systems increase the number of digital identities that organizations must protect.“Emerging markets, including the Middle East, are seeing some of the fastest growth rates globally as they build security-first infrastructure from the ground up rather than retrofitting legacy systems, a genuine opportunity for the region to leapfrog rather than play catch-up,” he added. Hashem from Kaspersky highlighted that Saudi Arabia is strengthening its cybersecurity ecosystem through digital transformation, critical infrastructure protection, local talent development and cross-sector collaboration, positioning cybersecurity as an enabler of business growth and digital innovation.“From an operational perspective, effective cybersecurity can reduce disruption, minimize downtime and help organizations use their resources more efficiently,” he said.For critical infrastructure, he noted that protecting operational technology is also essential to maintaining operations and supply-chain continuity. “Integrating security into the design and deployment of new technologies helps organizations manage risk while accelerating innovation. Strong cybersecurity defences can give businesses the confidence to launch digital services and expand their operations, making it an important foundation for sustainable growth,” Hashem said. self.__next_f.push([1,”f:I[67601,[\”/_next/static/chunks/3zmftm9fpr10z.js\”],\”WebVitalsReporter\”]\n10:I[39683,[\”/_next/static/chunks/3zmftm9fpr10z.js\”,\”/_next/static/chunks/145oieyucf7xw.js\”,\”/_next/static/chunks/2d3jm_azdsoua.js\”,\”/_next/static/chunks/0wdohbbl64rk3.js\”,\”/_next/static/chunks/0ga9k6tk8l5i2.js\”,\”/_next/static/chunks/04hvlg7gpzexw.js\”],\”SearchForm\”]\n11:I[22016,[\”/_next/static/chunks/3zmftm9fpr10z.js\”,\”/_next/static/chunks/145oieyucf7xw.js\”,\”/_next/static/chunks/2d3jm_azdsoua.js\”,\”/_next/static/chunks/0wdohbbl64rk3.js\”,\”/_next/static/chunks/0ga9k6tk8l5i2.js\”,\”/_next/static/chunks/15zl3gbc-xumt.js\”,\”/_next/static/chunks/2x1ykt3v697lm.js\”,\”/_next/static/chunks/01qf75_n803dw.js\”,\”/_next/static/chunks/0f0ug5mch3pkr.js\”],\”\”]\n12:I[79520,[\”/_next/static/chunks/3zmftm9fpr10z.js\”],\”\”]\n13:I[32700,[\”/_next/static/chunks/3zmftm9fpr10z.js\”],\”ChartbeatTracker\”]\n2:[\”$\”,\”html\”,null,{\”lang\”:\”en\”,\”dir\”:\”ltr\”,\”className\”:\”playfair_9b22208d-module__j_-Mhq__className playfair_9b22208d-module__j_-Mhq__variable isento_5a0b9ef0-module__X26Y-q__variable h-full\”,\”children\”:[[\”$\”,\”head\”,null,{\”children\”:[[\”$\”,\”style\”,null,{\”dangerouslySetInnerHTML\”:{\”__html\”:\”:root { –color-primary: #d85229; 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