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Digital Identity: Enabling MEA eGoverment Entities to Enhance Experiences while Cutting Costs

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Digital Identity
By Uday Shankar Kizhepat, Vice President and General Manager- Middle East and Africa Region, WSO2

We live digitally. Much of our professional work is digital, as is much of our leisure time. Our commercial activity – shopping, service subscription, banking, and more – is digital. And our government is digital. No doubt governance itself requires the wisdom of individuals. But the transactional part – filing, requesting, registering, licensing, and so on – is digital. Governments in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) know they have an opportunity, with today’s technologies, to streamline transactional government functions while cutting costs.

One way to do this is to introduce digital identities. By allowing each citizen to be recognized by their “bytes essence,” public authorities open the door to transformative programs that use these trusted online personas to get things done reliably and rapidly. Many regional nations are acknowledging the potential of digital ID systems and have cultivated track records for themselves in areas such as boosted citizen engagement and enhanced accuracy of outcomes.

Digital IDs offer a practical means to ensure useability when new e-government services come online. Identity verification, service accessibility, and data protection are three major, long-standing challenges encountered by regional governments on their digital transformation journeys. The digital ID solves all of them. It offers an elegant solution to the verification issue, obviously, but its simplicity enhances accessibility, and its security features protect data. 

Digital Identity

The ’Guarantee’

The digital identity may look straightforward, but its elegance is built on a toolbox of advanced technologies such as biometrics, encryption, and blockchain. These building blocks come together to give a guarantee of authenticity when an individual presents their credentials to an online gatekeeper. And we should not use the word “guarantee” lightly. It lies at the core of the viability of any authentication system offered by a government. When waved through the door, verified users can access tax history and health records. They can pay bills or register with a government agency. If verification is erroneous, a host of problems can arise.

The digital ID is a holistic, citizen-centric approach that strikes a balance between security and performance and yet does not compromise either. It eliminates bureaucratic bottlenecks and elevates the citizen experience without the public-sector agency ever relinquishing control of any part of the process. But how? How do digital IDs allow government services to operate at peak efficiency and grant seamless access to every citizen while not faltering when it comes to risk management? How do responsive, always-on services guarantee privacy and security? Well, the answer comes full circle, back to digital transformation. 

Governments in the Arab Gulf region mention digital transformation frequently in published guidelines that map the way to economic diversification. These same guidelines apply to the government itself, which must set about transforming systems, processes, and functions to prepare for digital IDs and the world they promise – one in which a digital service provider can offer both seamless access and security. Complexities come from the scale and interconnectedness of operations, and the need for every shred of data, every machine-to-machine process, and every user session to be secure. Regulatory obligations must be juggled with budgetary constraints while technology leaders play intermediary to vying stakeholder factions within the organisation. It is easy to see how challenging it might be to maintain interoperability and data-sharing in such a fraught environment.

Of course, none of this will deter government organisations in the MEA region. They know what the hurdles are, but they also know what is to be gained – smoother services that cost less to provide while engendering greater citizen trust and in fact are leading the way in some of these digital initiatives. Remember, regional governments also know that the expectations of their citizens have, in a very real sense, undergone a digital transformation of their own.

Digital Identity

Success Stories

If we cast our eyes around the region, we can see digital ID-centric transformation in action already. Some government organisations in the Middle East have introduced biometric facial recognition as part of digital identity phase-ins and are using the system for secure digital document storage. Also in current use are systems that allow single, mobile-based logins. In these countries, the government’s identity access management (IAM) system undergoes a sweeping overhaul that allows the unification of credentials data to provide secure digital identity.

In the Asian subcontinent, we find a government that directed its telecoms ministry to build a national information exchange layer using an API. Strict identity management was rolled out as part of this ambitious project. With digital identity in place, the government can enable slicker collaboration between its departments and enhanced efficiency in outputs. It can do all this while optimising data access and consumption, which empowers analysts to deliver more actionable insights to stakeholders across agencies and ministries.

In Africa, one country showed its peers how an integrated identity and access management solution can be used for risk-based authentication, single sign-on, multi factor authentication, and user self-service. The solution was designed to minimise the risk of identity theft, but it was also (through single sign-on) able to reduce complexity when onboarding and offboarding users.

Conflict Resolved

If digital solutions are the future of government, then digital identity is the future of public-sector cybersecurity and risk management. Governments in the region have been trying for years now to transform service delivery and engender citizen trust and engagement, but security has always been in conflict with agility. Having leveraged digital identity, authorities rid themselves of the downsides and reap rewards such as those described here. These regional successes underscore not only the profound impact digital transformation can have on society, but the indispensable role digital identity will play in delivering those efficiencies in a way that promotes trust.

