RIYADH — The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Cybersecurity Ministerial Committee has held its first meeting at the headquarters of the GCC Secretariat General in Riyadh in the presence of heads of specialized institutions in cybersecurity in GCC countries and GCC Secretary General Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf.

During the meeting that was hosted by Saudi Arabia, represented by the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA), the ministerial committee discussed work papers presented by GCC countries, which aim at enhancing cooperation in cybersecurity fields at the GCC level through several initiatives concerned with developing the cybersecurity sector.

Heads of cybersecurity institutions also discussed several issues of mutual interest in the cybersecurity field, including implementing joint cybersecurity exercises in GCC countries to enhance the exchange of cybersecurity information and expertise and contribute to developing the cybersecurity sector.

The GCC Ministerial Committee for Cybersecurity’s first meeting in Riyadh was chaired by NCA's Eng. Majed Bin Mohammad Al-Mazyed, and was attended by a number of the GCC senior officials.

The meeting discussed topics related to the common aspects of cooperation between the GCC states in cybersecurity, including the development of frameworks, policies, and joint procedures to address cyber threats.

It also discussed aligning efforts among the GCC states in various sectors, raising the level of international cooperation with countries and relevant organizations, and promoting and developing the cybersecurity industry in the GCC countries.

It sought to exchange knowledge, experiences, and studies related to cybersecurity, to create a safe cyberspace environment to protect the GCC countries from cyber threats.

During this meeting, the first Gulf cybersecurity exercise was launched, aimed at enhancing communication and information sharing among the GCC states.

It saw exchange of experiences between national cadres specialized in cybersecurity, raising the level of cyber readiness to confront cyber threats, in addition to finding innovative solutions to meet cyber challenges and threats. — SPA