RIYADH: Internet security is gaining prominence in Saudi Arabia, with an increasing number of cybersecurity firms getting registered in the Kingdom to engage in commercial activities. According to the Minister of Commerce’s summary bulletin released last week, the number of cybersecurity firms registered in Saudi Arabia grew by 52 percent to reach 2,229 in the second quarter from 1,462 in the year-ago period. The bulletin also showed that Riyadh topped the list in issuing 1,424 registrations, followed by Makkah at 373, the Eastern Province at 278, Madinah at 56 and Qassim at 23. The spurt in numbers echoed the global cybersecurity community’s outlook on the growing awareness in Saudi Arabia about internet threats as the Kingdom upgrades its legislation, regulations and infrastructure to meet the challenge. According to the Swiss firm International Institute for Management Development, Saudi Arabia came second on the Global Cybersecurity Index in the World Competitiveness Yearbook for 2023. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has faced increasing numbers of cyberattacks, especially due to the rise in digital devices such as smartphones, tablets and computers. The Kingdom was the target of 7 million cyberattacks in the first two months of 2021. The National Cybersecurity Authority and bodies such as the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones, and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, have been instrumental in the Kingdom’s rise in the field of cybersecurity, advancing laws, controls and talent development. Commercial registers in other sectors The Minister of Commerce’s summary bulletin also highlighted that it issued 56,363 commercial registers in the second quarter, adding to over 1.35 million currently active in the Kingdom. Among the total registrations issued between April and June, Riyadh again topped the list at 17,870, followed by Makkah at 12,858, the Eastern province at 8,922, Madinah at 3,332 and Asir at 2,447. The wholesale and retail industry led the way with 19,804 registrations, representing 34 percent of all the commercial registers issued during the quarter. The construction sector followed with 9,209, and the accommodation and catering services sector with 7,151. Other sectors included manufacturing, administrative and support services, transportation and warehousing, real estate, cybersecurity, robotics and artificial intelligence.