BATOOL GHAITH (ABU DHABI)
The UAE is strengthening cyber resilience across critical sectors as artificial intelligence creates new risks for individuals and organisations, according to Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government and Chairman of the UAE Cyber Security Council.
Speaking to Aletihad during GISEC Global 2026, Dr Al Kuwaiti said AI had opened new risks at a time when younger generations are spending increasing amounts of time using digital platforms and AI tools.
Dr Al Kuwaiti said one of the most important messages for users is to “check twice” before trusting online content, particularly when dealing with videos, emails and other digital communications.
Multi-factor authentication also remains an important layer of protection, he said.
Dr Al Kuwaiti stressed that users need to become increasingly cautious as AI makes manipulated content more convincing.
“Seeing is no longer believing,” he said, noting that building a stronger cybersecurity culture is essential as people interact with more digital services and AI-generated content.
For younger users in particular, awareness must develop alongside increased use of technology, he added.
He called for broader cybersecurity awareness so that users understand the risks associated with deepfakes, phishing and other forms of digital manipulation before acting on what they see or receive.
UAE Faced up to 800,000 Cyberattacks
During the opening session of GISEC Global 2026, Dr Al Kuwaiti also highlighted the scale of attacks targeting the UAE and the importance of cooperation in countering them.
He said attackers had attempted to infiltrate critical infrastructure across multiple sectors, with the number of attacks reaching up to 800,000.
Energy, telecommunications, aviation, government and healthcare were among the sectors targeted, according to Dr Al Kuwaiti.
He said that the scale of the threat demonstrated the importance of understanding who is behind attacks and strengthening collaboration across government, industry and the wider community.
Information Sharing Key to Countering Attacks
Dr Al Kuwaiti said one of the UAE’s strongest defences has been the level of cooperation between different parts of the cybersecurity ecosystem.
He highlighted information sharing from companies as particularly important, including threat intelligence and data that helped authorities identify and counter attacks.
“This is where we all come together to ensure that understanding of who is behind these attacks,” he said.
He described the response as a form of solidarity involving people, communities, countries and companies.
Dr Al Kuwaiti noted that private-sector organisations were among the first to provide information and threat intelligence that helped strengthen the response.
That cooperation, combined with the country’s resilience, played a significant role in limiting the impact of attacks, he added.