UAE Cybersecurity Council Unveils Winners Of Inaugural National Cybersecurity Excellence Awards

The UAE Cybersecurity Council recently celebrated the nation's inaugural Cybersecurity Excellence Awards under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Held at Space 42 Arena in Abu Dhabi, the event distributed 23 awards across five categories, recognising achievements in individual, public and private sectors, academia, and startups. This initiative highlights best practices and innovative models crucial for sustainable development and resilience in cybersecurity.

The awards align with the UAE's national vision to enhance cyber risk mitigation and showcase successful innovations. The programme aims to foster a culture of awareness and collaboration across sectors, reflecting the leadership's directives to elevate the UAE's global digital standing. It underscores the importance of cybersecurity as a foundation for innovation and sustainable growth.

Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity for the UAE Government, emphasised the significance of these awards. He stated that they encourage talent to create innovative digital solutions against evolving threats. "By recognising excellence and innovation at both individual and institutional levels," he said, "we are not only celebrating achievements but also inspiring the next generation of cybersecurity professionals to redefine what’s possible in digital security."

Among individual winners, Zaki Nusseibeh received the 2025 Award for Best Cybersecurity Education Programme. Rashid Saeed Salem Al Ameri was named CISO of the Year. Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi earned the Cybersecurity Woman of the Year award. Mohammed Al Harsousi was recognised as Cyber Emirati of the Year, while Mohamed Al Shamsi won Cyber Influencer of the Year.

In public sector achievements, ministries such as Interior, Finance, and Economy were honoured for cybersecurity compliance excellence. Sharjah Police and Department of Health won Best Bug Bounty Programme. The Ministry of Defence and Intelligence Signal Authority received accolades as Best Cybersecurity Team.

In combined government-private sector categories, Crowdstrike excelled in Cyber Threat Intelligence. e& was recognised for Innovation in Cybersecurity Technology. TDRA and FANR won Best Incident Response awards. Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) and Cisco were jointly acknowledged as Best Cybersecurity Team.

Microsoft Copilot received recognition for Best Use of AI in cybersecurity. The UAE Banks Federation was honoured for Best Cybersecurity Strategy Implementation alongside others like ADNOC and Abu Dhabi Police for training programmes.

In academia, Khalifa University stood out for Curriculum Innovation in cybersecurity education. Abu Dhabi Polytechnic received an award for its Awareness Initiative. Zayed University was commended for Digital Safety Awareness excellence.

Yas Schools along with other educational complexes were named Academic Rising Stars of 2025. These institutions have been pivotal in advancing cybersecurity education among students.

In startups, Spidersilk emerged as Cybersecurity Startup of the Year while Exordium won Most Innovative Solution award. Community Engagement recognition went to CTF.ae and Exploit3rs.

FrontierZero was named Rising Star in Cyber Defense; Cypherleak won AI-Powered Security Pioneer award; Starcsec became Zero Trust Architecture Champion.

The awards underscore UAE's commitment to fostering innovation amidst emerging cyber threats by empowering young Emirati talents towards leading a knowledge-based digital economy ensuring continuous advancement through creative projects driving sustainable prosperity across all sectors involved within this dynamic field today!

With inputs from WAM