5 Middle East Security Issues: Progression in Saudi Arabia

There is the perception that there are many Middle Eastern security Issues that tourists and residents have to deal with. In this article, we will break down the perceived security issues in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and how discussion at the Security Middle East Conference addressed these and has opened the door for new transformations and solutions, all as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative.

The Five Middle East Security Issues of 2024

The First Middle East Security Issue is Tourism Security – Until the inception of the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative, a new framework designed to develop private and public sectors in innovative ways, away from a dependency on the historic oil economy of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom did not see particularly high levels of tourism, especially by non-executive clientele. Through the incorporation of training, and new channels of education, such as workshops designed by SAFE, the National Security Services Company in the Kingdom, there are new education and training paths which specifically train security professionals to operate in professional environments which see global visitors. Through these tourism security courses, guards and professionals learn how to interact with other cultures and foster safe environments in the process.

The second Middle East Security Issue is the matter of event security, this goes hand in hand with tourism security. Essentially, as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative, several new giga-projects are being built up, and many are consisting of brilliant stadiums for sporting and music events. With the educational courses preparing security guards for tourism, they will also be trained to deal with tourism events, and as a result, will be more than prepared to secure stadiums and events, when the Saudi Vision 2030 giga-projects require this security. As a result, individuals visiting conferences, exhibitions, concerts, football, wrestling, etc can feel safe and will be happy to immerse themselves in these incredible events. This can already be seen in the incredible developments taking place at Boulevard City, in Riyadh.

Due to the heat that bombards cities like Riyadh, the majority of activities in Saudi Arabia take place overnight, beginning with the rise of the moon. This means that security professionals need to be able to handle security issues at night, via the use of night-time equipment. This can be as simple as flashlights, or as complex as night-vision gear. Through the proper use of this equipment, individuals can be kept safe even on the streets, late into the night, and troublemakers can easily be identified, even in pitch-black. This equipment is already being used in Saudi Arabia to combat this existing Middle East Security Issue, and through the incorporation of more of this equipment, those visiting Saudi Arabia, and those within, will be able to feel even safer on the streets at night.

Our fourth Middle East security issue is that of cyber security in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom is known for its investments in grand builds, however, there are parts of the infrastructure of Saudi Arabia which are still operating on very, very old cyber security protocols. Companies, both within the Kingdom and on a global scale, are attempting to fix this problem, via the incorporation of backdating universal security platforms, new updates to physical equipment, such as new computers, a refresh of existing software, and more. Essentially, the Middle East is currently patching holes in its cybersecurity infrastructure, both on a large scale with massive government investment, as well as at more of a local level, with smaller companies helping to address this Middle East security issue, via their own investments into cyber security defences.

A final Middle East Security Issue, one that we have somewhat addressed already, is the existence of security training, and the prevalent talent gap within Saudi Arabia. The Security Middle East Conference 2023 highlighted this particularly, looking at ways in which the talent gap problem can be resolved. Many thought leaders suggested the development of courses, but also new employment opportunities, to grow companies and bring in more and more young professionals to be trained properly and appropriately. Through time, investment, and new career paths presented to the public, there is more reason for individuals to invest in education, and bolster their abilities in the process.

Interested in learning more about Middle East security issues? Find out the most prevalent security issues by checking out Security Middle East Magazine, the magazine which launched the conference site you’re currently on!