The League of Arab States, known as Al-Jāmiʿah al-ʿArabiyyah or Al-Jāmiʿah al-Duwal al-ʿArabiyyah in Arabic, is a regional collaboration between countries located in the Middle East and Africa. Its goal is to enhance political, cultural, economic, and social cooperation among its members and with other organizations. The League currently includes 22 members, such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Somalia, Djibouti, and other states. Initially, the organization focused on economic and defence cooperation, but it has since expanded to encompass collaboration in other areas with the addition of new members.
The Council of Arab Ministers of Cybersecurity is an initiative proposed by Saudi Arabia to bring Arab states together to address cyber threats and build resilience against cyber attacks. Threats from cyberspace are a major global security challenge, and Arab states need to work together to protect their economies and critical infrastructure. With the region’s estimated cyber defence market set to reach $31 billion by 2030, the need for strong cyber defence measures is understandable.
As we reported in a previous article, the UAE and Saudi Arabia aim to become the leading cyber defence powers in the region in the next decade, with both states taking the appropriate government measures to make them popular destinations for industry academics, businesses, research, and innovation.
The council is tasked with addressing a number of issues, including the consideration of all cybersecurity concerns; the development of all security, economic, developmental, and legislative levels, and the taking of necessary recommendations and decisions in this regard; and the proposal of policies, standards, projects, and initiatives that aim to improve security in the Arab League member states. The council aims to facilitate regional coordination in addressing cyber incidents such as attacks on critical infrastructure, data breaches, and cyber espionage. Prompt and coordinated responses are crucial in mitigating the impact of these incidents and preventing future attacks. The council will also prioritize promoting cyber resilience in the region by enhancing the cybersecurity capabilities of government agencies, businesses, and individuals. The council will have an executive office and general secretariat located in Riyadh, as suggested by Saudi Arabia.
“The field of cybersecurity has become a major pillar of any security system, and there cannot be economic development, for example, without the provision of cybersecurity, with all its elements for society and citizens,” said Hossam Zaki, the assistant secretary-general of the Arab League.
“Of course, I would like to thank the Kingdom for its support and efforts in enhancing joint Arab action in the field of cybersecurity,” he added.
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Arab-League
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2371501/saudi-arabia
Author:
Loránd Székely
(UPS student)