Dubai — GITEX Global 2025
As Saudi Arabia accelerates its digital economy under Vision 2030, cybersecurity has become a national priority not only as a defense mechanism but as an enabler of sustainable innovation. During GITEX Global 2025, Saudi ICT News spoke with Mohammed Moteb Alosaimi, Chief Cyber Security Officer at Huawei KSA, to explore how Huawei is strengthening cybersecurity resilience, nurturing local talent, and ensuring transparency in its digital infrastructure.
Adapting to the Fast-Paced Digital Transformation
When asked about the emerging cybersecurity challenges in Saudi Arabia’s expanding digital economy, Alosaimi emphasized that the real issue lies not only in cyber threats themselves but in the capability to adapt.
“With the massive digital transformation happening, cybersecurity challenges evolve alongside it,” Alosaimi explained.
“The key challenge is adaptation keeping up with emerging risks, building capabilities, and ensuring our cybersecurity controls evolve with technology. It’s not just about attacks or threats; it’s about having the resources and expertise to move fast and keep up with digital transformation.”
Human Capital: The Core of Cyber Resilience
Alosaimi identified talent shortage as one of the major issues facing the cybersecurity industry today.
“The main challenge is the availability of highly skilled cybersecurity professionals,” he noted.
“There are many experts in the market, but not enough to cover the full spectrum of cybersecurity needs. We need professionals who are constantly developing themselves, learning, and keeping pace with rapid changes.”
Compliance and Collaboration with Saudi Regulators
Huawei’s cybersecurity approach in Saudi Arabia is fully aligned with the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) frameworks and cloud regulations.
“We make sure we comply with all NCA regulations from cloud security to national standards,” said Alosaimi.
“We conduct both internal and third-party assessments to ensure compliance and continuously enhance our cybersecurity posture.”
Empowering Local Talent Through Training and Knowledge Sharing
Huawei’s commitment to developing local cybersecurity expertise is a key part of its Saudi strategy.
“We have the Future Leaders Program that includes a cybersecurity track,” he revealed.
“Beyond that, we organize workshops and training sessions to share Huawei’s cybersecurity practices with the local community. This helps increase knowledge and build collective capabilities across the Saudi cybersecurity ecosystem.”
Transparency and End-to-End Security
Asked what makes Huawei’s cybersecurity approach distinctive, Alosaimi highlighted transparency and end-to-end integration as its foundation.
“Huawei embeds cybersecurity across every stage of the product and governance lifecycle,” he said.
“We call it end-to-end cybersecurity covering every phase from design to deployment. We are transparent with our customers, even taking them to Huawei’s global Cybersecurity & Privacy Centers to demonstrate our practices and assurance mechanisms.”
Balancing AI Innovation with Data Protection
On how Huawei maintains data protection and privacy while advancing AI and cloud innovation in the Kingdom, Alosaimi described a “regulatory triangle” approach.
“We see AI, cybersecurity, and privacy as a triangle,” he explained.
“We align with all Saudi Cyber Security regulations , ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data. Compliance and innovation can coexist being compliant doesn’t stop you from being innovative. It’s about completing the triangle.”
Cybersecurity as a Business Enabler
Alosaimi concluded with a broader message about how organizations should view cybersecurity.
“Cybersecurity should not be seen as a support function it’s an enabler for business,” he stressed.
“There’s no such thing as a risk-free environment, but we must focus on aligning cybersecurity with business strategy. It’s an investment that brings returns through trust, resilience, and sustainable growth.”
Closing Thoughts
Huawei’s approach, as described by Mohammed Moteb Alosaimi, reflects a holistic view of cybersecurity one that combines local compliance, human capital development, and transparency. As Saudi Arabia continues to build its digital infrastructure, Huawei aims to stand as a trusted partner, ensuring that security remains at the heart of innovation.
