On September 8, Axidian took part in Digital First Saudi, a high-level executive forum hosted by Events First Group. The event gathered over 300 cybersecurity professionals from the government and private sectors to discuss the technologies shaping Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation and moving towards the Saudi Vision 2030 program.
Georgy Ovanesyan, CEO at Axidian, was invited to moderate a panel titled: Cybersecurity’s Double-Edged Sword: AI’s Role in Defense and Offense
The session brought together thought leaders from banking, healthcare, infrastructure, and government sectors to address the growing complexity of securing digital systems.
AI, cybersecurity, and the path to Vision 2030
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 isn’t just about digital growth — it’s about national resilience. As Georgy noted during the panel, cybersecurity must be treated not as a standalone objective but as a core enabler of economic, societal, and governmental transformation.
Key points discussed included:
- How to balance innovation and control as digital services expand
- AI and cybersecurity in banking, including data privacy and fraud detection
- Digital health as a driver of national value, beyond patient care
- Cyber talent development and the need to build leadership capacity now
- Challenges of complying with NCA frameworks in fast-moving environments
- Cross-sector collaboration between government and enterprise
AI was another major topic at the event, seen both as a tool for automation and smarter decisions, and as a new avenue for potential attacks.
Why cybersecurity must be treated as a foundation
With over $13.3 billion invested in digital infrastructure and a cybersecurity market growing at 8.9% annually, Saudi Arabia is becoming a regional hub for digital innovation. But achieving the ambitions of Vision 2030 means building secure foundations across every sector.
For many organizations, that means:
- Adopting zero-trust models
- Modernizing access management
- Complying with frameworks like NCA ECC and Critical Systems Controls
- Rethinking public–private partnerships for cyber resilience
As a cybersecurity vendor operating across the GCC, Axidian is proud to contribute to this dialogue and to work with local partners on real implementation challenges.
Events like Digital First Saudi are crucial for exchanging ideas, challenging assumptions, and building lasting relationships between vendors, government, and enterprises.
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