UAE Enterprises Demonstrate Cyber Resilience and Maturity, Affirms Cybersecurity Expert

UAE organizations are learning a hard lesson: following data protection rules isn't enough to prevent cyberattacks from damaging their business. A new study shows that while companies have gotten good at compliance, they're still struggling when hackers actually strike.

The research from cybersecurity firm Cohesity reveals that 59% of UAE organizations faced a major cyberattack last year. The damage was real - 96% of those hit lost revenue, and 69% lost customers. This happened even though many companies thought they were well-protected.

Here's the disconnect: Earlier research showed 66% of UAE companies consider themselves fully compliant with national data protection laws. But compliance and resilience are two different things. Following the rules doesn't guarantee you'll bounce back quickly when something goes wrong.

"The UAE has built one of the world's strongest regulatory frameworks for data compliance and sovereignty," said Johnny Karam, the company's managing director for emerging international markets. "But compliance is only half the equation. The next step is resilience - the ability to recover quickly and maintain trust."

The timing matters because the UAE is moving fast on digital transformation and AI adoption. But 91% of business leaders admit that generative AI is developing faster than they can handle the new risks it creates. Companies are rushing to use AI tools without fully understanding how to protect themselves.

Only 44% of organizations feel confident about their resilience strategies. Globally, just 6% have reached full maturity in cyber resilience - meaning most companies are still figuring this out.

Greg Petersen, the company's Middle East regional director, explains what's happening: "Organizations in the UAE are quickly adopting generative AI across their business operations because of its potential to improve data security and performance efficiency. However, other aspects of cyber resilience haven't kept pace with this development."

The study shows that resilience has become a key measure of leadership confidence and financial performance. As AI continues reshaping business models, companies that automate their recovery processes and unify their data protection strategies will be able to reduce downtime, build stakeholder trust, and support sustainable growth.

For investors and business leaders, this research highlights a growing gap in the market. Companies that can help organizations move beyond basic compliance to true cyber resilience are likely to see increased demand. The UAE's position as a regional digital hub means getting this right could influence cybersecurity approaches across the Middle East.