The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council hosted a small, private dinner with H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security for the U.A.E. Government, on Wednesday, February 19th at the Ritz Carlton Grand Canal in Abu Dhabi. The Honorable Martina Strong, U.S. Ambassador to the U.A.E., also attended this dinner, which enabled key U.S. and U.A.E. stakeholders to discuss trends, challenges, and opportunities for collaboration in the cybersecurity sector. During this dinner, the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council announced it would lead a U.S. Department of Commerce-certified trade mission to GISEC Global, which will be held 6-8 May 2025 in Dubai.

H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti outlined the U.A.E. National Cybersecurity Strategy launched during the World Governments Summit in February 2025. The five-year National Cybersecurity Strategy is aligned with the U.A.E.’s 2031 Vision and its five main pillars are governance, protection, innovation, establishing and building robust systems, and partnership. The strategy aims to provide a comprehensive governance framework for cybersecurity, bolster a secure digital environment, enhance national capacity and capabilities in digitization and cybersecurity for hyperscale, and build private and public partnerships at both national and international levels — all aimed at establishing the U.A.E. as a hub for technology, innovation, and artificial intelligence (AI). He lauded the support and collaboration from U.S. industry partners that continues to play a critical role in maintaining the U.A.E.’s status as a leader in cybersecurity. Referring to 2025 as the “Year of Community,” Dr. Al Kuwaiti emphasized the importance of partnerships and collaboration between industry and government to maintain security in the digital environment.

H.E. Dr. Al Kuwaiti also provided insights into the upcoming GISEC Global Conference to be held in Dubai from May 6-8, 2025. A collaboration with the U.A.E. Cybersecurity Council, Dubai Electronic Security Centre, Ministry of Interior and Dubai Police, GISEC is billed as the leading gathering ground for the global cybersecurity community. Top global cybersecurity enterprises, CISOs from major corporations across 200 countries, government officials and cybersecurity regulators, regional and international innovators, academics, and experts will come together to explore ways to lead cybersecurity transformations across sectors and nations. For more information, please click here. Dr. Al Kuwaiti encouraged industry partners to participate in the discussions, and in exercises that will be held during GISEC. He noted the involvement of academics, researchers, and universities in these initiatives as well, noting the need for “public-private-people partnerships” to ensure success in countering cybersecurity threats. 

H.E. Al Kuwaiti detailed the U.A.E.’s plans to host a Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI) Conference on the sidelines of GISEC. The U.A.E. plans to invite all 69 members of the CRI to the U.A.E. for this conference.  Dr. Al Kuwaiti anticipated that the conference will serve as an opportunity to showcase the new Crystal Ball ransomware threat intelligence sharing platform, an initiative co-developed by the U.A.E. and Israel and built on a Microsoft platform.  He added that the aim is to bring 35 nations on board the Crystal Ball ransomware threat intelligence sharing system by June 2025. Crystal Ball also provides early warning systems and is designed to enhance regional and international intelligence through collaboration and knowledge-sharing to effectively combat national-level cyber threats. Israel’s National Cyber Directorate and the U.A.E.’s Cyber Security Council lead this effort, along with technology partners like Microsoft, Israel’s Rafael Advanced Systems, and the U.A.E.’s CPX. 

President of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council Danny Sebright moderated a discussion with attendees about local and global trends in cybersecurity, including the impact of AI on the field. Attendees shared their perspectives on areas for collaboration and cooperation between U.S. and U.A.E. companies, as well as U.A.E. investments in the United States in this sector.  U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council members Lockheed Martin and GM Defense highlighted agreements signed during IDEX to enhance collaboration on cybersecurity including through a Lockheed Martin-led Center of Excellence as concrete examples of U.S. industry commitment to the U.A.E.’s efforts in this space. 

For information about the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s trade delegation to GISEC Global and for questions about the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s work in the cybersecurity sector, please contact Adam Karadsheh at akaradsheh@usuaebusiness.org.