Exclusive interview with Uday Shankar Khizepat – Vice President and General Manager for ME

How is WSO2 sailing through in the region amidst the uncertainty?

The Middle East continues to be one of the most dynamic technology markets globally. While there is uncertainty in the broader geopolitical and economic environment, we see that organizations across the region remain committed to their digital transformation programs and continue to invest in the areas of API modernization, application integration, Identity and access management, data connectivity, cloud transformation and AI enablement. This is because digitization is now a business necessity rather than a discretionary investment.

For WSO2, this has translated into continued demand for solutions that help enterprises modernize systems, securely manage digital identities, integrate increasingly complex technology landscapes, and adopt AI responsibly. We are seeing particularly strong interest from government, financial services, telecommunications, and energy sectors, where organizations are focused on improving operational agility while maintaining security, compliance, and resilience.

Any new products / solutions that have been introduced for the region?

One of the most significant developments for us is our vision for the Agentic Enterprise and the introduction of WSO2’s Agentic Enterprise Fabric. Rather than treating AI as a standalone capability or bolt-on feature, we have embedded AI capabilities into the very fabric of our platform.

The Agentic Enterprise Fabric enables organizations to securely connect data, APIs, applications, identities, and AI agents across the enterprise. This creates a foundation where intelligent agents can operate with the right context, governance, and security controls while delivering measurable business outcomes.

The WSO2 Agent Manager is an open platform for the full life-cycle of enterprise grade AI agents. The WSO2 AI gateway helps in governance by monitoring the usage, applying guardrails, optimizing costs & exposing APIs as MCP tools so that AI agents can safely interact. The WSO2 agent ID helps to register, authenticate, authorize and audit AI agents as first class identities.

This approach is resonating strongly in the Middle East, where organizations are moving beyond AI experimentation and looking for scalable, enterprise-grade AI implementations that can be governed and integrated into existing business processes.

What are the key solutions that have kept WSO2 ahead of its other competitors in the region?

Our differentiation comes from helping customers address  key critical challenges simultaneously: APIs, integration, identity, and AI adoption.

Our API management platform helps companies ship, govern and monetize APIs, AI and MCP across any gateway or any cloud. Our integration capabilities enable organizations to connect legacy and modern systems quickly, helping accelerate digital initiatives.  Our identity and access management solutions provide the security and trust layer needed for large-scale digital services. Last but not the least, our Agentic Enterprise Fabric brings AI into the core of the enterprise architecture rather than layering it on top as an afterthought.

All of this combined with our open-source heritage, flexible deployment options, and ability to support sovereign cloud and hybrid environments, gives  customers the freedom to innovate with zero lock-in. This flexibility is critical in the Middle East region, where organizations increasingly prioritize digital sovereignty, data control, and long-term technology independence.

What are your plans for the coming few months in the region?

Our commitment to the growth and development of the Middle East region remains. We have just completed registering our office in KSA which reiterates our focus on deepening our engagement with customers and partners across the GCC and wider Middle East. We are investing in helping organizations move from AI pilots to production-ready deployments, while continuing to support large-scale modernization and digital transformation initiatives.

We also plan to strengthen our partner ecosystem, expand our presence in key markets, and work more closely with organizations pursuing digital sovereignty initiatives. As governments and enterprises accelerate their AI and digital agendas, we see significant opportunities to help them build secure, connected, and intelligent digital platforms for the future.

What’s your anticipated growth for the digital / tech sector in the coming few years?

The outlook remains very positive and we are optimistic. Over the next three to five years, I believe the region will move from digital transformation to intelligent transformation, where AI becomes embedded in core business operations rather than existing as isolated applications. Organizations that successfully combine AI with strong integration, identity, governance, and data foundations will be best positioned to create sustainable competitive advantages.

This shift will create significant opportunities for technology providers, system integrators, and enterprises alike.

Exclusive interview with Lewis Davey, Co-Founder Pixelagency.ai Founder & Creative Director at IDEA FARM

You’ve built a career around making brands culturally relevant through human creativity. What convinced you that the next frontier of storytelling might involve entirely virtual personalities?

AI Influencers have been around since 2018, but the technology has made huge strides in the past 18 months – and now hyper-realistic virtual personalities are exploding in popularity. Having worked in PR for 16 years, I think it’s good to be curious and I committed myself to learning about this space and becoming a bit of an expert – I was particularly interested in how brands could leverage AI Influencers as a new marketing channel. At Pixel what we present to brands is how AI Influencers can solve specific business challenges, drive efficiencies, and reach new audiences. This technology is much more than fancy images on Instagram.

Launching the world’s first AI Influencer Talent Management Agency sounds less like a business expansion and more like a prediction. What future did you see emerging that others weren’t paying attention to?

We launched Pixel 18 months ago with the intention of operating like a traditional talent management agency, connecting brands with existing AI Influencers. It’s certainly evolved, as the industry has gained more traction – and we’re banking on all brands owning their own AI Ambassador in the future.

Pixel isn’t just representing AI influencers, it’s helping brands create them. Why do you believe ownership of digital talent will become strategically important for brands?

Custom build AI Influencers is where we think the future is for brands. This is desirable for brands because they have an always-on marketing asset that can be online 24/7, with full creative control and tailored brand messaging. The AI Influencer can slot into their influencer portfolio, working alongside human influencers.

How do cultural sensitivities in the Middle East actually strengthen the case for AI Ambassadors rather than limit them?

I’ve always felt strongly that the Middle East is the perfect market for AI Ambassadors to thrive. There are reputational risks that come with working with real influencers, whereas a brand can have full control over messaging with its own AI Ambassadors. There’s 200 nationalities in Dubai – the other big selling point for AI Ambassadors is they can communicate in hundreds of languages, giving brands a versatile asset to target different demographics.

