Across the Middle East, governments are rapidly introducing new cybersecurity frameworks and regulations in response to the need to protect critical national infrastructure and digital economies. In the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, for example, this is reshaping how organizations approach compliance and forcing security leaders to rethink their priorities.
In the UAE, government and semi-government entities operating in Dubai are expected to comply with the Dubai Electronic Security Centre’s Information Security Regulation (ISR), while healthcare providers are subject to the Abu Dhabi Healthcare Information and Cyber Security Standard (ADHICS).
Saudi Arabia has introduced a multi-layered compliance landscape through the National Cybersecurity Authority’s Mandatory Cybersecurity Controls (MCC), as well as frameworks issued by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) and standards governing the energy sector. In Qatar, the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) is driving the implementation of the National Cyber Security Strategy, alongside sector-specific obligations in telecom, oil and gas, and financial services.
This regulatory raft reflects a regional commitment to raising cyber maturity, but organizations across every sector must now seek efficient ways to align with evolving compliance requirements without sacrificing operational agility.
For many organizations, the (rapid) pace of regulatory change heralds’ uncertainty. New standards often require cross-functional coordination, updated risk assessments, and deployment of advanced technologies that many in-house teams are simply not resourced to manage in-house.
Shifting Focus
Compliance cannot remain a checkbox exercise. It has to be part of an integrated approach to cyber risk. Fear not – Obrela’s Managed Risk and Compliance (MRC) services are built for exactly this type of environment. Through shifting the focus from reactive audits to continuous risk management, organizations can better meet ever growing regulatory expectations without compromising on operational agility.
One of the key principles in this transition is visibility. Obrela helps organizations map their full digital estate across both IT and OT environments and continuously monitor for potential risks and threats. This enables security and compliance teams to identify emerging risks early before they become costly incidents or breaches.
Another pillar is governance. Obrela works with clients to define and implement structured controls aligned with national frameworks, including NIS2 and sector-specific mandates in healthcare, finance, and energy. These controls are maintained through our SWORDFISH® platform, which centralises oversight and automates reporting across domains. This approach reduces compliance fatigue and strengthens internal accountability and audit readiness.
Compliance must be Continuous
With regulators in the GCC Countries placing increased emphasis on local accountability and data protection, scalable compliance solutions are essential for organisations operating in the region. Obrela’s model supports clients in adapting to changing requirements by embedding governance into the core of their cybersecurity strategy. This turns compliance into a continuous process, that informs decision-making and strengthens organizational resilience. Compliance could become a tool to achieve effectiveness, using a structured risk-based approach. Adopting a holistic approach to compliance could turn the regulatory requirements to a tool to enhance effectiveness, turning the compliance program into a competitive business advantage
In the current climate, compliance is not only about avoiding penalties. It is also a means to demonstrate trustworthiness to partners, regulators, and customers. Obrela is focusing on maximising the effectiveness of the required cyber security controls by enhancing their adoption and not by simply implementing them. Obrela combines business-focused risk management with threat detection to deliver real-time cyber defence Governance Risk & Compliance orchestration. With Obrela’s MRC offerings, organisations in the Middle East can swiftly move from reactive compliance to proactive risk governance, transforming obligation into opportunity.
Learn more at Real-time, Risk-aligned Cybersecurity – Obrela
