Fortinet, a global cybersecurity company, released its 2024 Cloud Security Report, which provides critical insights into the current trends driving cloud security. It focuses on the key challenges that organizations face in safeguarding complex cloud environments and offers a thorough examination of security solutions and strategies to ensure effective protection of data and systems.

“As Saudi Arabia steadily progresses toward digital transformation and increasingly relies on cloud computing solutions to achieve the goals of Vision 2030, the importance of securing these cloud environments is becoming even more apparent, and is now a top priority for organizations in the region,” said Sami Alshwairakh, senior director for Saudi Arabia at Fortinet.

“The 2024 Cloud Security Report underscores the challenges and best practices that Saudi businesses must address to ensure the security and compliance of their cloud-based operations.”

The report, based on a comprehensive survey of 927 cybersecurity professionals worldwide, offers valuable guidance for Saudi organizations seeking to adopt cloud computing technologies safely and efficiently.

“The release of this report underscores Fortinet’s commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation journey by offering advanced security solutions that help organizations protect their cloud environments and enhance their cybersecurity capabilities,” the company said in a statement.

According to the report, 78 percent of organizations globally are adopting hybrid and multi-cloud strategies. These organizations prefer integrating multi-deployment operations into a single operational environment to leverage the flexibility, control, and unique advantages offered by various cloud services.

The report indicates that 43 percent of these organizations prefer hybrid infrastructure that combines both public and private cloud platforms. Meanwhile, 35 percent are adopting a multi-cloud strategy, reflecting a preference for leveraging the strengths of different cloud service providers to meet various use cases. These global trends align with the Saudi government’s focus on supporting the adoption of cloud computing technologies and diversifying cloud service providers, which contributes to the digital transformation across all sectors in the Kingdom.

Security and compliance issues are the primary barriers to faster adoption of multi-cloud strategies, cited by 59 percent of respondents in the report. Additionally, 49 percent of participants recognize that resource limitations, including a lack of staff expertise and budget constraints, pose significant hurdles to the success of cloud initiatives.

A high-level delegation from Abu Dhabi, led by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, participated in the Future-Food Tech Summit in Chicago, showcasing the AgriFood Growth and Water Abundance cluster launched earlier last month by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

Led by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development and ADIO, AGWA is an integrated economic cluster that plays a leading role in global efforts to tackle food shortages and water scarcity, and aims to be a global hub for novel food and ingredients, as well as technologies to increase the efficient use of water resources.

The delegation at the Future-Food Tech Summit in Chicago featured senior representatives from ADIO, Abu Dhabi’s government agency responsible for inward investment; Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem; the Technology Innovation Institute, an advanced technology research center in Abu Dhabi; as well as Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, the food safety, food security and biosecurity regulator in Abu Dhabi.

Participation in the Future-Food Tech Summit, one of the world’s biggest gatherings for leaders of the global food industry, marks the latest in a series of activities by Abu Dhabi since the launch of AGWA. Leading Abu Dhabi research centers, including the Advanced Technology Research Council, ADIA Lab, Khalifa University, United Arab Emirates University and Hub71 agreed to collaborate to accelerate innovation, talent development and advanced research, to tackle food shortages and water scarcity globally.

Additionally, ADIO, ADAFSA, and the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council announced that they will collaborate to streamline regulatory approvals and support mechanisms to enable the deployment of more efficient and effective solutions in the agriculture, food and water sectors.

The AGWA agreements also include major infrastructure partners such as Abu Dhabi Ports Company, Abu Dhabi Airports Company, Abu Dhabi Distribution Company, and Masdar City, which have agreed to collaborate with ADIO in creating an enabling environment for AGWA cluster companies.

The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment also announced the formation of a steering committee that will work to create the regulatory environment necessary to accelerate Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading global food and water hub on the national level.

Fatima Al-Dhaheri, head of the AGWA Cluster, said: “Our US tour has been instrumental in forging strategic alliances in food and water innovation. We identified promising opportunities for collaboration with global leaders, and showcased AGWA’s vision to a global audience. Together with our partners, we can drive innovation, develop advanced solutions, and tackle global challenges, significantly enhancing the scale, diversity, and accessibility of food ecosystems worldwide.”