CISCO has unveiled its ‘Security-First’ AI strategy as a global model, warning of rising risks around the world
Cisco praised the governments of the Gulf for leading the world in the deployment of artificial intelligence technology, saying “The security of the UAE and Saudi Arabia can serve as an economic model.
Talking to Arabian business On the sides of Gitex Global in Dubai, Guy Global Desigrich, Cisco’s Global Innovation Officer, the region has combined speed, investment, and strong regulatory oversight in a way that distinguishes Western markets.
Cisco highlights security-first strategy for AI
“The Middle East is one of the few regions that works as fast as it thinks,” Degaich said. “I’ve never seen a government’s commitment to AI like I see here. In Saudi Arabia and the UAE, first, and that’s very important.”
Cisco used this year’s Gitex to demonstrate its AI-the cybersecurity suite, which drives protection directly into the network fabric. Platform, symbol AI Defensemarks what sprinkles called “a traditional traditional security platform built for the network.”
“Just as Cisco is building the Internet, we will be building the AI network as well,” he said. “Always the opportunity of AI is also a potential threat without proper security.”
He said that while governments and businesses around the world are running aa, many still lack adequate protection against machine speed attacks. “We are not immune to human speed,” he said. “We protect at the speed of a machine, at the scale of a machine.”
Cisco internal AI readiness index It found that 16 percent of organizations in the Middle East are fully prepared for AI integration, compared to a global average of 13 percent. About 26 percent have closed cases using AI, above the global figure of 18 percent.
The company has been expanding its long-term relationship with Gulf governments through its use Country Digital Accessional (CDA) program, established in the UAE in the year 2018. Cisco has invested in more than 25 public and private projects and national agendas.
Beyond AI, David Ich said Cisco is looking into research on quantum computing – a technology it believes could revolutionize medicine while exposing shared troves of new security risks.
“All this data stolen over a decade ago can’t be cracked yet. But when Quantum comes,” it warned. “We should be post-quantum encryption done beforehand.”
Cisco recently demonstrated a quantum network in the port of Rotterdam and operates a dedicated research lab in Los Angeles. Deginrich expects the technology to reach commercial scale by 2030.
As AI redefines operational functions, Cisco is investing in digital capabilities through implementation Academy Networking Siteswho has trained more than 28 million students worldwide and 5.4 million in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
“If we don’t get up to speed on innovation, we will fall behind, not as a company, but as an industry and as a country,” Degaich said.
GITEX Global 2025, the world’s largest technology and AI event, brought together more than 6,800 visitors from more than 180 countries, and aims to highlight the desire of the Gulf to place itself at the center of the digital economy around the world.
“This region is at the forefront of AI, and we’re moving responsibly,” Deganich said. “The combination of speed and security is what will define the next era of the Internet.”
