BY SADEQ ALKHOORI
Early in her career, Laila Al Ghfeli remembers sitting in highly technical discussions where staying quiet would have been easier than speaking up. She chose to speak.
That confidence developed gradually through years of learning and taking on greater responsibility in a field that was itself rapidly changing. Seventeen years later, Al Ghfeli is Manager, Security & Governance at Masdar City.
“There were moments early in my career, in highly technical discussions, where it would have been easy to hold back rather than speak up,” she told Aletihad.
Her journey reflects a wider transformation in the UAE, where cybersecurity has moved beyond protecting IT systems to become closely tied to digital transformation, national security and economic competitiveness.
Security from the Start
At Masdar City, Al Ghfeli believes cybersecurity should be built into projects from their earliest stages. “Innovation needs trust,” she said.
As organisations become increasingly digital and data-driven, governance, risk management and security controls provide the foundation for innovation to develop safely.
Bringing security teams into a project early can also prevent delays later. Organisations that leave security until the final stages may need to revisit systems that have already been built, while early governance allows key questions around compliance and risk to be addressed sooner. For most people, that work remains invisible.
“Cybersecurity may be invisible when everything is working well, but it protects trust, business continuity, information and reputation,” Al Ghfeli said.
Learning as the Field Evolves
Al Ghfeli said cybersecurity was once largely viewed as an IT responsibility. Today, the conversation has shifted towards how organisations can innovate securely from the beginning.
Keeping pace requires continuous learning. “I've had to stay comfortable being a student throughout my career, no matter how senior I become,” she said.
She also credits strong leaders with giving her the confidence and space to take on greater responsibility, support she now seeks to provide to her own team.
Starting Before Feeling Ready
Al Ghfeli sees Emirati women increasingly shaping the UAE’s digital future as engineers, cybersecurity professionals, researchers, policymakers and leaders.
For young women considering a similar path, her advice centres on curiosity, courage and adaptability.
“Nobody starts as an expert,” she said. “Start somewhere, keep learning and take opportunities even before you feel completely ready.”
After 17 years in a profession built around anticipating risk, that willingness to begin remains one of the lessons she values most.