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Intelyse officially launches in the UAE – Integrated Intelligence and Risk Solutions for Families, Businesses, and Advisors

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Business professional pointing at digital network interface with interconnected icons representing enterprise solutions, innovation, and global connectivity over world map background.

Intelyse specializing in intelligence-led risk solutions, has officially launched its operations in the United Arab Emirates. Headquartered in Dubai, Intelyse delivers discreet, integrated solutions that protect physical, financial, digital, and reputational interests.

As one of the safest countries in the world, admired for its security, stability, and forward-looking vision, the UAE has attracted entrepreneurs, investors, prominent dignitaries and family offices from across the globe. With this success comes new exposure to risks originating outside of the country, from international cybercrime and online fraud to reputational challenges linked to global markets. Intelyse exists to help families, businesses, and trusted advisors to mitigate these risks with confidence.

“Our clients want reassurance that their interests and opportunities are protected from every angle. The rise of sophisticated cyberattacks, financial fraud schemes, and reputational risks from beyond the UAE’s borders underscores the need for a broader approach. We provide intelligence, context, and data so leaders can make clear decisions about their businesses and investments,” said Rafal Hyps, Chief Executive Offer, at Intelyse.

Intelyse operates from a Dubai-based 24/7 Global Security Operations Centre (GSOC), providing continuous monitoring and assessment of emerging risks worldwide. By combining intelligence, cyber and physical security, and risk advisory under one framework, Intelyse gives clients a single, clear and tailored view of potential vulnerabilities, and the strategies to manage them.

“Open-source intelligence and advanced analytics, including AI-driven methodologies, are now essential to understanding risk in real time. At Intelyse, we integrate human expertise with AI tools to connect patterns across jurisdictions, detect vulnerabilities earlier, and provide clients with the foresight they need to stay ahead of threats, and above all, make informed decisions” added Rafal Hyps.

Intelyse Services include:

  • Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT): Collecting and analyzing publicly available data to uncover threats, reputational risks, and hidden insights across jurisdictions.
  • Intelligence: Vetting potential business partners, senior executives, and investment opportunities; asset tracing; global fraud inquiries and investigations outside of the UAE; competitive intelligence and due diligence.
  • Specialist Security Solutions: Blockchain forensics, anti-surveillance (bug) sweeps, and secure communications.
  • Strategic Risk Advisory: Geopolitical and reputational risk assessments, intelligence reports, digital footprint analyses, and support with crisis planning and dispute resolution.
  • Security & Protection: Tailored protective frameworks for family offices and UHNWIs, executive protection, residential and asset security, and global travel risk management.

Intelyse also partners with advisors including:

  • Law Firms: Providing intelligence to strengthen cases and safeguard clients.
  • Wealth Managers and Investment Firms: Delivering data-driven insights to prevent fraud and scams.
  • Human Resource Departments: Supporting senior-level hiring through discreet background checks and reputational assessments.

By providing verified intelligence and actionable reporting, Intelyse helps decision-makers reduce risk, build clarity, and move forward with confidence.

Intelyse reinforces its commitment to empowering clients with clarity, discretion, and actionable intelligence. By blending international reach with deep local presence, Intelyse provides an added layer of trust and assurance.

Intelyse’s goal is simple: to safeguard what matters most so that clients can focus on growth, opportunity, and peace of mind in one of the world’s safest and most dynamic markets.

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Synology Redefines Enterprise Cyber Resilience with New Lineups in the UAE Solution Day

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Large audience at Synology UAE Solution Day event with speaker presenting enterprise data protection solutions on stage with purple ambient lighting.

Synology today held Solution Day 2025 – with 200 attendees, and unveiled its resilience enterprise solutions, and shared findings from its regional enterprise survey, providing strategies for businesses to strengthen their cyber resilience.

“Enterprises in the UAE are increasingly adopting hybrid cloud strategies to gain flexibility and drive innovation,” said Antoine Yang, Regional Sales Manager at Synology. “While hybrid approaches offer clear advantages, securely and efficiently managing multiple environments remains a challenge. This makes it crucial for businesses to implement strategies that balance security, performance, and cost efficiency, ensuring true cyber resiliency.”

