UNITAR launches its first global cybersecurity office in Riyadh

New Office aims to support global cyber resilience by advancing cybersecurity cooperation, capacity-building, research and workforce development

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) has established its first office dedicated to cybersecurity.Through training, research, policy development and knowledge exchange, the Riyadh-based UNITAR Cybersecurity Office will support efforts to strengthen cyber resilience globally.
 
The new Office is the third office in the UNITAR network, joining those in Hiroshima, Japan, and Bonn, Germany.Its establishment reflects Saudi Arabia’s expanding role in hosting platforms for international collaboration and supporting global initiatives in cybersecurity.
 
Michelle Gyles-McDonnough, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UNITAR, said, “Cybersecurity is a global imperative that demands global cooperation - no country can build resilience in isolation. We are pleased to launch in Riyadh the world’s first UNITAR office dedicated to cybersecurity, a choice that reflects the Kingdom’s role in advancing collective progress in this domain. By connecting people and institutions across regions, the new office will contribute to bridging the critical gap in cybersecurity capabilities worldwide and, ultimately, help to turn shared risk into shared resilience.” 

The UNITAR Cybersecurity Office, in cooperation with the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA), the national authority in charge of cybersecurity in the Kingdom, and the national reference in all its affairs, will contribute to developing the skills of a broad range of beneficiaries around the world.
 
“Strengthening cybersecurity requires more than technology, it also demands investment in people, skills, and institutions. Through this partnership with UNITAR, we aim to advance capacity-building and knowledge exchange that strengthen cyber resilience not only for the Kingdom and the region, but for the wider international community,” said H.E. Eng. Majed M. Al-Mazyed Governor of NCA, at the signing ceremony.

The new Office adds momentum to Saudi Arabia’s collaborative efforts to strengthen global dialogue and collaboration across multiple sectors. In 2025, Saudi Arabia and the United Nations jointly announced the Global Initiative for Capacity Building in Cyberspace, which aims to accelerate efforts to address critical cybersecurity capacity gaps around the world.The Kingdom is also home to a growing number of regional and international entities focused on cybersecurity,including the Arab Cybersecurity Ministers Council, the Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF), and the Centre for Cyber Economics, established in partnership between GCF and the World Economic Forum.