RIYADH:  Fortinet®, the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, has reinforced its commitment to the Saudi market at its annual Security Day in Riyadh, KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), showcasing strong momentum across key verticals and announcing the availability of its full suite of services locally.
 
Held at the Fairmont Hotel in September, the Security Day is the largest and most comprehensive in-person Fortinet security event in KSA. Attended by over 500 people, including Fortinet executives, industry experts, and valued customers and partners, the event expanded on the concepts of convergence and consolidation to provide comprehensive cybersecurity protection for all users, devices, and applications across all network edges. Attendees were given a first-hand look into cybersecurity topics that are impacting industries across the region.
 
Fortinet Strengthens its Offering in KSA
 
With its full suite of services now available in the region, including sales, pre-sales, post-sales, incident response, business operations and localised TAC (Technical Assistance Center) support, Fortinet has strengthened its ability to service its Saudi customers and partners across numerous industries, including Enterprise, Commercial, Service Provider, Public Sector, and Financial Services.
 
Furthermore, Fortinet is expanding its market-leading SASE, OT security, and cloud security offerings in the market, and will host a dedicated OT event on October 4 for more than 150 customers and partners. 
 
OT Secure Talks Event
 
The OT Secure Talks event will feature industry leaders discussing the impact of digital transformation on industrial environments including global security best practices for OT.
 
Saudi Arabia relies heavily on critical infrastructure such as oil and gas facilities, power plants, water treatment facilities, smart cities, and transportation systems for economic stability and growth. The OT systems used to operate these industrial environments, if impacted by a security breach, can have a significant impact on the country’s economy and well-being.  Fortinet’s OT-aware Security Fabric offers purpose-built solutions to help safeguard critical infrastructure in the region.
 
Fortinet’s OT solution also seamlessly complies with global and local regulations such as the NCA OTCC -1: 2022, enabling organisations to more easily address evolving threats and secure digital transformation efforts.
 
Westlands Advisory recently named Fortinet as the sole leader in IT/OT Network Protection Platforms in its latest OT Security and Cybersecurity report. Fortinet is cited as one of the top and fastest-growing OT security vendors in an OT market they expect to grow to $33 billion by 2030.
 
Fortinet Supports KSA’s Path to Becoming a Global Leader in Technology and Innovation
 
In line with its Vision 2030 initiative, Saudi Arabia has recently launched investments worth $6.4 billion in future technologies. With further projected investments of $24.7 billion set for 2025, it’s believed to be among the highest government expenditure on technology in the world.
 
Furthermore, Saudi Arabia’s digital sector is already valued at around $40 billion, making it one of the largest in the region. The government has also invested $1.2 billion to improve the digital skills of 100,000 Saudi students by 2030, with a focus on cybersecurity and programming.  
 
Fortinet has initiated several initiatives to support Vision 2030, including advancing its efforts to close the cybersecurity skills gap and address the local talent shortage by building a new program for recent graduates at Fortinet in KSA. The company has also signed agreements with universities and other local academic institutions as part of the Academic Partner Program, providing Fortinet Training Institute certification curriculum to Saudi students as they prepare for a career in cybersecurity and to help build the country’s workforce of the future.
 
Sami AlShwairakh, Senior Regional Director, KSA, Fortinet
“Amidst a landscape of increasingly sophisticated threats and the global skills gap, we’re looking forward to empowering local talents, providing cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions, and fostering innovation that will play a pivotal role in securing the Kingdom's digital transformation journey. 
Fortinet continues to see strong momentum in the Saudi market and has an ongoing commitment to supporting Saudi companies of all sizes and across all industries as they accelerate in these areas. We invite them to join us on October 4 to learn how they can increase cybersecurity resiliency and keep their production and critical infrastructure secure.”