FEATURE
Cybersecurity has moved decisively to the forefront of CIO priorities across the Middle East and Africa.
in risk management. However, our data also reveals that teams are not yet confident in their reliability, with only 6 % ranking AI as an important factor in managing risk. The ability to enable realtime threat detection, predictive analysis and accelerated decision-making across complex environments makes AI an undoubtedly powerful force... but it is not a silver bullet.
As dis- and misinformation proliferates and data sources become more complex, prioritising the effective implementation and utilisation of AIdriven insights is essential for maintaining trust and credibility in 2026.
Simon King, Head of Information Security at Infinigate Group:
The first quarter of 2026 will see CIOs prioritise turning cybersecurity into a driver of operational efficiency and strategic resilience. Those who allocate their budgets wisely will transform security spending into measurable business value. With software spending expected to grow by 14 % over the next year, smart investment decisions will be critical from the outset.
This quarter, cybersecurity budgets will undergo a fundamental change driven by regulatory pressure, technological advances and the evolving threat landscape. CIOs will move away from rigid contracts and expensive individual tools toward flexible, AI-supported solutions that automate routine tasks and reduce the burden on security teams. AI will enable security teams to cover more with less and make faster, betterinformed decisions.
Compliance requirements – such as GDPR, NIS2 and DORA – will shape cybersecurity strategies at board level this quarter, moving the focus from reactive measures to risk-based investments. Cost-effective basic controls remain highly effective: multi-factor authentication, automated patch management, employee training and adherence to cybersecurity frameworks. When security is strategically integrated, it reduces downtime, streamlines processes and aligns
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INTELLIGENT CIO MIDDLE EAST www. intelligentcio. com