E-Paper
Sign In
300,000 jobs: Mena countries face severe shortage of cybersecurity professionals
Middle East has emerged as the most attacked region within the broader Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (EEMEA) zone, says Mastercard’s Cyber Pulse Report 2026
- PUBLISHED: Wed 10 Jun 2026, 1:33 PM UPDATED: Thu 11 Jun 2026, 6:16 PM
The Middle East, North Africa, and Africa (Mena) region is facing a severe shortage of cybersecurity professionals, estimated to be 300,000, Mastercard’s Cyber Pulse Report 2026 said, quoting The Middle East Insider.
The report revealed that 43 per cent of regional organisations admitted that they were operating with understaffed security teams.
Recommended For You
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
Quoting a study by Programs, it added that Africa faces an even more acute crisis, with only 20,000 certified cybersecurity professionals serving the entire continent.
The Cyber Pulse Report 2026 added that heightened geopolitical tensions are contributing to an uptick in scam activity and greater dependence on back-up authorization systems, underscoring increased pressure on fraud control and business continuity processes.
Some of the top scams that proliferated during the recent conflict include travel refund scams, evacuation and repatriation-themed websites, fund transfer, fake humanitarian and relief donation scams among others.
The industries that have been targeted in scams include public sector, technology, financial services, industrial, media, energy communication, research and transportation.
Selin Bahadirli, executive vice president of services for Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa at Mastercard, the region is one that defies any single definition.
"It is filled with incredible potential. Change is everywhere, and in an increasingly interconnected landscape, it is unfolding at unprecedented speed. The rapid pace of digital transformation has unlocked considerable opportunities for growth and innovation. Across markets at very different stages of digital maturity, technology has become fundamental to how economies function and how people live, work, and transact," she said in the report.
Bahadirli pointed out that as digital ecosystems expand, cyber threats are no longer isolated technical challenges. "They increasingly carry consequences for business continuity, customer trust, and economic stability. Across EEMEA, organizations are operating in an environment marked by growing complexity, an evolving geopolitical environment, and more persistent, sophisticated cyber activity."
