General Secretariat - Doha
His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), stressed the importance of raising the level of cybersecurity to protect our countries and ensure their cybersecurity by confronting cybercrimes, which are among the most important security challenges whose severity has increased recently at both regional and international levels.
He also emphasised the need to strengthen strategic plans and take effective steps to raise awareness to counter cyber threats and to form strategic partnerships with several regional and international parties to enhance cybersecurity.
This came during His Excellency's speech at the third meeting of the GCC Ministerial Committee for Cybersecurity on Sunday, November 3, 2024, in the Qatari capital, Doha. The meeting was chaired by His Excellency Eng. Abdulrahman bin Ali Al Malki, President of the National Cyber Security Agency in the State of Qatar - president of the current session-, and attended by Their Excellencies the officials responsible for cybersecurity in the GCC countries.
At the beginning of the meeting, His Excellency the Secretary General extended his sincerest appreciation and gratitude to His Highness Shaikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of the State of Qatar and president of the current session of the Supreme Council of the GCC, for hosting this meeting, as well as for the facilities and support provided to ensure the success of the Cooperation Council's work, and for the support and attention given to joint Gulf work by His Highness and Their Majesties and Highnesses the leaders of the GCC countries.
His Excellency pointed out that the GCC Ministerial Committee for Cybersecurity has achieved remarkable achievements since its establishment in 2022, in this short period. "This confirms the deep commitment and interest in this field and the strong belief in the great benefits that will accrue to the security and economy of the GCC countries from the integration of cybersecurity entities. This is in fulfillment of the aspirations of Their Majesties and Highnesses, the leaders of the GCC countries, to elevate this GCC entity to higher, more advanced, and developed levels," His Excellency stated.
His Excellency also congratulated, during the speech, the significant progress and achievements made by the GCC countries in the field of cybersecurity and their excellence in this vital and important area globally. He stressed that five of the six GCC countries have been classified in the "first category" as leading models in the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) for 2024, issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialised agency of the United Nations, and includes the ranking of 194 countries worldwide in the global cybersecurity index.
Furthermore, His Excellency stated that the GCC countries have attached great importance to cybersecurity, entrusted to the GCC Ministerial Committee for Cybersecurity. "The GCC's vision for regional security, launched last March, includes a paragraph highlighting the importance of protecting our countries and ensuring their cybersecurity, and the need to intensify efforts in this field and develop plans and programmes that align with the GCC's vision for regional security," His Excellency concluded.
