Watch: The man steering UAE’s stellar cybersecurity lead

Abu Dhabi: Dr Mohammed Al Kuwaiti is the head of the UAE’s Cybersecurity Council, playing a vital role in strengthening the country’s cyber defence. As a leader in this field, he has been instrumental in developing policies and initiatives that have significantly improved the UAE’s cybersecurity landscape.

His journey began in Al Ain, where he attended Osama bin Zaid School for his elementary and secondary education. He developed a sense of discipline and awareness of national and international affairs at an early age and moved to Abu Dhabi to do his high school at Abu Obaidah High School. Despite some challenges along the way, he excelled in his studies, and even secured a scholarship to study computer engineering.

Adapting to a new culture and environment in the US brought with it new challenges, but with the support of the UAE Military and Embassy, he overcame his difficulties. After successfully completing his studies, he returned to the UAE and joined the military, transitioning into the national security sector in due course. His career path eventually led him to cybersecurity, where he now leads the national efforts to protect and enhance the country’s digital landscape.

Under Al Kuwaiti’s leadership, the UAE has made significant strides in cybersecurity. When he took charge, the country ranked 48th globally in cybersecurity. Through strategic partnerships with national entities, the UAE improved its ranking to 37 and eventually reached the top position. This achievement was made possible by focusing on key aspects such as governance, policies, procedures, awareness programmes, training, capacity building, infrastructure protection, and innovation.

One of the key initiatives led by Al Kuwaiti is Cyber Pulse, which aims to spread awareness about cybersecurity not only among leaders but also students. His team collaborates with the Ministry of Education to integrate cybersecurity into academic curricula, ensuring that students at all levels develop a strong understanding of digital security.

Al Kuwaiti emphasises that cybersecurity is not just a technological field but also covers governance, risk management, compliance and administration. His goal is to encourage more people, including students, to pursue careers in cybersecurity, even if they do not have a background in programming or engineering. His vision aligns with the UAE’s broader goal of becoming a global leader in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity by 2071.

Al Kuwaiti envisions a future where cybersecurity is deeply embedded in the daily lives of UAE residents. With the rapid advancements in AI, Internet of Things (IoT) and digital infrastructure, cybersecurity will play an even more crucial role in ensuring national security. He strongly believes that while technology continues to evolve, humans will remain in control through strong regulations, compliance and ethical standards.

With 2025 being declared the ‘Year of Community’ in the UAE, Al Kuwaiti called upon citizens to work together to strengthen cybersecurity. He emphasised that cybersecurity is not just the responsibility of experts but of everyone, including families, workplaces, and educational institutions.

Al Kuwaiti’s leadership has played a crucial role in transforming the UAE into a global cybersecurity leader. His journey from a disciplined military school student to a top cybersecurity expert highlights the importance of education, adaptability, and national service. As technology continues to advance, his work ensures that the UAE remains at the forefront of cybersecurity, protecting its people, businesses and national interests.

He said with the official launch of the National Cybersecurity Strategy in 2025, the UAE will keep pace with the major and rapid transformations across various sectors, particularly advanced technology. This will further strengthen the country’s position in artificial intelligence and the digital economy.

He said the five-year National Cybersecurity Strategy, recently approved by the Cabinet, is built around five key pillars, all of which contribute to enabling the secure and swift adoption of innovations while ensuring a safe, resilient, and robust digital environment.

“This strategy is centered around five main pillars: Governance, protection, innovation, capacity building, and partnerships. These pillars aim to achieve several national objectives, including establishing a cohesive and effective cybersecurity governance framework, ensuring a safe and secure digital environment, enhancing national capabilities in digitisation and cybersecurity, and fostering partnerships and collaborative relationships at both the national and international levels,” he added.