ManageEngine Highlights Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Role and Cybersecurity for Smart Cities

During an ongoing media visit to its headquarters in India, ManageEngine provided journalists with in-depth insights into its strategy for the Middle East, emphasizing Saudi Arabia’s growing importance as a strategic market and the company’s solutions for cybersecurity and smart city development.

Saudi Arabia: A Core Market for Growth

Nirmal Kumar Manoharan, Vice-President of Revenue Operations at ManageEngine, highlighted that Saudi Arabia ranks among the company’s top global markets. “Our investments in local data centers and direct market presence reflect a long-term commitment to supporting digital transformation in line with Saudi Vision 2030,” he said.

Manoharan explained the company’s hybrid go-to-market strategy, combining direct sales in countries such as the U.S. and U.K. with local partnerships in Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This approach has enabled sustainable growth while maintaining high-quality technical and commercial support.

He also pointed out that ManageEngine solutions are designed for simplicity and ease of deployment, allowing Saudi enterprises to adopt advanced technologies without heavy investments in human or technical resources. To ensure regulatory compliance, ManageEngine has invested over USD 10 million in data centers in Riyadh and Jeddah, serving hundreds of public and private sector organizations while adhering to SAMA, GACA, and data protection requirements.

“Building relationships and understanding the local culture are crucial for success in strategic sectors such as oil and gas,” Manoharan added. Saudi Arabia consistently ranks among ManageEngine’s top ten global markets in revenue, reflecting growing institutional trust in the company’s solutions.

Cybersecurity and AI: Pillars of Smart Cities

Subhalakshmi Ganapathy, Chief IT Security Evangelist at ManageEngine, discussed the increasing significance of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) in the development of smart, knowledge-driven cities, including NEOM and other projects under Saudi Vision 2030/2031.

Ganapathy explained that smart cities rely on digital twins and AI systems to monitor and manage infrastructure and public services in real time, from traffic and energy distribution to government facilities. “Any misalignment between the physical city and its digital twin can disrupt operations, affecting public safety and emergency response,” she warned.

While AI improves operational efficiency, optimizing traffic management, energy allocation, and predictive maintenance, it also introduces cybersecurity vulnerabilities, especially when processing unstructured data or integrating multiple applications. Ganapathy emphasized the need for AI-driven cognitive defense systems that detect anomalous behavior and respond automatically to threats.

The convergence of IT and operational technology (OT) has heightened cybersecurity challenges, particularly in interconnected systems such as power grids, traffic signals, surveillance networks, and smart sensors. Regional factors add complexity: in MENA, protecting smart city infrastructure, biometric identities, autonomous systems, and central control centers is a priority, whereas Southeast Asia faces increased risks to digital payments and sensitive data.

She highlighted the evolution of ransomware attacks into stealthier forms, where data is exfiltrated quietly over weeks, making traditional backups insufficient. Modern attacks occur in milliseconds, necessitating automation and AI-enabled response for effective threat mitigation.

ManageEngine’s cybersecurity approach integrates identity management, endpoint protection, threat analytics, data security, and compliance in a scalable, customizable platform to meet diverse sector requirements. “Staying ahead of future threats requires continuous knowledge updates, AI-enabled secure systems, and rapid device response,” Ganapathy concluded.

Supporting Vision 2030 Through Technology

The media visit reinforced ManageEngine’s commitment to Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation, highlighting both its strategic market approach and its role in ensuring cybersecurity for intelligent urban infrastructure. By combining local engagement, innovative IT solutions, and advanced cybersecurity strategies, ManageEngine continues to support enterprises and governments in the Kingdom in achieving the goals of Vision 2030.

Subhalakshmi Ganapathy, Chief IT Security Evangelist at ManageEngine