Dubai joins UN agency to strengthen global digital security
DESC and ITU partner to prepare governments and communities for major digital disruptions
Dubai: The Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC) has signed an agreement with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations agency for digital technologies, to strengthen global digital security and help communities prepare for major disruptions.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 (PP-26), taking place at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center until November 27.
It aims to develop realistic scenarios involving large-scale disruptions to digital systems, often described as digital pandemics, and create practical solutions to help governments, organisations and communities prepare for such emergencies and reduce their impact.
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Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, Chief Executive of DESC, and Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the ITU, signed the agreement.
The signing was attended by Eng. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, Director General of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), UAE Ambassador to Qatar Saeed Abdullah Al Qamzi, and ITU Deputy Secretary-General Tomas Lamanauskas.
Focus on digital threats and preparedness
Under the agreement, DESC and ITU will work together in two main areas.
The first involves studying emerging threats to critical digital infrastructure, building on a joint ITU-UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction report titled When Digital Systems Fail.
The work will examine how armed conflicts, cyberattacks, natural disasters and disruptions to submarine cables, satellite networks and other essential systems can affect digital services.
The second area focuses on turning research into practical measures through the Global Digital Resilience Forum. The initiative will bring together governments, experts, academics and other stakeholders to develop research, policy recommendations and guidance to improve digital preparedness.
Global cooperation to keep essential services running
Bogdan-Martin said growing dependence on digital infrastructure makes it increasingly important for countries to prepare for disruptions and ensure people remain connected during emergencies.
She said DESC's contribution would support the ITU's work to identify and manage risks to critical digital systems.
Al Shaibani said the partnership would help organisations and individuals prepare for major digital disruptions through realistic scenarios, training and clear procedures.
He added that the agreement would strengthen Dubai's role in international efforts to protect cyberspace.
Al Mesmar said digital infrastructure security and the continuity of essential services were shared global responsibilities. He stressed the need for countries to move beyond responding to crises and focus more on anticipating risks and preparing for them through international cooperation.
The ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, held every four years, is the agency's highest decision-making body and brings together representatives from its 194 member states.
The agreement also supports DESC's wider efforts to build international partnerships and advance the objectives of the Dubai Cybersecurity Strategy.