Synology 2025 Enterprise Survey Reveals UAE’s Critical Gaps in Cyber Resilience

Amid increasing IT complexity, the Synology 2025 Enterprise Survey reveals that many organizations in the MEA region remain vulnerable to cyber risks:

  • Fewer than 18% of enterprises are confident in addressing rising cyber threats, while 32% experienced data loss or security incidents in the past year.
  • 70.84% of IT leaders prioritize security in IT infrastructure, underscoring the demand for trusted solutions.
  • 63.55% of businesses cite data protection and disaster recovery as the main drivers of data growth in the coming year — highlighting the importance of scalable storage for business continuity.
  • Despite awareness of the need for resilience, 63.52% of IT leaders struggle with cost challenges in maintaining continuity.

These findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive cyber resilience strategies that safeguard data, maintain continuity, and simplify IT management.

Scalable, High-Performance Storage for Business Continuity

At the event, Synology showcases its enterprise storage solutions, including the high-performance PAS Series with active-active dual controllers and end-to-end NVMe technology, designed to deliver performance meeting high availability. The GS Series scale-out system is also featured, supporting PB-level capacity across multiple nodes for growing enterprise needs.

Centralized Data Protection Enhancing Cyber Resilience

With the recent release of DP7200 and APM1.1, Synology showcases new ActiveProtect updates that deliver expanded workload support, strengthened cyber resilience, and simplified compliance. The updates enhance core features such as immutability and air-gap technologies, including Write Once, Read Many (WORM) to prevent unauthorized deletions and network isolation for secure access. Together, these capabilities support a robust 3-2-1-1-0 backup strategy with offsite backups and immutable copies, helping organizations safeguard critical data and maintain business continuity.

Boosting Business Productivity Securely with Sovereign AI

Digital transformation is vital for organizational sustainability. Beyond Synology Office Suite with real-time collaboration tools, Synology introduces a unified communication platform with integrated messaging and video conferencing, and showcase AI-driven productivity tools for document management, all controlled through the Synology AI Console. Businesses can enhance these tools with on-premises AI server integration and custom AI agents to optimize workflows.

“In markets like the UAE, where control, cost efficiency, and scalability are paramount, our approach ensures that data stays local, protected, and easy to manage — while giving enterprises the flexibility to grow with confidence,” said Antoine Yang.

Synology at a glance

Staying at the forefront of data management, Synology innovates and adapts to ever-evolving technologies, and continues bringing new possibilities to the table, including but not limited to solutions for data storage and backup, file collaboration, video management, and network infrastructure – all designed with one goal in mind – presenting a centralized platform to simplify IT administration while driving digital transformation for businesses worldwide.

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Global Tech Leaders Unite to Propel Emerging Future-Critical Sectors at GITEX GLOBAL 2025

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GITEX Global

With capabilities of AI advancing every year, its potential to address challenges once thought unsolvable is rapidly expanding, from the possibility of curing genetic diseases to transforming urban mobility or enabling green data centres. With the global AI market set to reach $4.8 trillion by 2033 (UNCTAD), the race to deploy AI for critical sectors has never been more urgent. Against this backdrop, GITEX GLOBAL 2025 convenes as the world’s largest tech and AI event, with this year’s edition highlighting significant developments in biotech, physical AI, quantum computing, semiconductors, and data centres.

From 13-17 October at Dubai World Trade Centre, the show unites over 6,800 tech enterprises and 2,000 startups, with participation from 180 countries, bringing together the companies leading the world’s most ambitious AI infrastructure expansion. Global tech enterprises including Alibaba Cloud, AMD, AWS, Dell, e&, G42, Google, HPE, Huawei, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce, Siemens, and Snowflake anchor the showcase, with new incoming innovations from Cerebras, Datadog, Mitsubishi, Qualcomm, Rital, ServiceNow, Tata Electronics, Telecom Italia, and Tenstorrent.

Running in parallel is GITEX’s startup showcase, Expand North Star, from 12-15 October at Dubai Harbour, hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy. Celebrating its 10th edition, the show connects 2,000 of the world’s most promising startups, with the highest percentage of growth & late-stage startups anywhere, with over 1,200 investors managing US$1.1 trillion assets. 

Trixie LohMirmand, EVP of DWTC, the organiser of GITEX globally, shared, “Future-critical sectors including data centres, biotech, quantum, and robotics are where AI ingenuity is converging with humanity’s most pressing challenges. GITEX GLOBAL 2025 gives new impetus to these transformative technologies, while continuing to being the harbinger of innovation-led progress across industries and global economies.”

