Highlighting the Cyber Security Council as IDEX 2023 kicks off in Abu Dhabi

Last updated on February 23rd, 2023 at 01:27 pm

Abu Dhabi is now hosting one of the largest defense fairs anywhere in the world.

During the five days of the International Defence Expo and Conference, approximately 130,000 attendees from 65 nations are anticipated to be present (Idex).

The gathering, which is currently in its 30th year, is anticipated to be attended by approximately 1,350 corporations, 350 delegations, and dozens of members of the armed forces, authorities, and decision-makers.

On the first day, Monday, guests were already studying rows of armored vehicles, drones, guided missiles, and other cutting-edge forms of defense technology and systems by the time 9 am rolled around.

This year, the United Arab Emirates is exhibiting the largest pavilion, and the country’s defense company, Edge, will be showcasing 11 new unmanned and autonomous technologies and systems.

They include unmanned aerial combat vehicles, as well as systems for logistical support and managing air traffic.

The decision was made as the United Arab Emirates steps up its “Operation 300bn plan,” which aims to boost the contribution of the local industrial sector to the country’s gross domestic product to Dh300 billion ($81.68 billion) by 2031, up from Dh133 billion in 2021.

The Russian Federation, which began its invasion of Ukraine around a year ago, will also have a presence at Idex.

In addition, there will be discussions, exhibitions, and a start-up space specifically designated for defense enterprises.

The event is being held concurrently with the Naval Defence & Maritime Security Expo, which is displaying navy vessels from eight different countries.

The Cyber Pulse initiative

The United Arab Emirates are recognized for being a country where the impossible frequently occurs. This is a nation where visions are realized, as seen by the world’s tallest structure, Burj Khalifa, and notable man-made islands such as Palm Jumeirah.

Twenty years ago, one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai, began a physical change that saw entire districts emerge from both the sands and the sea, so establishing one of the world’s really global destinations. Now is the moment for an even greater digital change, one that is being orchestrated by the entire UAE and has global consequences.

During the GITEX GLOBAL 2022 event in October at the Dubai World Trade Centre, which became the world’s largest technology gathering, it was possible to find evidence of this if needed. With over one hundred thousand participants, a hall displaying over one thousand businesses, and new zones devoted to coding and the metaverse, the UAE is making a deliberate effort to become the worldwide epicenter of Web 3.0.

A few days prior, Business Chief was granted unique access to the launch of an innovation lab that may offer the Web 3.0 promise’s main component – cybersecurity.

The Cyber Pulse Innovation Lab, a joint venture between the UAE Government, Abu Dhabi Polytechnic, and Huawei, intends to overcome the widening and deepening skill gap in cybersecurity, with some studies suggesting that there are as many as 4 million vacant cyber positions worldwide.

In the same way that the UAE has vowed to teach or attract 100,000 coders as part of its innovative Projects Of The 50 initiative, it will train the next generation of Emirati cyber specialists to secure the nation and establish a new worldwide standard of excellence.

By moving cyber theory from the classroom to the lab and collaborating directly with technology suppliers such as Huawei, students will be able to learn about real-time threats and solutions as they emerge, thereby preparing them for positions in corporations where they can immediately begin contributing. And this collaboration with Huawei is only the beginning.

In addition to several efforts in place to bring tech entrepreneurs and talent to the UAE, the country is committed to providing Emiratis with employment of the future, and the rising cyber security skills gap represents both an opportunity and a practical answer.

HE Al-Kuwaiti acknowledges that the severe global shortage of cybersecurity talent is currently the greatest obstacle. With the rapid adoption of digital transformation over the past three years, the talent gap has grown in terms of the inability to find the right people with the right knowledge in the right places.

According to the 2021 Cybersecurity Workforce Survey conducted by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium or (ISC)2, there is a global shortfall of 2.72 million qualified cybersecurity professionals. Sixty percent of cybersecurity experts reported that a lack of cybersecurity workers is putting their organizations at risk, citing the labor gap as the primary obstacle to addressing their organizations’ security needs.

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