As GCC nations strengthen their national cybersecurity frameworks, compliance is evolving from a regulatory obligation into a driver of trust, resilience and competitive advantage. Notis Iliopoulos, VP of Managed Risk and Controls at Obrela, tells us how advanced MDR and MRC solutions enable organisations to meet new regulatory demands, enhance visibility and maintain continuous cyber-resilience.

n 2025, all six GCC member states,

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, will have either introduced or updated their national cybersecurity frameworks. This reflects a shared commitment in the GCC to safeguarding critical infrastructure, businesses and individuals’ data.

This increased scrutiny and regulation is not just about adding technical controls or getting organisations to check compliance boxes. It covers mandatory incident reporting, supply chain security assessments, board-level accountability and alignment with international standards such as ISO 27001, NIST CSF and GDPR. Together, they are shifting cybersecurity compliance from a static burden into a more dynamic capability that underpins organisational resilience.

The GCC cybersecurity regulatory landscape in 2025

Each GCC nation has recently advanced its regulatory framework.

In the United Arab Emirates( UAE), the Personal Data Protection Law( PDPL) is now in force, requiring organisations to demonstrate governance maturity, appoint data protection officers and implement robust safeguards across digital operations. Sectoral regulators such as the UAE Central Bank and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority( TDRA) have also tightened their security mandates.

In Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Data & Artificial Intelligence Authority( SDAIA) has implemented full enforcement of the Data Protection Law, which highlights data sovereignty, mandatory breach notifications and stricter penalties for non-compliance. The Saudi National Cybersecurity Authority( NCA) is also expanding its Essential Cybersecurity Controls( ECC) across government and private sectors, establishing a baseline of protection.

By the end of 2025, Qatar is expected to introduce enhanced privacy legislation to modernise its 2016 Data Protection Law. The National Cyber Security Agency( NCSA) is also strengthening its regulatory oversight across critical sectors such as energy, aviation and financial services.

Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain are also strengthening their national strategies, harmonising frameworks with international best practices and emphasising cross-border collaboration on cyber defence and resilience. Oman’ s National Cybersecurity Strategy, for example, puts strong focus on public – private co-operation, while Bahrain’ s Data Protection Law is evolving in alignment with European standards.

Notis Iliopoulos, VP of Managed Risk and Controls at Obrela

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