Quantum readiness maneuver in Dubai puts cyber encryption to a real-attack test: only 2% recover within a day

Quantum computing readiness is shifting from a deferred research file to a direct operational benchmark for protecting critical infrastructure and digital assets, driven by escalating geopolitical tensions and AI developments. In this context, Dubai is preparing to host GISEC Global 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre in Expo Dubai from 16 to 18 September, described as the largest cybersecurity event in the Middle East and North Africa, with participation from governments, infrastructure operators, technology innovators and security leaders, to accelerate the development of emerging risk mitigation plans.

This move comes as the 2026 Global Cyber Outlook report from the World Economic Forum reveals that 91 percent of major international organizations have adjusted their security strategies in response to geopolitical disruptions, while governments and companies are accelerating investments in quantum-grade security in preparation for future threats. Long-term protection plans no longer rely on conventional defenses, and the event features the launch of the Quantum Security Summit, hosted by the UAE’s Cyber Security Council and the Technology Innovation Institute, alongside the organization of the Global Quantum Exercise, which expands previous cyber-maneuvers into a broader simulation of quantum readiness worldwide.

The expanded programme focuses on precise tracks including post-quantum cryptography, secure system migration strategies, hardware-based security, cryptographic vulnerability discovery, digital sovereignty considerations, as well as governance of institutional transitions and certification standards governing secure digital communications.The shift toward secure encryption is no longer a postponed step, but a sovereign path that determines the reliability of the digital infrastructure and the future of its protection against decryption.This is accompanied by a field transition led by security experts, with Ibrahim Al-Sukri, founder of the Australian firm Attack Insights, explaining that the goal is not to inform an organization of a theoretical risk, but to demonstrate what an attacker can actually reach and to transfer the attacker’s perspective to the defence teams protecting critical infrastructure in the region.

The challenge is not limited to anticipating future threats; it also extends to the fragility of current operating environments against complex attacks. Cohesity’s statistics, quoted by Ayman Hammoudah, senior director of sales engineering, reveal that only 2 percent of organizations worldwide can recover from a cyber-attack within 24 hours, a figure that highlights the huge gap between theoretical preparedness and operational reality. According to Hammoudah, the crisis-management equation no longer asks whether an attack will occur, but measures how ready an organization is to respond and restore operations. Moreover, the concept of recovery is gradually shifting from a rapid system restoration to “trust verification,” where the priority becomes identifying services and data that can be trusted for integrity and safety before bringing them back online, within a responsible partnership between the public and private sectors.

The event includes showcases of advanced cyber-defence solutions for critical sectors such as energy, utilities, transport, manufacturing and financial services, along with live threat simulations and specialised sessions on operational technology security to help operators strengthen resilience in complex environments. Global technology firms will present AI-driven defence innovations, secure digital transformation, sovereign cloud security, autonomous security operations and national-level threat-intelligence systems. These initiatives serve Dubai’s cyber-security strategy, the D33 economic agenda, the digital economy strategy and the “We are the UAE 2031” vision.

What does this transformation practically impose on technical teams and organizations in the Gulf, Egypt and the region?First, it requires an immediate comprehensive inventory of all encrypted assets and systems to identify vulnerabilities that will become exploitable as quantum computing capabilities emerge, and to embed post-quantum encryption requirements into infrastructure and software procurement without waiting for the threat to fully materialise. Second, the low recovery rate (2 percent) mandates a review of business-continuity plans; relying solely on backups without conducting regular restore drills that verify data cleanliness and lack of contamination constitutes a major operational gap. Third, industrial control and operational technology security in the energy, water and logistics sectors shifts from an annual compliance audit to continuous testing of realistic breach scenarios, with training of local staff to thwart AI-driven attacks and ensure the restoration of critical services with the highest reliability.