Saudi Arabia Graduate Academy for Cyber Security Program Sees First Graduation of Saudi Nationals with Skills Needed to Lead Secure Digital Transformation
 
RIYADH, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia -- 7 July 2019:   Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, announced today the first Saudi national graduation from its Saudi Arabia Graduate Academy for Cyber Security Program, fueling high-value technology and cybersecurity jobs for the Saudi workforce of the future.
 
As Saudi Vision 2030 fuels diversified economic growth and digital transformation, the Kingdom’s IT market is set to grow by about SAR 22 billion to 2023, according to a recent report by market research firm Technavio. As Saudi organizations digitally transform, they face an urgent need for highly-skilled IT and cyber-security professionals.
 
Supporting Saudi IT job growth, Trend Micro received more than 2,800 applications from recent Saudi graduates in Engineering or Computer Science. The comprehensive Saudi Arabia Graduate Academy for Cyber Security Program includes general and technical skills development, including technical and soft-skills training. The program includes out-of-the-box challenges designed to put participants’ mental abilities to the test.
 
Participants shadow different teams in multiple areas of business development, system and technical consulting, engineering, marketing, technical support, and operations, enabling them to identify their talents for future career leverage.  Following the two-year-long program, the first cohort of 10 Saudi citizens has graduated and these participants have already found career placement in the Trend Micro ecosystem.
 
“The Graduate Academy for Cyber Security Program’s training provided was highly related in terms of soft skills and hard skills like cybersecurity protection services and malware analysis. ” said Razan Alkhudair, an Associate Systems Engineer at Trend Micro, who holds a Software Engineering degree from Al Yamamah University.
 
Hassan Al Sallam, who works as a Post-Sales and Customer Service Manager at Trend Micro, and holds a Computer Engineering degree from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, agreed: “What really impacted me the most was that the academy did not only focus on building my technical skills, but also my soft skills; I am learning new things every day.”
 
During the highly selective program, participants gain hands-on knowledge and skills across business development and systems engineering. Trend Micro is exchanging best practices on software development, sales, support, and professional services so that the program’s graduates can protect information across mobile devices, endpoints, gateways, servers, and cloud.
 
Reham Alyamani, who works in Sales and Marketing and Trend Micro after earning a Computer Information Systems degree from The University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, enjoyed the program: “I experimented with different roles, met different kinds of people from a variety of backgrounds, have seen results, and gave back to the community with charity work.”
 
Turki Alhazmi, who graduated from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals with a Computer Science degree, and is now a Technical Sales Engineer at Trend Micro, summed up: “Whether you decide this to be your lifetime career path, or just out of curiosity, the Graduate Academy will be a life-changing experience -- not only academically, but socially as well.”
 
In the near future, Trend Micro plans to expand the Graduate Academy for Cyber Security Program across the Middle East and North Africa, including to Egypt and Jordan.
 
“Saudi Arabia’s organizations need smart, technically proficient, and business-savvy Saudi nationals to lead the Digital Economy,” said Dr. Moataz Bin Ali, Vice President Trend Micro Middle East and North Africa. “Our Saudi Arabia Graduate Academy for Cyber Security Program has seen strong success in enabling young, educated Saudis to excel, and to support Saudi Vision 2030’s goals for high-demand IT jobs and enabling digital transformation.”