Exclusive Interview with Assad Arabi, Regional Managing Director Africa, Mediterranean and CIS, Trend Micro

What are your impressions of GITEX this year?
GITEX has always been an incredible platform, but this year feels different, there’s more energy, more excitement, and a clear focus on meaningful business conversations. The engagement level is impressive, and it’s great to see the region’s digital ecosystem evolving so rapidly.

What is the current state of cybersecurity in the Middle East and Africa?
It’s getting increasingly complex. We’re seeing more AI-driven, sophisticated cyberattacks that are harder to detect and mitigate. Last year alone, Trend Micro detected around 1.35 billion cyber threats in MEA , a staggering figure considering even one major attack can disrupt entire organisation. Globally, cybercrime is projected to cost around USD 10 trillion, which is an enormous economic loss.

This growing threat landscape demands a new approach. Instead of reacting after attacks occur, we’re shifting to a predictive cybersecurity model  anticipating threats before they strike. By identifying patterns and alerting organisations in advance, we’re helping them safeguard critical data and infrastructure proactively.

What key innovations is Trend Micro showcasing at GITEX 2025?
This year is special for us. Our flagship Trend Vision One platform, known as the world’s most comprehensive cybersecurity platform, continues to evolve. It integrates multiple security layers  from endpoint and server to cloud, network , data, email, IoT, and OT security — into one unified ecosystem.

The latest innovation we’re showcasing is our Agentic  SIEM solution, launched just last month. Among the first of its kind globally, it leverages AI to automate rule creation, configurations, and response actions. This will revolutionise how SOC teams operate  paving the way for fully autonomous security operations powered by AI.

What emerging trends are shaping 2025?
One of the most concerning trends is the rise of AI-driven threats, especially deepfakes. Attackers can now replicate voices, faces, and data to create what we call “malicious digital twins.” Imagine a video that looks and sounds exactly like you, used to deceive others , it’s a new frontier of cyber risk. We’re actively developing tools to detect and neutralise these threats before they cause harm.

How is Trend Micro leveraging AI to stay ahead of evolving attacks?
AI is central to everything we do. We’ve developed systems that not only detect but quantify cyber risk. For example, organisations receive a numerical cybersecurity score , say, 67 today and 70 tomorrow ,helping them see risk fluctuations in real time and take corrective action.

We’re also creating cybersecurity digital twins, replicating clients’ digital cyber security environment on our platform to safely simulate attacks and test resilience. This enables predictive defence and faster response.

What defines the next generation of cybersecurity?
The next era of cybersecurity will be defined by intelligence and foresight. Having advanced tools isn’t enough; you need actionable threat intelligence. It provides visibility into what’s happening, what could happen, and where your vulnerabilities lie. This shifts cybersecurity from reactive to truly preventive.

How is AI transforming the way organisations predict threats?
At Trend Micro, AI is embedded across our entire ecosystem  from endpoint and network protection to cloud, OT, and IoT security. We collect native  telemetry data into a central data lake and apply AI models and threat intelligence to correlate anomalies and detect hidden attacks.

Our proprietary Cybertron large language model (LLM) is a breakthrough. It analyses threats contextually, offering insights tailored to each organisation rather than generic alerts. It empowers security teams to identify, prevent, and neutralize threats before they materialize. This advanced level of intelligence was unimaginable just two years ago, and it’s redefining how cybersecurity protection should be  perceived .

What are the biggest challenges organisations face in a cloud-native environment?
The biggest hurdle is mindset. Many organisations still use traditional security methods for cloud environments  and that simply doesn’t work. Trend Micro offers a complete cloud-native security portfolio covering applications, workloads, containers, storage, and configuration. Our attack surface and exposure management tools continuously assess cloud posture, identify risks, and alert teams before vulnerabilities are exploited.

What impact has the Trend Vision One AI Companion delivered?
The AI Companion acts like our version of ChatGPT for cybersecurity analysts. They can ask questions such as “What does this alert mean?” or “What should I do next?” and receive instant, actionable guidance or even have the system perform those actions automatically. This has dramatically reduced response times and helped close the cybersecurity skills gap, enabling junior analysts to perform at senior levels.

What sets Trend Micro apart from other cybersecurity companies?
As a Japanese company, precision and commitment are part of our DNA. For over 37 years, cybersecurity has been our singular focus. If we enter a segment, it’s because we intend to lead it.

