A New Hub in Saudi Arabia

Established in 2026, the GCSP Alumni Hub in Saudi Arabia is set to enrich our growing global network of now 37 Alumni Hubs worldwide and will help foster a strong local community in one of our priority countries for the year. At the helm of this new Hub are two alumni: Ms Lamyaa Abdellateef, a protection, mediation and advocacy expert, experienced in addressing and protecting civilians from violence and abuse in accordance with international, regional human rights instruments, and international humanitarian law; and Mr Ayman Alkhalifah, an experienced cybersecurity leader and strategist with over 20 years of experience in security architecture, governance, and enterprise technology operations. They will both bring their dedication and leadership to this role.

As they embark on this new adventure, we asked them a few questions about their vision for the hub, the role of the GCSP network in their careers, and the impact of the courses they took with us.

1. The Saudi Arabia Hub within the GCSP Network

As Ms Lamyaa Abdellateef explains, the Saudi Arabia Hub sits at a genuinely interesting intersection and based in a country that is going through a significant strategic transformation under Vision 2030, while being a centre point of a region that is key to almost every security dynamic globally.

Therefore, the hub could serve as a platform to connect alumni, exchange professional knowledge and encourage meaningful dialogue on current and emerging security challenges, echoes Mr Ayman Alkhalifah.

Both hub leaders express that they are keen to position the hub as a bridge between the broader GCSP network and Saudi-based security professionals. They aim to do so through practical discussions, knowledge-sharing sessions, and networking opportunities.

2. The Role of the GCSP Alumni Network in Professional Development

“The GCSP’s professional network has been very valuable to me because it brings together professionals from different sectors, countries, and backgrounds who share a common interest in security and strategic issues”, states Mr Alkhalifah. Having taken our cybersecurity courses, he found that the GCSP community allowed him to look at cybersecurity not only as a technical discipline but also as a strategic, policy, and governance-related domain. This wider perspective has supported his work in security architecture, regulatory compliance, and risk management.

Conversely, Ms Abdellateef is an alumna of our leadership and peacebuilding course, and the skills she acquired have accompanied her in her work across conflict-effected environments such as South Sudan, Iraq, Egypt, and Syria. A stand-out for her was the GCSP community’s intersectional approach to gender and security: “The GCSP's commitment to gender-balanced, cross-regional, and interdisciplinary dialogue, which I experienced in during the course, gave me the confidence to advocate for those perspectives in my own work”.

Their experiences both speak to the fact that the GCSP’s alumni network and its community have a wide-reaching impact personally, that stretches beyond the professional completion of a course.

3. What Distinguishes the GCSP Alumni Community

Isabelle Gillet, Head of Alumni & Community Engagement: What distinguishes the GCSP Alumni Community for you, both at the Saudi level and internationally, and how do you see its added value for security professionals navigating complex policy environments today?

Ms Lamyaa Abdellateef: What distinguishes a GCSP Alumnus, in my experience, is that they tend to be practitioners who also think, rather than theorists who occasionally observe. The community spans military officers, UN officials, diplomats, civil society leaders, researchers, and government policymakers, and because GCSP courses encompasses peer exchange, the relationships GCSP builds are substantive from the start, including discussions about hard problems, how people think under pressure, how they approach their work. That depth of connection is unusual, and it holds up over time in a way that networks rarely do.

Mr Ayman Alkhalifah: For security professionals, the value of such a community lies in the opportunity to exchange knowledge, learn from others, and understand challenges beyond one’s own organisation or country. Professional communities such as the GCSP’s Alumni community play an important role in building trust, cooperation, and shared understanding. Having access to diverse experiences and perspectives is especially valuable in today’s rapidly evolving security environment.

4. The Lasting Impact of GCSP Courses

Mr Alkhalifah is one of our returning alumni, having taken two courses with us on cybersecurity in 2015. What he remembers most about these courses was the balance they offered between technical cybersecurity topics and strategic policy thinking. The way these courses linked cybersecurity with strategy, regulation, risk management, and business objectives ultimately supported his professional journey by strengthening his ability to think strategically, communicate with different stakeholders, and connect technical security decisions with wider organisational and national priorities.

After more than a decade of field-based work across complex environments, Ms Abdellateef decided to undertake our peacebuilding course to delve into what peacebuilding actually is, who it serves, what its limits are, and what leadership in that space really demands of a person. From her point of view, the diversity of backgrounds present amongst the participants allowed her to sharpen her thinking rather than retreat to positions she already held. This dynamic thinking is an element that continues to bring to her current professional experience, noting that this kind of cognitive impact is rare, and a genuinely formative learning experience.