Record Participation from Fast-Emerging Tech Economies – Brazil, Serbia, Chile

The show marks a record year for international participation, with Brazil joining as Country Partner with its largest-ever tech delegation, alongside the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Tech Destination Pakistan as key partners. New pavilions debut from Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Spain, and Türkiye, in addition to expanded representation from Europe, Central Asia, LATAM, Africa, and the Levant.

Tatiana Riera, COO, ApexBrasil, shared: “ApexBrasil is excited to be at GITEX GLOBAL and Expand North Star with over 50 incredible startups and innovation hubs. It’s a great opportunity to show how Brazil is driving innovation and creating tech solutions for global challenges.”

Marko Čadež, President, Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, added: “In the age of ubiquitous AI solutions, Serbian startups at this year’s edition demonstrate practical examples of AI applications across diverse fields: from well-being and energy to sentiment diagnostics on social media, showcasing the full depth and breadth of Serbian tech.”

Super Data Centres – The AI Factories of the Future

With global data centre investments set to exceed $500 billion in 2025 (BofA Research), GITEX GLOBAL welcomes one of the biggest global investors in this sector, O’Leary Ventures, building the world’s largest AI data centre industrial park in Canada. Paul Palandjian, CEO & Co-General Partner, O’Leary Ventures, commented: “The UAE has become the crossroads and a world leader in the development of technology and AI. No other place has the leadership vision, resources and commitment to attract a world-class cohort across every industry.” 

Adding a regional perspective, Hassan Alnaqbi, CEO of Khazna, MENA’s largest hyperscale data centre provider and a G42 company, leads the discussions on whether infrastructure, energy and policy can scale fast enough to keep pace with giga AI factories.

GITEX Digi Health & Biotech – The Next Frontiers of Medicine

Breakthroughs in gene editing, mRNA vaccines and AI-led drug discoveries are driving biotech spending towards $1.7 trillion in 2025 – setting the backdrop for the fastest AI deployment in this sector. At GITEX GLOBAL, Trevor Martin, CEO of Mammoth Biosciences, presents how CRISPR, their Nobel winning gene-editing technology, is using AI to potentially cure genetic diseases.
Matt Angle, CEO of Paradromics, the company behind the world’s first successful computer-brain implant, dives into decoding thought with AI and neurotech. Adding to this momentum, South Korean startup HurayPositive unveils AI-powered SaaS to deliver precision medicine for one million patients with chronic conditions.

Physical AI in Motion

At GITEX GLOBAL, Tensor unveils the world’s first personal robocar – globally applauded as “agentic AI on wheels”. Whilst K2 introduces new humanoids and a concept vehicle designed to extend robotics into industrial environments. With the robotics AI market projected to quadruple to $94 billion by 2031, these innovations illustrate how Physical AI is becoming an essential pillar of industry productivity and business edge.

GITEX Quantum Expo (GQX) – Advancing Quantum Readiness 

On the show floor, IBM unveils Quantum System Two, a major step towards large-scale fault-tolerant systems capable of solving computing scale challenges. Shukri Eid, VP and General Manager of IBM Gulf, Levant, and Pakistan, shared “GITEX GLOBAL is a global stage, but more importantly, it is a platform for action. It brings together the ecosystems that matter: policymakers, business leaders, and innovators driving AI forward.

Prof. Mark Thompson, Co-Founder of PsiQuantum, a $6 billion unicorn, outlines the path towards quantum sovereignty. Among the headline exhibitors is also IONQ, the world’s first public pure-play quantum computing company trading at the New York Stock Exchange.

Ai Semicon – The Chips Behind Sovereign AI

Global leader in high-performance processors, AMD presents its Instinct™ GPUs and EPYC™ CPUs, built to handle the most demanding AI workloads and energy-efficient data centre deployments. Jim Keller, CEO of Tenstorrent, the $2.6bn AI chipmaker on the Forbes AI50 List, expands on this theme with his talk on “Taking Control of Your Sovereign AI Future,” as semiconductors become a geopolitical lever.

Startups, Scaleups & Unicorns Lead in AI Supercomputing

Expand North Star features more than 40 unicorns this year, reinforcing the UAE’s position as a hub for global scale-ups. Among them, Cerebras presents the world’s largest AI supercomputer (built in partnership with G42), Fluidstack unveils the world’s first 1GW decarbonised AI supercomputer, and Xpanceo introduces five prototypes of AI-powered smart contact lenses -advancing AR, healthcare, and consumer hardware simultaneously.

For more information, visit: www.gitex.com.

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