Our leadership is consistently recognised by Gartner, Forrester, and IDC across multiple domains  from endpoint and network to IoT and attack surface management. What truly differentiates us is our natively integrated ecosystem, which simplifies management, enhances visibility, increase the protection , and strengthens customer confidence.

FVC, a prominent distributor specialising in innovative technology solutions, is pleased to announce its strategic partnership with SearchInform, a leader in information security and insider threat prevention solutions. Together, they are committed to strengthening organizations’ defenses against data leaks, corporate fraud, human-factor related risks.

K.S. Parag, Managing Director, FVC:

“We are excited to welcome SearchInform to our cybersecurity portfolio. The company offers the most powerful and localized DLP on the MENA market. SearchInform solution stands out from the competition due to a number of advantages. The system can be deployed within a few hours, protects the maximum number of data transfer channels, provides smart content-based blocking for all controlled channels and also use digital watermarks to trace the source of potential leaks. SearchInform DLP supports analysis of data in Arabic and has security policies, tailored for requirements of local organizations, enabling timely detection and prevention of confidential data leaks. The solution leverages AI to monitor atypical data transfer channels, recognize graphic elements, transcribe audio into text, detect attempts to photograph PC screens with smartphones.”

SearchInform offers a range of products, including DCAP, DLP, and SIEM. All the tools are seamlessly integrated. Technical support is provided through a specialist assigned to the company, who has extensive experience thanks to clients from various fields.

Commenting on the Partnership, Artem Volodin, CEO SearchInform MENA, stated:

“We are proud to collaborate with FVC, whose expertise in the Middle Eastern market will strengthen our efforts to combat insider threats and data leaks. The region needs a comprehensive solution that will enable organizations to meet regulatory standards, including SAMA, PDPL, DCC, ECC, UAE Information Assurance (IA) Regulation etc. and global ones, such as GDPR, PCI DSS. SearchInform delivers tools for data protection and risk mitigation across all levels: FileAuditor secures file systems, DLP covers workstations and human risks, Risk Monitor addresses corporate fraud, and SIEM protects IT infrastructure.”

The partners are currently conducting expert training, partner enablement sessions, and are also negotiating the implementation of SearchInform products in local companies.

Etihad Salam, a premier telecommunications and digital infrastructure company in Saudi Arabia, has entered into a strategic with AFR-IX telecom, an infrastructure and telecom operator and the developer and operator of the Medusa Submarine Cable System.

This collaboration aims to elevate digital connectivity spanning Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and Asia.  Through this agreement, Etihad Salam becomes the primary landing and interconnection hub for the Medusa system within Saudi Arabia through Aqaba (Jordan), solidifying the Kingdom’s position as a pivotal digital gateway connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa.

The partnership introduces resilient, high-bandwidth, and low-latency pathways from the Mediterranean to the Arabian Peninsula, fostering expansion for hyperscale data centers, cloud service providers, and digital operators throughout the region. 

With this partnership, Etihad Salam will deliver terrestrial backhaul services and capacity swapping to seamlessly incorporate Medusa’s network into Saudi Arabia and the broader GCC, and onward to Asia. This initiative represents a significant advancement in Etihad Salam’s global cable strategies and underscores its dedication to Saudi Vision 2030’s goals for digital innovation and economic diversification. 

Medusa Submarine Cable System is an 8,760 km undersea cable network linking critical points in the Mediterranean, such as Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Greece, Cyprus, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. Engineered for high-speed, reliable data transfer between Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, Medusa delivers up to 480 Tbps of capacity, serving as a vital conduit for surging intercontinental data flows. 

Quote from Salam

“Our partnership with Medusa underscores Salam’s commitment to positioning Saudi Arabia as a central hub for regional connectivity,” stated Amjad Arab, Chief Wholesale and Alliances Officer at Etihad Salam. “By linking the Medusa cable to our robust infrastructure, we’re creating innovative international routes that expand our worldwide presence and meet the surging needs for digital and cloud services in the Kingdom. Through this partnership, we seek to offer enriched connectivity services, experiences and bring the world closer, ultimately empowering businesses to scale and innovative in an increasingly digital landscape.” 

Quote from AFR-IX telecom

“We’re excited to collaborate with Etihad Salam, whose expertise and network complement our objective of providing secure, expansive, and high-performance connectivity from the Mediterranean outward,” said Norman Albi, Chief Executive Officer of AFR-IX. “This partnership elevates reliability and coverage for carriers worldwide, driving forward digital advancement across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.”