UAE Cyber Security Council and Siemens have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance operational technology (OT) cybersecurity and strengthen the resilience of critical infrastructure across the UAE.
The agreement, announced during Make it in The Emirates 2026, establishes a framework for collaboration on cyber defense, incident response, talent development, and localized cybersecurity infrastructure.
A key component of the partnership is the planned establishment of a Joint Innovation Center of Excellence focused on OT cybersecurity research, skills development, and deployment of advanced security technologies within the UAE.
The collaboration comes amid growing global concerns over cyber threats targeting critical infrastructure, including ransomware, cyber espionage, and attacks on industrial control systems. As digital transformation accelerates across sectors, governments and enterprises are increasingly prioritizing the security of converged IT and OT environments.
“The UAE is committed to building a secure, innovation-driven digital economy.” — H.E Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, UAE Cyber Security Council
H.E Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity for the UAE Government, said the partnership aligns with the UAE’s National Cybersecurity Strategy and reflects the country’s commitment to building a secure and innovation-driven digital economy.
Mohamed Khalifa, Head of Digital Industries at Siemens Middle East, emphasized that cybersecurity is becoming a core pillar of economic resilience and national competitiveness. He noted that the partnership would support the development of sovereign cyber capabilities and secure critical infrastructure systems across the UAE.
“Securing critical infrastructure requires deep collaboration, local capability building, and world-class technology.” — Mohamed Khalifa, Siemens Middle East
Under the agreement, the two organizations will explore deployment of locally hosted Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) infrastructure within UAE-based cloud environments to strengthen data sovereignty and operational responsiveness. They also plan to assess secure cross-border alert integration between UAE systems and Siemens’ operations in Germany to improve coordinated incident response.
Additional areas of collaboration include phased expansion of UAE-based Security Operations Center (SOC) capabilities and potential deployment of SINEC Guard on local cloud infrastructure.
The partnership will also focus on knowledge transfer through cybersecurity workshops, training programs, joint working groups, and intelligence-sharing initiatives aimed at developing local OT cybersecurity talent and institutional resilience.
With more than 1,300 cybersecurity specialists globally, Siemens brings extensive expertise in protecting industrial infrastructure across sectors such as energy, manufacturing, transportation, and smart buildings.
