Riyadh, Jumada II 3, 1439, Feb 19, 2018, SPA -- The Saudi Cyber Security and Programming Federation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SANS Institute today, in a move that aims to exchange knowledge, transfer technology and localize capabilities. The MoU was signed by the Federation’s Vice Chairman, Dr. Abdullah Sharaf Alghamdi. "Signing this agreement with a distinguished company in cyber security training such as SANS will open great horizons for the members of the Federation through professional certifications” said HE Saud Alqahtani, the President of the Saudi Cyber Security and Programming Federation. “The MoU will enable the localization of cyber security skills in national critical infrastructures and contribute in realizing the Kingdom’s Vision 2030” said HE Mr. Alqahtani. HE also thanked the Federation’s coordination team, which included Dr. Abdullah Alghamdi, Dr. Jalal Almuhtadi, Eng. Sulaiman Almukhadish, and Eng. Mohammed Alshamrani. The SANS Institute is the world's largest and most trusted provider of specialized training courses in cybersecurity. It was established in 1989 and has more than 140,000 alumni worldwide. According to the MoU, the SANS Institute, in cooperation with the Federation, will organize training courses and national competitions for school and university students and offer programs to evaluate and strengthen cyber security skills. The agreement also includes delivering advanced cyber security courses and organizing joint conferences and events. --SPA 18:46 LOCAL TIME 15:46 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w615785