How the GCC is strengthening its cyber resilience in the digital age

Cybercrime costs the world $18 million every minute. That’s an estimated $9.5 trillion per year or – if it were a country – the gross domestic product of the world’s third-largest economy.

In the Middle East, cybersecurity incidents cost an average of $8.05 million per breach, almost double the global average of $4.45 million.

Against this backdrop, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are taking decisive steps to boost their digital defences. By 2030, the cyber threat intelligence market in the Middle East is set to reach upwards of $31 billion.

In the last two decades, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – has undergone rapid digitalization as part of its efforts towards economic diversification.

The digital revolution has been enthusiastically embraced and GCC countries have more recently turned their attention to addressing the historic underinvestment in the cyber protection of IT networks.

The Middle East is second only to the United States in terms of the average cost of a breach. However, government initiatives within the GCC are transforming the cybersecurity landscape.

Bahrain’s National Cyber Security Center has been inspired by the United Kingdom’s approach by adopting a big picture national strategy with practical implementation. Meanwhile, it is working with regulators to ensure best practice in each sector.

Bahrain is in the highest tier of the Global Cybersecurity Index 2024, demonstrating a strong commitment to coordinated and government-driven actions.

In Saudi Arabia, the National Cybersecurity Authority launched the National Portal for Cyber Security Services (Haseen). Designed to develop and manage advanced cyber services, Haseen supports national beneficiaries in their fight against cybercrime.

Meanwhile, the UAE has relaunched a second cycle of its 2017 Dubai Cyber Security Strategy to strengthen Dubai’s digital infrastructure. It does so recognizing that Dubai’s success in becoming an international hub is predicated on having a safe and secure cyberspace.

Qatar also recently launched its National Cyber Security Strategy 2024-2030, outlining a roadmap to tackle emerging cybersecurity challenges.

At the 12th edition of the Regional Cybersecurity Week, a four-day conference held this October in Muscat, the Omani government announced new initiatives to strengthen its cybersecurity sector.

Legislative efforts to address the threat of cybercrime are underpinning these initiatives, with most GCC countries having enacted or updated cybercrime laws in recent years.

These include measures around personal data and laws governing the access and misuse of computer infrastructure, data and websites, copyright infringements and content.

A cornerstone of the region’s defence strategy is the GCC Ministerial Committee for Cybersecurity, where GCC states develop a joint cyber strategy, soon to expand into the upcoming GCC Cyber Strategy.

Its mandate is the mutual defence of the GCC, addressing cybersecurity threats through the development of cross-border frameworks, policies and initiatives.

This collaboration extends to practical initiatives: member states conduct joint cyber drills annually, rotate between host countries and engage in regular training sessions and “Capture the Flag” events – competitive exercises designed to sharpen participants’ cybersecurity skills – hosted by the respective national cybersecurity centres.

The drive towards digital transformation is contingent on having a skills-ready workforce.

At a global level, attracting, training and retraining cybersecurity professionals is key to helping organizations and society stay safe online, according to the World Economic Forum’s recent Strategic Cybersecurity Talent Framework white paper.

Across the region, there are initiatives to drive the upskilling needed within borders.

Bahrain’s Telecommunications, ICT and Digital Economy Sector Strategy (2022-2026) aims to give at least 20,000 citizens the skills and knowledge to combat cybercrime.

It’s part of a strategic vision to develop the local workforce and raise awareness, partnering with university programmes and Tamkeen, the nation’s Labour Fund, to create an in-country skilled population of young people ready to meet the needs of the industry.

In 2022, Tamkeen partnered with the SANS Institute, a cybersecurity training and education provider, to deliver specialized training to help close the cybersecurity skill gap. Twenty-five percent of graduates from its first cohort secured local and international employment opportunities within weeks of graduating.

Tamkeen also signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Beyon Cyber to give graduates of the SANS programme job and training opportunities.

The agreement marked the first of many with key leaders in Bahrain’s private sector to support the growth and development of Bahrainis and enable them to build sustainable careers in a high-demand field.

Similarly, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has launched a series of technology initiatives worth over $1.2 billion to improve the digital skills of 100,000 Saudi youth by 2030. It includes partnerships with global technology powerhouses such as Google and Apple.

In the 2024 PWC Digital Trust Insights, 69% of respondents from businesses in the Middle East revealed that their organization was planning to prioritize upskilling the current workforce fast enough to keep up with the organization’s demands over the next 12 months.

With these building blocks of a secure, digitalized economy is investment in high-speed connectivity and the Cloud.

The single, most important service that has enabled the industry in Bahrain to scale rapidly is its cloud first policy. It has improved application-leveraging technology, driven new solutions and added intelligence, and the government’s successful implementation has encouraged its roll-out across the public and private sectors.

The increase of connectivity is also being driven by roadmaps towards data speeds and infrastructure. As of 2024, Bahrain has over 95% 5G coverage in urban areas.

In 2023, Beyon Group announced a $250m investment in new infrastructure to support Bahrain’s digital transformation. Its subsidiary, Batelco, is in talks with names such as Nokia and Huawei to potentially trial 6G tech.

The UAE has its own roadmap for 6G, aiming to pioneer the next generation of mobile technology by 2030.

Collaboration is key, and the GCC is well placed, with multiple intelligence agreements with Europe, the United States and Asia. Also playing a pivotal role is the private sector, and the region has good threat-sharing intelligence partnerships with organizations such as Microsoft and Amazon.

The GCC is moving more strategically at the national and regional levels, with better coordination led by the security council, conceiving new initiatives and building capacity across nations.