The UAE raises the cybersecurity benchmark in 2025: How will this impact tech businesses?

Op-ed by Hisham Al Gurg, CEO of Seed Group and The Private Office of Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum

Large-scale business events such as the Gulf Information Security Expo & Conference (GISEC Global) in Dubai and the inaugural Governance of Emerging Technologies Summit (GETS 2025) in Abu Dhabi accentuate the UAE’s strategic vision for cybersecurity and technology resilience. These events do more than attract global leaders — they are proof of the country’s intention to improve international dialogue and regulation in the digital age. And, as a bonus, attract global leaders in the sector.

Today, doing business in the UAE means operating in an environment where resilience, regulation, and readiness are foundational pillars.

The scale of participation at GISEC Global, with over 750 cybersecurity entities and more than 450 Chief Information Security Officers from around the world, displays growing international confidence in the UAE as a secure innovation base. Deemed as among the world’s third-largest cybersecurity gatherings, GISEC Global further elevates Dubai’s place as a capital for digital trust and transparency.

What further distinguishes the UAE is its government’s proactive stance in facilitating open, high-level dialogue around cybersecurity and emerging technologies. The launch of GETS 2025, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, truly exemplifies this vision.

Organised by the Advanced Technology Research Council in collaboration with the UAE Public Prosecution, this first-of-its-kind summit brought together technologists, policymakers, legal scholars, and youth leaders. It sought to develop meaningful dialogue surrounding AI ethics, post-quantum security, cross-border data governance, and the future of digital rights.

Notably, the unveiling of the UAE Public Prosecution’s Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025–2030 showcased a leap toward predictive, smart governance in the justice system — designed to enhance service quality while upholding ethical standards. This transformation (i.e., towards intelligent judicial systems) signals to businesses that the UAE is serious about digital transformation at all institutional levels.

The UAE’s forward-thinking approach to AI in cybersecurity reveals clear foresight, especially as global markets are projected to reach $298.5 billion by 2028 (Markets and Markets). National institutions like the UAE Cybersecurity Council and the Electronic Security Centre are driving efforts to build long-term cyber resilience. Collaborations on post-quantum cryptography with the Technology Innovation Institute further strengthen the nation’s influence as among the architects of next-generation security.

Besides clearly bringing in industry leaders and proponents, these gatherings inarguably help shape the regulatory and innovation system within which businesses must operate. For tech-driven enterprises, this translates into clearer compliance pathways, increased investor confidence, and a safer environment for innovation.

So when international leaders look to our nation as an operating ground for regional expansion, it echoes a deep trust in our tech architecture supported by progressive governance models. Hence, doing business in the UAE — and in Dubai specifically — means aligning with a digitally developed, strategically governed ecosystem.

Simply put, the country encourages global enterprises to participate in a future-focused setting where tech ingenuity flourishes under a shield of vigilance and accountability. To remain relevant, homegrown and global businesses must now assess if they are ready to fulfil the UAE’s standard for digital trust and resilience.