Proofpoint is strengthening its presence in the UAE through continued investment in infrastructure, regional talent and partner capabilities, as organisations face growing cybersecurity challenges associated with artificial intelligence and increasingly sophisticated threats.
The company’s commitment to the market was highlighted at Proofpoint Protect Dubai 2026, held under the theme “Cybersecurity for the Agentic Workspace”. The event brought together industry leaders and cybersecurity professionals to examine the implications of AI adoption and the changing requirements for protecting enterprise environments.
The scale of AI adoption across the UAE is creating new considerations for security teams. Proofpoint’s 2026 AI and Human Risk Landscape report found that 80% of organisations surveyed in the country are piloting or rolling out autonomous AI agents. However, the growing use of these technologies is also raising concerns around data exposure and security vulnerabilities.
Proofpoint’s 2026 Voice of the CISO study found that 73% of UAE CISOs view generative AI as a security risk, representing a 19-percentage-point increase from the previous year. Furthermore, 75% expressed concern about customer data leaking through publicly available generative AI tools.
Against this backdrop, Proofpoint used the Dubai event to showcase new security technologies aimed at addressing risks across AI, data and enterprise collaboration environments. These included its Agentic Data and AI Security system, designed to bring AI and sensitive data protection together, and its Agentic Collaboration Security system, which uses intent-based detection to identify sophisticated threats across email, collaboration tools and browsers. Both solutions were initially announced at Protect San Diego.
“The UAE remains a strategic market for Proofpoint, and our continued growth reflects the increasing demand for advanced cybersecurity solutions across the region, particularly as risks are evolving in the agentic era,” said Emile Abou Saleh, Vice President, Emerging Markets at Proofpoint. “By investing in local infrastructure, expanding our team, and strengthening our partner ecosystem, we are helping organisations address today’s security challenges while preparing for the opportunities and risks of the agentic workspace.”
Proofpoint’s regional growth follows the establishment of its Dubai data centre in 2025, an investment intended to address local customer requirements. Since its launch, the company has reported increased demand for its data loss prevention (DLP) solutions, alongside broader interest from organisations looking to replace legacy security technologies and strengthen protection against emerging threats.
The company has also expanded its regional workforce and partner ecosystem to support customer requirements across the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Its latest figures indicate growing adoption among major enterprises and increased investment in channel capabilities.
Among the key regional milestones highlighted by Proofpoint are:
- Enterprise adoption: Proofpoint is trusted by 73% of UAE- and Saudi Arabia-based companies included in the Forbes Global 2000, compared with 50% in 2025.
- Regional user protection: The company now protects more than 2.3 million employees across the Middle East, up from 1.2 million in 2025.
- Partner ecosystem expansion: The number of certified partner engineers has increased threefold, strengthening the company’s regional channel capabilities and support for customers.
The figures underline Proofpoint’s growing footprint in the Gulf as enterprises reassess their security strategies to accommodate autonomous AI systems, evolving collaboration environments and increasingly complex data protection requirements.
