The UAE Cyber Security Council and Siemens have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen cooperation in cybersecurity across critical infrastructure and industrial sectors, addressing the imperative of securing operational technology environments across the UAE’s industrial landscape. The agreement, which was signed at the 2026 edition of Make it in The Emirates, establishes a strategic framework for joint action on cyber defense, knowledge sharing, and the development of locally hosted security capabilities, reinforcing the UAE’s position as a regional leader in digital resilience.
As part of this collaboration, both parties intend to establish a Joint Innovation Center of Excellence dedicated to advancing operational technology (OT) cybersecurity research, talent development, and the deployment of cutting-edge solutions within the UAE. This collaboration comes at a time when cyber threats to critical infrastructure – from ransomware and cyber-espionage to sophisticated attacks on operational technology (OT) environments – are escalating in both frequency and complexity worldwide. As nations accelerate their digital transformation agendas, the need for trusted, cross-border collaboration between governments and technology leaders has never been more urgent.
H.E Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity for the UAE government stressed that: “The UAE under the direction of its leadership is committed to building a secure, innovation-driven digital economy. Our partnership with Siemens brings together global industrial cybersecurity expertise and our national vision to create a robust cyber defense ecosystem. This collaboration is part of the implementation of our National Cybersecurity Strategy to enhance our ability to detect, respond to, and recover from cyber threats across all sectors.”
“Cybersecurity is not just a technology challenge, it is a foundation for economic competitiveness and national resilience,” said Mohamed Khalifa, Head of Digital Industries at Siemens in the Middle East. “This MoU with the UAE Cyber Security Council reflects our shared belief that securing critical infrastructure requires deep collaboration, local capability building, and world-class technology. Together, we are laying the groundwork for a more secure and sovereign digital future for the UAE.”
Under the MoU, The UAE Cyber Security Council and Siemens intend to pursue cooperation across several strategic areas:
- Locally Hosted Security Infrastructure: Exploring the deployment of a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platform within the UAE using country cloud infrastructure, ensuring data sovereignty and operational proximity.
- Secure Cross-Border Integration: Assessing secure alert forwarding mechanisms from the UAE-hosted SIEM to Siemens systems in Germany, enabling rapid, coordinated incident response across geographies.
- Phased SOC Capability Expansion: Assessing a phased increase of UAE-based Security Operations Center (SOC) capabilities aligned with evolving demand, ensuring scalable, resilient, and locally anchored cyber defense operations.
- SINEC Guard Deployment: Exploring options to deploy Siemens’ SINEC Guard solution on UAE cloud infrastructure, with localized market positioning to support the growth of the UAE’s cybersecurity software ecosystem.
Beyond technology deployment, the MoU establishes a broad framework for ongoing information exchange and joint incident response. The parties intend to share intelligence on information security risks, malware propagation, and indicators of compromise. They will also collaborate on advisory assistance during cybersecurity incidents and coordinate joint working groups staffed by experts from both organizations.
Through mutual collaboration on technical workshops, cyber security training programs, and knowledge exchange, the parties will work together to identify opportunities to share OT cybersecurity expertise with local institutions, government entities, and industry stakeholders, strengthening the UAE’s homegrown cyber talent pipeline.
The MoU builds on Siemens’ longstanding leadership in industrial cybersecurity, where the company protects some of the world’s most critical infrastructure, from energy grids and manufacturing plants to transportation networks and smart buildings. With a global team of more than 1,300 cybersecurity experts handling over 1,000 incidents every month, Siemens is uniquely positioned to help enterprises and countries like the UAE defend against the growing convergence of IT and OT cyber threats.
This framework ensures the partnership delivers not just technology transfer, but a complete knowledge ecosystem, building the skills, expertise, and institutional resilience that will sustain the UAE’s cyber defense capabilities for years to come.
