Proofpoint, Inc, a leading cybersecurity and compliance company, has appointed a new Country Leader for Saudi Arabia to manage the overall business operations in the kingdom, and to continue driving its expansion in the region. 

A cybersecurity expert, Abdullah Aljandal has more than two decades of experience in the IT industry.

In his new role, Aljandal will be responsible for acquiring new customers, developing the high-performing local team, and driving innovation and growth in the market.

He has a long track record of success and is well-versed in understanding and addressing customer challenges, as well as leading and coaching successful sales functions, a statement said.

As the cyber threat landscape in Saudi Arabia continues to evolve, human error remains the top concern for CISOs in the kingdom, with 84% citing this as their biggest vulnerability, according to Proofpoint’s 2024 Voice of the CISO Report.

But while regional security leaders in the kingdom are concerned about cyberattacks, they are demonstrating increasing confidence in their ability to defend against them: 67% of CISOs in Saudi feel prepared to cope with a cyberattack, an increase from 51% last year.

The majority (96%) are looking to deploy AI-powered capabilities to help protect against human error and advanced human-centred cyber threats. 

“Organisations in the kingdom face a rapidly evolving threat landscape, and our main objective over the coming years is to continue protecting companies in the region with innovative, AI-powered solutions,” said Emile Abou Saleh, Senior Regional Director, Middle East, Turkey, Africa, and Northern Europe at Proofpoint.

"As we continue to expand in the Middle East, Abdullah’s impressive track record and ability to identify and grow new business opportunities will help us deliver our vision of human-centric cybersecurity in the Saudi market, protecting more organizations in the region.

“We now have an exceptional opportunity to further strengthen our commitment in Saudi Arabia," said Aljandal.

“I look forward to bringing Proofpoint’s award-winning, innovative solutions to market, to help organizations in the kingdom navigate a complex and ever-evolving cyber threat landscape, to better protect their people and defend their data.”

Prior to joining Proofpoint, Abdullah held positions at Splunk, F5 Networks, FireEye and Cisco where he drove business development and sales in the region. – TradeArabia News Service