The future security of the Middle East will depend on its ability to build sustained and coherent structures of cyber-competence.
The region faces a rapidly evolving set of challenges, and meeting these challenges requires more than technical fixes or isolated initiatives. It demands an integrated approach that advances both technical and managerial skills, strengthens governance systems, improves legal frameworks, and reinforces cooperation across national and international institutions.
This is especially relevant at a time when cyber threats have become deeply intertwined with political tensions, economic vulnerabilities, and the broader fragmentation affecting regional security.
A central pillar of this effort must be the strengthening of cyber-security competence within universities. It is crucial to embed information management, governance, and cyber-security techniques into higher education programmes on two interconnected levels: at the technical level, where students acquire the foundational skills required to understand the principles of cyber security, and at the managerial level, where future decision-makers learn how to oversee information systems, regulate access, and manage the governance processes that protect secure information.
These two levels reinforce each other and help produce professionals who can work in both the technical and strategic domains.
A practical starting point lies in creating government-supported Masters and diploma programmes that give cyber security the institutional weight necessary to attract students and produce competent graduates. When governments endorse programmes in information governance and cyber security as part of their higher-education strategies, the field gains legitimacy, visibility, and the capacity to draw talent. Certifying these programmes at diploma and postgraduate levels ensures that knowledge is standardised, skills are measurable, and universities can produce trained specialists able to contribute directly to national and regional security.
Investing in this form of education will produce measurable economic and quality benefits. Graduates from such programmes will be sought after by security firms, public institutions, the private sector, and even military organisations. Their skills will be pivotal not only in mitigating cyber threats but also in helping governments and corporations adapt to the increasingly digital nature of governance and business.
In this way, the economic potential of cyber competence building becomes clear: a qualified workforce can expand employment opportunities while simultaneously strengthening the quality of national security institutions.
Yet, university programmes alone are not sufficient. Competence building requires complementary professional training that occurs at two levels. Pre-service training prepares individuals before they assume key roles, while on-the-job training ensures continuous updating of knowledge, especially in a field that evolves as rapidly as cyber security. This continuous process of professional development is essential to maintaining a high level of preparedness and responsiveness.
The state has a particularly critical role to play in this. Cyber security training should become a core component of the induction and in-service training provided in government departments and state-owned enterprises. Technical and managerial personnel must be equipped to identify and counter threats, build robust defences, and anticipate vulnerabilities before they materialise. This requires states to maintain comprehensive programmes that build a balanced team: technicians who can operate and repair systems, and managers who can supervise access, classify information, and implement governance measures that ensure system integrity.
A parallel effort is needed within the private sector, especially where private firms act as contractors responsible for building or maintaining national security infrastructure. Corporations must meet the same levels of professional certification and training as government entities, and they should work closely with professional bodies to ensure compliance with international standards. Such collaboration strengthens the entire ecosystem and reduces gaps between public and private competencies.
Central to this ecosystem is the establishment of a clear knowledge framework and well-defined job descriptions. Cyber security professionals must know precisely what is expected of them, what skills they must maintain, and to whom they report. A hierarchical structure anchored by a chief information and security officer at the board or cabinet level helps ensure coherence, accountability, and rapid decision making. Regularly updating this knowledge framework through cooperation between governments, corporations, and universities is essential to maintaining a resilient and future-ready cyber system.
Addressing the digital divide also remains a core component of international cyber security. The divide is not solely a matter of training; it is equally a matter of access. Poor infrastructure, weak connectivity, and low literacy levels in certain regions hinder ICT penetration and limit the effectiveness of broader national strategies.
While central government institutions may have strong capacity, regional outposts often lack the same resources, expertise, and digital infrastructure. It is therefore imperative to ensure equal attention to regional access and training as part of a holistic national strategy.
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: International institutions have an indispensable role in facilitating this process.
The UN Group of Governmental Experts (UNGGE) can assist in developing training programmes tailored to emerging economies and help align national strategies with international developments in cyber policy. Similarly, the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) can help states cope with the complexities of cyberspace by offering specialised programmes designed to build competence in governance, legislation, and technical skills.
At the strategic level, international cooperation is essential for building and sustaining incident-response capabilities. The creation and strengthening of CERTs (Computer Emergency Response Teams), combined with UN-led platforms for dialogue and assistance, can help states bridge the divide in cyber security capacity. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and other global institutions have already taken important steps by supporting regional training programmes, building confidence, and encouraging coordination across state institutions.
Nevertheless, the lack of a comprehensive international legal framework continues to limit global cyber governance. International courts currently have no authority to intervene in cyber security disputes and often lack the expertise required to adjudicate complex cyber issues.
Article 2 of the UN Charter remains the primary reference point, yet it is insufficient for addressing modern cyber threats. Strengthening the international legal framework and empowering CERTs with greater authority to engage in dispute settlement would help establish a more structured and predictable environment.
The UNGGE’s role in supporting legal, technical, and policy initiatives at the regional and multilateral levels remains essential. Dialogue on the application of international law, norms, and principles must be expanded and should not be limited solely to governments. The private sector, civil society, and academia must be integrated into these discussions, as they are increasingly central to cyber operations and governance.
While cyber security has rightly become a central focus, the Middle East region cannot ignore the parallel threat posed by the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons (SALW). The inflow of SALW, combined with anti-personnel mines, continues to undermine the security of states, disrupt post-conflict recovery, and weaken the ability of institutions to respond to new challenges. Terrorist and rebel groups have gained access to increasingly advanced weaponry, and this steady proliferation poses a long-term threat to regional stability.
SALW proliferation is also inextricably linked to emerging cyber security threats, such as cyber-enabled arms trafficking, online radicalisation, and attacks on arms-management systems and infrastructure. These expand the capacity of non-state armed groups to procure and deploy weapons.
Strengthening cyber security is therefore integral to effective arms control; digital safeguards are now required to protect stockpile management systems, border-control databases, and law enforcement information-sharing platforms from manipulation or breach.
Addressing SALW proliferation in the digital age necessitates a comprehensive approach that converges physical security, cyber resilience, and institutional capacity-building, particularly in contexts where limited governance creates vulnerabilities across both domains. Integrating these strands within national and regional security strategies is essential to mitigating the risks posed by hybrid threats and preventing the misuse of weapons to undermine peace and stability.
In response, NATO has provided valuable support by convening a series of educational and training courses on SALW and mine action. These courses, held at its school in Oberammergau, Germany, aim to help states implement the UN Programme of Action on SALW. They provide diplomats, policymakers, and security officials with practical information, recommendations, and exercises that reinforce knowledge and facilitate cooperation. These programmes illustrate the importance of linking education with training, as both components reinforce one another and ensure that policymakers fully assimilate the material.
NATO’s initiatives highlight a broader lesson: regional and international cooperation is indispensable for addressing complex, transnational security threats. Whether dealing with cyber security or SALW proliferation, states must work with global institutions, strengthen national capacities, and build frameworks that promote resilience, dialogue, and responsible action.
The Middle East now stands before a decisive choice. It can either develop coherent, integrated structures for cyber competence and security governance or continue to face recurring vulnerabilities across multiple domains. The path forward requires investment in education, commitment to professionalisation, strengthening of legal frameworks, and robust international cooperation.
Only through sustained and coordinated efforts can the region build the resilience necessary to confront both digital and conventional security threats and thereby chart a more stable, secure, and prosperous future.
The writer is a professor of international relations at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and the Geneva Centre for Security Studies and a former member of the UN Secretary-General’s Group of Experts on International Security.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 15 January, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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