WEF, GCF to Establish Global Center for Cyber Economics in Riyadh

The Center’s research and studies will also provide robust tools for formulating policies and strategies to safeguard the global economy while contributing to enhancing cybersecurity around the world - SPA
The Center’s research and studies will also provide robust tools for formulating policies and strategies to safeguard the global economy while contributing to enhancing cybersecurity around the world - SPA
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WEF, GCF to Establish Global Center for Cyber Economics in Riyadh

The Center’s research and studies will also provide robust tools for formulating policies and strategies to safeguard the global economy while contributing to enhancing cybersecurity around the world - SPA
The Center’s research and studies will also provide robust tools for formulating policies and strategies to safeguard the global economy while contributing to enhancing cybersecurity around the world - SPA

The Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF) and the World Economic Forum (WEF) announced the signing of an agreement to establish the Center for Cyber Economics (CCE) in Riyadh, during the WEF Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland.
GCF and WEF aim to establish the Center as a global platform that addresses the economic dimension of cybersecurity. The Center will advance knowledge to enable decision-makers worldwide to build a deep understanding of the close relationship between economics and cybersecurity. The Center’s research and studies will also provide robust tools for formulating policies and strategies to safeguard the global economy while contributing to enhancing cybersecurity around the world, SPA reported.
Governor of the National Cybersecurity Authority Eng. Majed bin Mohammed Al-Mazyed, acting on behalf of the Board of Trustees, Global Cybersecurity Forum, noted that the establishment of the Center – a collaboration between GCF and WEF – forms part of cybersecurity efforts in Saudi Arabia that have culminated in its world-leading position in the sector. The Kingdom’s contributions to the cybersecurity sector at local, regional, and global levels have gained the Saudi model of cybersecurity recognition for its successful and pioneering approach.
Al-Mazyed added that the development of the Center for Cyber Economics sits within the framework of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s aims to build global platforms and launch pioneering global initiatives in various fields related to the sector, including the establishment of GCF as an institute by Royal Decree in 2023.
GCF aims to push knowledge boundaries, build the foundations for cooperation in Cyberspace, and leverage opportunities within the cybersecurity sector to enhance cyber resilience and enable prosperity around the world.



Oil Prices Held Down by Trump Tariff Uncertainty

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)
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Oil Prices Held Down by Trump Tariff Uncertainty

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)

Oil prices were little changed on Thursday, maintaining almost all of the previous session's losses on uncertainty over how US President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs and energy policies would affect global economic growth and energy demand.

Brent crude futures were up 18 cents at $79.18 a barrel by 1315 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) rose 14 cents to $75.58.

"Oil markets have given back some recent gains due to mixed drivers," said Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at brokerage Phillip Nova.

"Key factors include expectations of increased US production under President Trump's pro-drilling policies and easing geopolitical stress in Gaza, lifting fears of further escalation in supply disruption from key producing regions."

The broader economic implications of US tariffs could further dampen global oil demand growth, she added, Reuters reported.

Trump has said he would add new tariffs to his sanctions threat against Russia if the country does not make a deal to end its war in Ukraine.

He also vowed to hit the European Union with tariffs and impose 25% tariffs against Canada and Mexico. On China, Trump said his administration was discussing a 10% punitive duty because fentanyl is being sent from there to the United States.

On Monday he declared a national energy emergency intended to provide him with the authority to reduce environmental restrictions on energy infrastructure and projects and ease permitting for new transmission and pipeline infrastructure.

There will be "more potential downward choppy movement in the oil market in the near term due to the Trump administration's lack of clarity on trade tariffs policy and impending higher oil supplies from the US", OANDA senior market analyst Kelvin Wong said in an email.

On the US oil inventory front, crude stocks rose by 958,000 barrels in the week ended Jan. 17, according to sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Wednesday.

Gasoline inventories rose by 3.23 million barrels and distillate stocks climbed by 1.88 million barrels, they said.