During H1 2026.. The National Cybersecurity Academy Delivers Specialized Training Programs to Enhance National Cyber Readiness

The National Cybersecurity Academy has delivered a series of specialized training programs and cyber drills tailored to the needs and requirements of the Kingdom’s critical sectors during the first half of 2026, aiming to build specialized national capabilities in cybersecurity, raise cyber readiness among national entities, and thereby strengthen cybersecurity in the Kingdom.

The Academy’s programs, as part of the “CyberIC” Program for cybersecurity sector development, trained over 500 cybersecurity specialists from various government entities through the “Cybersecurity Training Program for National Entity Employees,” which offers intensive courses covering all cybersecurity domains. The second edition of the “National Cyber Drills Program” attracted more than 1,800 cybersecurity officials and specialists from over 300 national entities. The “National Cyber Drills Program” includes implementing a series of cybersecurity exercises across the Kingdom’s critical sectors. It aims to enhance the readiness of the Kingdom’s cyber defenders by familiarizing them with the latest methods and techniques employed in cyberattacks, while strengthening their capabilities to respond effectively through cybersecurity exercises that stimulate realistic scenarios. The scenarios are continuously updated and delivered through a specialized platform developed, hosted, and operated locally in collaboration with NCA’s technical arm, the Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE).

The Academy also engaged more than 200 judges in the third edition of the “Capacity‑Building Program for Judges,” which supports judicial work related to cybersecurity by highlighting the needs and priorities of the judicial sector, cybersecurity fundamentals, investigation processes, and procedures for requesting, collecting, and preserving digital evidence.

In addition, the Academy enhanced the skills of over 800 university students in its third edition of the “Cybersecurity Training Program for University Students,” implemented by the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) in collaboration with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and NCA’s technical arm, the Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE), to prepare graduates for careers in cybersecurity. The second edition of the “Cybersecurity Graduate Development Program” benefited approximately 400 recent bachelor's degree graduates from various cybersecurity-related majors by providing intensive courses and specialized workshops that equip them with the essential skills required by current and future industry demands.

The National Cybersecurity Academy’s programs reflect a comprehensive and diversified approach that covers all cybersecurity‑related fields and reaches all targeted national sectors. The Academy serves as a hub for training and qualifying specialized national personnel, narrowing the gap between supply and demand for cybersecurity talent, and contributing to the Kingdom’s cybersecurity enhancement through a number of specialized courses, training programs, and cyber drills that align with the needs of critical national sectors.