Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 Regional Analysis Middle East and North Africa FEBRUARY 2026 Introduction Cybersecurity risk in 2026 is accelerating, fuelled by advances in AI, deepening geopolitical fragmentation and the complexity of supply chains. This analysis builds on the Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 (GCO 2026) to examine how these global trends are playing out in the Middle East and North Africa, providing a focused view of the region’s evolving cybersecurity landscape.1 Key takeaways on Middle East and North Africa –93% of organizations in the region believe AI and machine learning will have the greatest impact on cybersecurity in the next 12 months. This compares to the global perception at 94%. –77% of businesses in the Middle East and North Africa already implemented AI enabled tools to fulfil their cybersecurity objectives, in line with the global average. –85% of organizations express confidence in national capabilities to respond to cyber incidents targeting critical infrastructure – the highest across all regions (globally 37%). –Respondents in the Middle East and North Africa are showing the strongest confidence in their organizations’ cyber resilience compared to the other regions with 40% of organizations in this region rating their cyber resilience as exceeding requirements (globally 19%). –To mitigate supply chain risks, 73% of organizations in this region prioritise assessing their supplier security maturity, while 67% involved their security function in the procurement process –47% of businesses in the Middle East and Nort Africa report they lack the workforce skills required to meet their current cybersecurity objectives. This is just below the global average (49%). –Despite this progress, organizations in the region report the following as key hurdles in adopting AI for cybersecurity: 1. Insufficient skills (58%) 2. Human validation required for AI-generated security responses (47%)AI security AI risk perception –According to the GCO 2026 survey, 93% of organizations in the region believe AI and machine learning will have the greatest impact on cybersecurity in the next 12 months and 82% report that AI-related risks have increased (globally 94% and 87% respectively). –Furthermore, data leaks and advancement of adversarial capabilities are considered the most pressing cybersecurity issues linked to generative AI in this region, cited by 31% of respondents. –This heightened concern is not unique to the Middle East and North Africa, but the region appears better prepared compared to other regions. Some 69% of organizations report that they assess the security of AI tools at least once or periodically before deployment (globally 64%). AI for security –Organizations in the Middle East and North Africa are actively adopting AI-enabled tools to strengthen their cybersecurity posture, with the survey indicating that 78% have already implemented such solutions, signalling strong momentum towards AI-driven security even if barriers remain. Has your organization implemented any AI-enabled tools to fulfil its cybersecurity objectives? Yes No78% 22% 1. The number of respondents from this region in the GCO 2026 survey is lower than in other regions. As a result, the findings may have reduced statistical robustness and should be interpreted with due caution.