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Industrial cybersecurity vendor Dragos announced a public–private partnership with the UAE Cyber Security Council (CSC) to establish OT... The post Dragos, UAE Cyber Security Council launch OT cybersecurity Centre of Excellence to strengthen industrial resilience appeared first on Industrial Cyber.
Analysis Summary
# Industry News: Dragos and UAE Partner to Launch OT Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence
## Summary
Industrial cybersecurity leader Dragos has partnered with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Cyber Security Council to establish an Operational Technology (OT) Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (CoE). Located in the UAE, the center is designed to bolster national industrial resilience, localize advanced cyber capabilities, and train a specialized world-class workforce to protect critical infrastructure.
## Key Details
- **Date:** May 18, 2026
- **Companies Involved:** Dragos, UAE Cyber Security Council (CSC)
- **Category:** Public-Private Partnership / Strategic Expansion
## The Story
Under the umbrella of the UAE’s "Make it in the Emirates" forum, Dragos and the UAE Cyber Security Council have launched a dedicated hub for industrial security innovation. The Centre of Excellence aims to provide a sandbox environment where security practitioners can simulate real-world cyberattacks and defense strategies specifically for Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and OT environments.
The initiative is a response to the "unprecedented surge" in cyberattacks targeting regional energy, utilities, and transportation sectors. By establishing this CoE, the UAE is moving toward "digital sovereignty," ensuring that the tools and talent required to defend its sovereign wealth and infrastructure are developed and maintained domestically rather than solely relying on offshore expertise.
## Business Impact
### For the Companies Involved
- **Dragos:** Solidifies its position as the preferred strategic partner for Gulf nations. This move secures long-term service contracts and embeds Dragos technology into the UAE’s national security fabric.
- **UAE CSC:** Gains access to proprietary threat intelligence and industrial security methodologies, accelerating the government's "Shared Ownership" vision.
### For Competitors
- **Nozomi Networks & Others:** The market is becoming increasingly crowded with public-private alliances. While Nozomi recently announced a similar collaboration with the UAE, Dragos’s focus on a physical "Centre of Excellence" for hands-on training may offer a deeper level of engagement with state-owned enterprises.
### For Customers
- **Regional Asset Owners:** Industrial operators in the Middle East will have localized access to cutting-edge defense simulators and certified training, reducing the need to send teams abroad for high-level OT security education.
### For the Market
- **Regional Hub Dynamics:** This reinforces the Middle East (specifically the UAE) as a global testing ground for OT security, attracting foreign investment and talent to the region.
## Technical Implications
The CoE will utilize an **operational technology environment simulation**, allowing practitioners to model "anomalous behavioral patterns." This suggests a focus on behavior-based anomaly detection and "modeling effective defense strategies" within physical-digital twins, moving beyond traditional signature-based security.
## Strategic Analysis
- **Market Positioning:** Dragos is positioning itself not just as a software vendor, but as a sovereign capacity builder.
- **Competitive Advantage:** Direct alignment with the "Make it in the Emirates" initiative provides Dragos with high-level political lowercase and potential procurement advantages.
- **Challenges:** Navigating the geopolitical complexities of the region and ensuring that "localized innovation" remains compatible with global security standards.
## Industry Reactions
- **Mohamed Al Kuwaiti (Head of UAE Govt. Cybersecurity):** Emphasized that the CoE is a proactive measure to anticipate "emerging threats of tomorrow."
- **Robert M. Lee (CEO, Dragos):** Highlighted the importance of building local understanding of how threat groups active in the Gulf operate.
## Future Outlook
- **Predictions:** Expect more Western OT vendors to announce "localization" initiatives in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region to comply with increasing digital sovereignty laws.
- **Watch For:** The potential for this CoE to export its training modules and findings to other emerging economies, setting a blueprint for national OT defense.
## For Security Professionals
Practitioners in the region should look for upcoming training opportunities and certifications emerging from the CoE. The shift in focus toward "recovery readiness" and "production continuity" reflects a broader industry trend toward resilience—meaning professionals must be as skilled in *responding* to a breach as they are in *detecting* one.