F5 Networks backs pioneering Women in ICT initiative
Cybersecurity and cloud expert F5 Networks is backing a pioneering new initiative to develop and empower Saudi Arabian females in the ICT sector.
Hosted today at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Women in ICT is the largest event of its kind in the Kingdom to date. It is the brainchild of CellA+, a non-profit professional women catalyst operating under the umbrella of the Al-Nahda Philanthropic Society.
In addition to F5 Networks, the event is sponsored by Saudi Telecom (STC), the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and the Al-Nahda Philanthropic Society.
Women in ICT features a wide range of panels and workshops, all of which are presented by women. Over 500 Saudi females are expected to attend, including students, recent graduates, job seekers, young professionals, entrepreneurs, academics and senior leaders.
Key panel topics include cybersecurity, digital innovation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the impacts of game-changing technology trends.
All workshops have been specifically structured to engage, inspire and nurture critical skills, as well as raise awareness about career opportunities in fields such as cybersecurity, cloud computing and data analytics.
“Our mission is to highlight, support and celebrate female potential. Women in ICT disrupts the traditional conference model, providing an inspiring career development experience for current, future and emerging leaders,” said Dr. Ghada Al Arifi, CEO, CellA+.
“We want to change the mindset about women in the ICT industry and ensure Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning female talent get the support they need at every career juncture, whether it is in the public, private or academic sector.”
The event is timely, with global workforces consistently failing to adapt to the pace of innovation and shifting market demands.
According to the recent F5-sponsored Future of Multi-Cloud report, today’s enterprises are “hampered by a critical knowledge gap” and there is an urgent need for additional cloud experts. Meanwhile, the Global Information Security Workforce Study indicates there will be a cybersecurity workforce shortfall of 1,8 million by 2022. The same study reports that only 11% of global information security workers are women.
Initiatives like Women in ICT has strong ambitions to improve such statistical discrepancies across the Kingdom’s entire technology sector. It also aligns with Saudi 2030 Vision plans to increase total female participation in the workforce to 30% and lower unemployment for both genders to 7%.
“F5 Networks is proud to support Women in ICT. Events of this nature are essential to broaden and diversify the region’s talent pool, and it is hugely encouraging to see Saudi Arabia tackling the ICT gender gap with purpose and precision,” said Mamduh Allam, Regional Director – KSA & North Africa, F5 Networks.
