Riyadh launches the summit on smart surveillance
The Global Security and Technology Summit has been announced for December, at the end of a busy quarter of events. The collaboration between the Ministry of the Interior and Tuwaiq Academy paves the way for the operational implementation of new technologies, based on the ‘smart patrols’ model
Key points
In the Middle East, preparations are under way for a series of winter events focusing on new technologies. One new development stands out: the Global Security and Technology Summit (GSTS) represents an unprecedented event in the Saudi security landscape. Organised by the Ministry of the Interior in partnership with Tuwaiq Academy, the summit will take place in Riyadh from 18 to 20 December 2026 under the patronage of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. The Minister of the Interior, Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif, has emphasised the commitment to strengthening the security ecosystem and enabling digital transformation in the fields of national, regional and international security. Tuwaiq’s participation is by no means merely academic. On the contrary, it signifies a step forward for this type of event. Founded as part of Vision 2030 with the aim of training 100,000 programmers, the academy offers training courses and professional programmes in partnership with leading companies, including Apple, Meta, NVIDIA, Google Cloud, Amazon and Microsoft. Tuwaiq’s programmes cover a broad technological spectrum: JavaScript, Java, Kotlin, Python, Swift and a dedicated cybersecurity track aimed at qualifying professionals in the sector. The Academy also collaborates with the Uptime Institute to train data centre staff and with PeopleCert for ITIL 4 certifications.
The event
The summit’s programme will include discussions on specialised programmes, knowledge-sharing sessions and technical workshops. These cover four thematic pillars – cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, smart surveillance technologies and crisis management – bringing together government bodies, the private sector and academic institutions in a multi-stakeholder format. The GSTS forms part of an already well-established ecosystem of security events: Intersec Saudi Arabia, which will take place from 16 to 18 November at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Centre with over 500 exhibitors from more than 40 countries, and the Future Security Summit, which will feature an expanded agenda with increased international participation. What sets the GSTS apart is its specific focus on the convergence of technology and operational security. The choice of December 2026 – just a few weeks after Intersec and the Future Security Summit (November) and Saiif (a global competition offering winners prizes totalling over one million dollars) – suggests a deliberate strategy to maintain the security sector’s visibility throughout the quarter, creating a continuous ecosystem of events to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position as a regional hub for technological security.
Operations
The implementation of these projects is proceeding at a fairly rapid pace. In November 2024, the Ministry of the Interior launched a digital transformation project at the Special Forces Command for Security and Protection in Riyadh, with the aim of developing 12 systems based on the use of artificial intelligence technologies for command and control centres. The project has already enabled the deployment of ‘smart patrols’ equipped with drones, security documentation tools and state-of-the-art monitoring and tracking equipment. The GSTS’s objective is to launch further similar projects, making the Saudi market one of the most attractive for companies in the sector. Estimates suggest a turnover of over 3.4 billion dollars by 2030. To this must be added 6.8 billion dollars in the cyber sector alone. Not to mention smart surveillance, which is growing at a rate of 15 per cent per annum.
Geopolitics
A clear geopolitical theme is emerging around this series of events. The recent threats arising from the clashes around the Strait of Hormuz have brought with them a host of new dangers, both cyber and physical. Saudi Arabia’s cooperation with the United States has been strengthened through bilateral agreements signed by the NCA (National Cybersecurity Authority), and the GSTS serves as a tool for technological diplomacy to attract international partners and consolidate alliances in the ‘sixth dimension’ with both Western and regional players.
