As AI and digital transformation reshape the Middle East, organisations face a dual challenge – leveraging emerging technologies while keeping data and systems secure. Huawei is positioning itself at the forefront of this effort in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, combining global expertise with local compliance to help enterprises and governments navigate cyber security and AI adoption.
Sultan Mahmood, Huawei’s chief security officer of Gulf North, said the Chinese tech company is adapting its strategy to the region’s evolving needs and what the next wave of AI-driven cyber security will look like.
Huawei’s approach begins with compliance. “One of the fundamental principles of Huawei is to ensure compliance with international standards, industry best practices, customer requirements and local laws and regulations,” said Sultan.
“We have legal counsels in all the countries who understand the local laws and regulations and help us work locally with compliance by design.”
The evolving threat landscape, particularly the rise of AI-driven cyber attacks, adds complexity: “Fight fire with fire,” Sultan said.
“Huawei fully believes in the power of AI. Cyber criminals are using AI extensively, but we also leverage AI to enhance our security tools. AI enables deeper user behaviour analysis and can even detect recon attempts in the early stages before they become full attacks.”
Huawei implements a “secure by design” approach. Sultan said, “Everything coming out of Huawei has to comply with our security baseline, which is based on global industry standards and best practices. Our R&D process includes multiple layers of testing, and we have an independent cyber security lab that tests products as if we are the customers and to ensure our customers receive the most trustworthy products.”
With more than 3,800 cyber security professionals employed, Huawei says its frameworks are built to evolve alongside the rapidly changing landscape.
When asked about the biggest security gaps in the GCC, Sultan is measured: “I wouldn’t say there are gaps per se, but there are always challenges and room for improvement. Shortage of talent is a big issue. For AI, the industry needs to continue to work together for standards that help businesses adopt AI securely.”
Digital sovereignty is another priority. “Data is the new oil,” Sultan said. “As GCC countries diversify from oil-based economies to value-based, data-driven digital economies, it’s absolutely critical that data remains secure. Huawei fully respects the local laws and values and supports on-premise, sovereign infrastructure construction and can help customers build their own sovereign AI.”
Looking ahead to Huawei’s third iteration of cyber security strategy, Cybersecurity 3.0, Sultan added. “Our primary focus is enabling joint success for our customers with capabilities we’ve developed over the past 30 years.
“Over the next three to five years, we will focus on AI security, data security, computing security, cyber-physical systems, and quantum safety – a phase we call ‘intellectualisation’ to help customers securely embrace digital transformation.”
From compliance to cutting-edge AI security, Huawei hopes to position itself as a partner for GCC governments and enterprises as the region moves quickly into a data-driven future.
Sultan said, “We keep observing threats, technological evolution, and upscaling ourselves. That’s the way to ensure our customers remain secure while embracing AI and digitalisation.”
