Executive Summary

With the increasing revolution in information technology, cybersecurity joins defense and water, food, and energy security as a core national security imperative. On February 21, the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and Raytheon Corporation brought together cybersecurity experts, government officials, educators, and employers for the inaugural UAE Security Forum in Abu Dhabi. The goal of the forum was to explore ways to help bridge the gap in cyber curriculum and cyber training programs through dialogue with major academic institutions, government officials, and industry leaders.

The UAE Security Forum, under the title “Bridging the Cybersecurity Talent Gap,” sought to explore best practices and make recommendations about how to tackle these challenges by bringing together government officials, educators, and industry executives in a number of interactive sessions during the day-long event. This report, summarizing the discussion and recommendations, is aimed to help enhance cybersecurity by building capacity across the board, and in particular contributing to the development of an Emirati workforce that can meet urgent challenges.

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