Zoho’s Saudi Arabia operations in the Kingdom have been certified as a Class-B cloud service provider by the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST), following an audit of cybersecurity controls set by the Kingdom’s National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA).
The move positions Zoho to host public and restricted data for both government entities and private-sector customers inside the Kingdom, a key requirement under Saudi Arabia’s evolving cloud, data localisation, and Cloud Cybersecurity Controls (CCC) frameworks.
The certification lands at a time when CST is actively using regulations to transform Saudi Arabia into a regional data centre and cloud hub, aiming to attract investments and improve service quality in alignment with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 digital transformation goals. It's a strategic step forward for both Zoho and the Kingdom as Saudi Arabia accelerates cloud adoption across government and enterprise sectors.
Zoho has been steadily expanding its footprint in the Kingdom, with local hiring, a thriving partner ecosystem, and two Saudi data centres.
What Class-B certification means
CST’s registration system categorises cloud providers based on the sensitivity of data they are authorised to process. A Class-B certification enables Zoho to host and securely process both public and restricted data for government entities, private sector organisations, and non-profits within the Kingdom.
This reflects compliance with NCA’s Essential Cybersecurity Controls (ECC) and CCC, two of the most comprehensive cybersecurity frameworks in the region. These Cloud Cybersecurity Controls set out how cloud providers must protect data in areas such as access management, encryption, monitoring, and incident response, ensuring Zoho’s services are aligned with the Kingdom’s security expectations.
In practical terms, most CRMs, business applications, citizen-facing services, and enterprise workloads fall into this category, and Zoho is now formally authorised to support them in the Kingdom.
What this unlocks for customers
Confidence in compliance: Government and regulated private-sector organisations can now use Zoho services hosted in Saudi Arabia with the assurance that they meet national cybersecurity standards.
Local hosting, local governance: All data remains within the Kingdom, governed by the CST and NCA frameworks, ensuring complete alignment with data residency and cybersecurity expectations.
Faster procurement and deployment: Class-B certification removes friction from the vendor evaluation process, enabling organisations to adopt Zoho’s CRM and business applications without compliance hesitation.
"With our CST Class-B certification, we’re no longer just hosting services in a Saudi data centre; we’re operating under the same regulatory framework that governs our customers. This gives organisations in the Kingdom the confidence that Zoho meets the exact standards upon which their own policies are built."
— Hyther Nizam, President, Zoho Middle East and Africa
Advancing Saudi Arabia’s digital future
Zoho's Class-B certification supports the Kingdom’s ambitions to become a regional technology hub. By hosting modern business applications within a regulator-approved environment, Zoho contributes to:
- The modernisation of government services
- The empowerment of SMEs and enterprises
- The expansion of secure national digital infrastructure
- Cloud-driven innovation across all sectors
With the Kingdom prioritising a secure and resilient cloud ecosystem, Zoho is committed to delivering secure and compliant locally tailored solutions for Saudi Arabia’s digital ambitions.
Looking ahead
"This certification is part of Zoho’s long-term investment in Saudi Arabia. We will continue expanding our infrastructure, strengthening localised offerings, and adhering with regulatory compliance to ensure businesses and government entities have secure, reliable tools to build their digital future."— Saran Babu, Regional Director, Zoho Middle East and Africa
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