Page 99 - SAMENA Trends - January-February 2025

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

UAE Cybersecurity Council Chairman Highlights Advanced Defense Against

Digital Threats

Dr. Mohammed Hamad Al Kuwaiti, being executed through tools like viruses, Council, in collaboration with the Ministry
Chairman of the UAE Cybersecurity deepfakes, and misinformation campaigns, of Defence and other partners, will conduct
Council, has emphasized the country’s aimed at destabilizing societies and simulated exercises focused on countering
sophisticated cybersecurity infrastructure, manipulating public opinion. He noted that misinformation and deepfake threats,
capable of predicting and countering most many of these attacks are state-backed demonstrating the nation’s readiness to
electronic attacks before they happen. or perpetrated by terrorist organizations. tackle emerging cybersecurity challenges.
The UAE experiences over 50,000 daily During the upcoming IDEX and NAVDEX
cyberattacks, all of which are proactively 2025 exhibitions, the UAE Cybersecurity
mitigated to protect critical sectors such
as electricity, water, healthcare, energy, and
banking. In an interview with Emirates News
Agency (WAM), Dr. Al Kuwaiti revealed that
the UAE’s national security operations
center is interconnected with these vital
sectors, ensuring the protection of the
nation’s digital infrastructure. The country’s
advanced cybersecurity systems, which
leverage artificial intelligence, can detect
cyberattacks before they occur, trace their
origin, and identify their nature, adhering to
global best practices in cybersecurity. Dr. Al
Kuwaiti also pointed out the evolving nature
of modern warfare, which has increasingly
shifted to cyberspace, with cyberattacks

Telecommunications Regulatory Authority to Conduct Extensive Field Visits

Across Oman in 2025

The Telecommunications Regulatory signal strength, network coverage, data Sharqi (Hat), Al Ashkhara, Harat al Aqar,
Authority (TRA) has announced its plan speed, voice call quality, and social media Jabal Shams, and Dhofar. Additionally,
for comprehensive field visits in 2025 to application performance. The TRA’s 15 key roads, including the Muscat
enhance the quality of telecommunications evaluation will cover various regions, Expressway, Quriyat-Sur Road, and Nizwa-
services in Oman. The visits aim to assess including centers across all governorates, Ibri Road, will be evaluated. Airports in
critical performance indicators such as five major tourist destinations – Jabal al Muscat, Suhar, and Duqm, as well as
industrial cities in Sur and Ibri, are also part
of the assessment. The parameters to be
reviewed include video streaming speed
and quality, data upload/download speeds,
voice call clarity, 4G/5G signal coverage,
and the percentage of failed calls. Field
visits by the TRA have seen significant
growth, with a 172% increase recorded in
2024 compared to 2023. A further 197%
increase in visits is expected in 2025. The
results of these assessments will be shared
with the public via the TRA’s official website
and social media platforms to ensure
transparency and promote improvements
in the telecommunications sector.

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