OPSWAT has officially opened its OPX Lab in Dubai. This state-of-the-art facility is designed to offer live simulations of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure sectors such as energy, banking, and defense, providing regional organizations with practical skills and strategies to combat escalating cyber threats.
The OPX Lab is described as the only facility of its kind in the region, delivering high-fidelity simulations of real-world cyber threats and serving as a testing ground for developing and deploying robust, sector-specific defenses. The immersive and interactive space offers existing and prospective customers an opportunity to experience real-time cyberattack simulations tailored to their unique environments.
“This isn’t just a demo, it’s a proving ground,” said Saif AlRefai, Solutions Engineering Manager at OPSWAT. “The OPX Lab brings to life the kinds of cyber threats our customers face every day. It allows them to test how our technologies detect, prevent and respond to those threats in a fully controlled, hands-on environment. That level of experience translates into faster, more informed security decisions and a higher level of operational resilience”.
The lab focuses on replicating sector-specific scenarios, particularly in banking, energy, and defense, which are vital to the Middle East’s economy and frequent targets of sophisticated cyber threats. OPSWAT selected Dubai as a location due to its status as a regional innovation hub, its accessibility, and its proximity to both enterprise customers and local cybersecurity talent. The Dubai lab is part of OPSWAT’s global OPX Labs initiative, which aims to bring critical infrastructure simulation capabilities closer to high-risk markets.
A key showcase within the lab is OPSWAT’s Nuclear Plant Model Reactor, a practical demonstration integrating the company’s IT/OT cybersecurity platform to protect sensitive environments like nuclear power stations from sophisticated cyberattacks. “It’s this kind of realism that allows clients to move beyond theory and gain meaningful insights into their actual security readiness,” explained AlRefai.
OPSWAT is also extending access to the OPX Lab to its channel partners, positioning the facility as a strategic enablement platform in addition to a customer experience center. “Experiencing live demonstrations of real-world cyberattack scenarios and seeing how OPSWAT’s technologies such as MetaDefender and NetWall Data Diodes mitigate those threats was truly eye-opening. It not only deepened our technical understanding but also equipped us with practical insights to better guide our clients in securing their critical infrastructure. This is an invaluable resource for both partners and end-users alike,” said Tareq Joudeh, Senior Business Unit Head at StarLink.
The OPX Lab features OPSWAT’s MetaDefender platform, a threat prevention solution designed to safeguard networks by securing files at every entry point. The lab also showcases over 20 OPSWAT products, including the MetaDefender Kiosk and MetaDefender NetWall Data Diodes, solutions built specifically for the cybersecurity needs of highly regulated, mission-critical environments.
