Dubai is shaping a cyber resilient society, says top official

Dubai is not just building a secure digital environment, but shaping cyber resilience society on the anticipated threats with agility that recover with speed, said Abdullah Al Suwaidi, director of Cybersecurity Planning and Performance Department, Dubai Electronic Security Center.

Speaking during the opening keynote at the FutureSec 2025 conference organised by Khaleej Times, he said the emirate looks to “transform every challenge into an opportunity".

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He added that challenges have never prevented Dubai from pursuing its ambitions, and they will never.

“Let us continue to innovate, collaborate and fortify so that Dubai remains a global leader in cyber security and a beacon of safety and progress in this connected world,” Al Suwaidi said during the conference, which was attended by hundreds of cybersecurity professionals from the public and private sector.

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He added that the goal is to keep the city’s digital infrastructure resilient, forward-thinking and secure.

“But resilience isn't built on technology and regulation alone. It depends on people — skilled, prepared and empowered individuals. That's why our Cyber Security Centre and the Dubai Cyber Innovation Park are at the heart of our strategy.

“We work side-by-side with government entities to grow national talents, equipping teams with the expertise they need to defend against today’s threats,” said the director of the Cybersecurity Planning and Performance Department at Dubai Electronic Security Center.

Founded in 2014, the centre was established to ensure that Dubai becomes a leader in cyber security and the protection of information from external cyber threats. The centre reinforces the technological progress and smart transformation that has been adopted and engrained in the foundations of the emirate, by establishing Dubai as a global leader in innovation, safety and security.

Abdullah Al Suwaidi added that the centre took another bold step forward by releasing its Post-Quantum Cryptography Guidelines, ensuring that the city is not just ready for the current threats, but also for those that will emerge in the quantum era.

“We also conduct regular audits every government entity and it is assessed against ISR (Information Security Regulation) standards to make sure that that multi-layer defences are not just in place, but are working as intended,” he said at the one-day conference.

Earlier, Ted Kemp, chief content officer of Khaleej Times, delivered the welcome address, where he urged the cybersecurity industry and media to work together.

He added that the lines between human and machine adversary are blurring, and the consequences for organisations alike are profound.

“The profile of the typical cyber assailant has shifted far beyond the basement-bound teenage prodigy that many out there still imagine. In fact, it's even gone beyond that of the determined, geographically remote criminal syndicate. We now face an era of AI versus AI, where your own best efforts will have to evolve with the same speed as new intelligence-driven angles of attack,” he said.

He urged media and security professionals  to keep working together. “Our shared mission is to inform, protect and empower so let's make today's FutureSec summit a platform for cooperation, innovation and renewed commitment to securing that future that belongs to all of us,” he added

• Dubai

Waheed Abbas

Waheed Abbas is Assistant Editor, covering real estate, aviation and other business stories that dir...Read More

waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com