The UAE Cyber Security Council and SCC Middle East are planning a Centre of Excellence for Cyber Resilience and Trusted Technology, designed to strengthen national cybersecurity capabilities while creating a platform for innovation and international market access.
The UAE-based centre will bring government, enterprises, technology providers and specialists together to test emerging technologies, validate real-world use cases and explore how solutions can be adopted securely and at scale.
The initiative will progress through three phases. The first will focus on national capability through executive learning, practical laboratories and specialist development spanning AI, cloud, data, cybersecurity and critical national infrastructure.
“The UAE has set ambitious goals around artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and the development of a secure and resilient digital economy. The Centre of Excellence will create an environment for government, industry and technology partners to turn that ambition into practical capability.” — H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government
The second phase will establish a startup incubator to help develop and scale cybersecurity innovations made in the UAE. Locally developed technologies will be tested and validated against real-world requirements, potentially giving startups a stronger foundation for commercial deployment.
The final phase will create pathways for selected UAE-developed technologies to reach international customers, ecosystems and commercial opportunities.
SCC Middle East will work with the Cyber Security Council to integrate the expertise, technology and resources required for individual programmes.
“There is no shortage of technology available today. The harder question is how you bring the right technologies together, prove they work for the environment you are putting them into and then turn that into a real outcome. That is what we want this Centre to be about.” — Daniel Valle, CEO, SCC Middle East
The initiative reflects a broader shift in cybersecurity from technology acquisition toward capability building and validation. Rather than functioning as a technology showcase, the centre is intended to provide a practical environment where organisations can address real problems, test solutions and develop technologies that are ready for deployment.
For the UAE, the model also links cyber resilience with innovation, national capability development and the internationalisation of locally developed cybersecurity technologies.
