More Saudi Arabian women are joining the workforce than ever before. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has spearheaded initiatives to change economic and societal rules as part of his Vision 2030 plan to diversify the country’s economy.
According to statistics published by the Saudi Federation for Cyber Security, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), the rate of participation of women in Saudi Arabia’s cybersecurity sector reached 45 per cent. The global representation of women in the cybersecurity field is about 75 per cent.
In late 2018, around 20 per cent of adult women held jobs or were actively looking for one. By the end of 2020, women participation rate stood at about 33 per cent, according to the Brookings Institution.
Women’s role has become highly visible in cybersecurity, which is one of the most vital sectors and where they have proved their ability to be effective partners.
One of the groups that support the role of women in the cyber security sector is Hemaya Association, a group of cyber security specialists. Hemaya is a non-profit organisation, registered with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD), which provides training in the information security field.
The association, since its inception, has been enhancing the presence of women in the field of cybersecurity, Abrar Alrefaei, Deputy CEO of Information Security at Hemaya, told Saudi Gazette.
The Chief Information Security Officer at Saudi National Bank, Rasha Abu AlSaud, told Saudi Gazette that due to the recent hacking attempts, cyber security has an important role. And it is necessary to form a competent and independent team in each facility to evaluate the controls independently at all times.
In 2017, women constituted about 11 per cent of the workforce in the cybersecurity field, while in 2019 the percentage increased to reach 24 per cent globally, according to a study conducted by (ISC)², the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, for the workforce in the global information security field.