From a technology standpoint, what sits behind a successful AI Ambassador today, generative AI, language models, synthetic media, behavioural design, or something else entirely?

Of course, technology is important, and through our exclusive deal with The Clueless – the team behind the world’s biggest AI Influencer, Aitana Lopez, we’re bringing the best Gen-AI tools and talent to the GCC. But for me, it’s still the importance of the human behind the AI Ambassador – this is typically talented creatives, or social content creators, planning content schedules, leaning into culture and trends, and engaging with followers. Humans still have an important role in the storytelling element.

What safeguards should exist as AI-generated personalities become increasingly indistinguishable from humans?

It’s a fast-moving industry, and new rules and regulations will undoubtedly continue to come in. The EU will release new legislation in August, which could include the requirement of a watermark. The main one right now, which all our clients follow, is AI disclosure on Instagram. In an industry witnessing significant change, it’s important that responsible operators like Pixel and other partners work together to steer the industry in the right direction.

In an era of misinformation and rapidly evolving news cycles, how valuable is having a communication asset that is always accurate, controlled, and aligned with brand values?

I think it’s super important. During the recent conflict, we saw a segment of human influencers become unreliable, either posting misleading or sensationalised content. That’s troublesome for brands, so owning their own AI Ambassador that aligns with their values is going to become increasingly important. Now is the perfect time for brands in the Middle East to future proof their influencer strategy and consider an AI Ambassador.

Exclusive interview with Rabih Itani, Regional Director, Middle East and Africa, WatchGuard Technologies

SMEs across the region often struggle to balance cybersecurity investment with operational costs and complexity. What practical steps can smaller businesses take today to strengthen cyber resilience without overwhelming their internal IT resources?

Cybersecurity does not need to be complex to be effective for SMEs. The priority should be implementing a small number of high-impact security controls that significantly reduce risks. These include enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA), maintaining a disciplined patch management process, deploying endpoint protection, securing emails and DNS traffic, and investing in regular employee awareness training to combat phishing and credential misuse.

The urgency is clear. Our recent H2 2025 Internet Security Report revealed that 96 per cent of blocked malware was delivered through encrypted TLS connections, while 23 per cent of threats evaded traditional signature-based detection methods. At the same time, cloud adoption has expanded the attack surface, introducing risks associated with shadow IT, risky SaaS configurations, and compromised identities.

However, SMEs do not need to tackle these challenges alone. According to our 2026 global MSP survey, nearly half of organisations already rely on external providers to augment internal IT teams, while more than half cite 24/7 monitoring as a capability they cannot deliver in-house. WatchGuard’s Unified Security Platform was designed to support this model, delivering integrated protection across network, endpoint, identity, and cloud environments through a simplified, scalable approach. Partnering with a trusted MSP gives SMEs access to managed detection and response, continuous monitoring, and threat intelligence at scale.

Why are ransomware, phishing, and identity-based attacks increasingly becoming board-level business risks rather than just IT concerns?

Cybersecurity has evolved from an IT issue into a business-critical risk because the consequences of a successful attack extend far beyond technology systems. Ransomware, phishing, and identity-based attacks can disrupt operations, expose sensitive data, damage brand reputation, impact customer trust, and trigger regulatory scrutiny, all of which have direct financial and strategic implications.

This shift is reflected in boardroom priorities. Our 2026 MSP survey found that 75 per cent of organisations expect cybersecurity spending to increase over the next two years, while 67 per cent require additional support managing compliance obligations. Security is now firmly embedded in broader business planning and risk management discussions.

The threat landscape reinforces this reality. The survey revealed that 33 per cent of organisations experienced malware infiltration in the past year, 32 per cent suffered phishing or business email compromise attacks, and 29 per cent reported data breaches or unauthorised access incidents. Nearly 75 per cent experienced at least one cybersecurity incident overall. In February 2026, the UAE Cybersecurity Council highlighted increasing attacks targeting critical infrastructure, including ransomware, network infiltration, and AI-enabled offensive tools.

Our H2 2025 Internet Security Report further documented a 1,548 per cent increase in unique malware during Q4 2025, alongside nearly 2,600 public ransomware extortion incidents in a single quarter. Considering this, cybersecurity can no longer be considered a technical concern. Boards require visibility into organisational risk, resilience, and response readiness to protect business continuity and long-term growth.

Many businesses still operate with fragmented security environments built around multiple standalone tools. Why do you believe unified cybersecurity platforms are becoming increasingly important for organizations looking to simplify security operations while improving visibility and protection?

Currently, complexity is one of the greatest challenges facing cybersecurity teams. Organisations relying on multiple disconnected tools often struggle with fragmented security environments, inconsistent policy enforcement, and slower incident response times. Security teams are forced to correlate alerts across different dashboards, slowing response and increasing the risk of missed threats.

Modern cyberattacks do not target a single environment. It moves across endpoints, identities, networks, and cloud applications simultaneously, which requires an integrated approach to detection and response. Our Unified Security Platform combines network security, endpoint protection, identity management, cloud visibility, and threat intelligence into a single coordinated ecosystem. Solutions such as our CloudDR further enhance visibility by identifying shadow IT, detecting identity threats, and automatically remediating misconfigurations.

Market demands reflect this transition. Our 2026 MSP survey found that organisations are prioritising faster incident response (38 per cent), better communication and greater transparency (31 per cent), AI-driven threat detection (44 per cent), and stronger identity and access security capabilities (35 per cent). Meanwhile, 58 per cent expect to switch providers within three years, citing rising costs without added value (39 per cent), a major security incident (39 per cent), and slow response times (36 per cent) as the primary triggers. A unified platform helps address these challenges by reducing operational complexity while improving both security effectiveness and customer experience.

Having worked across the technological ecosystem as an end user, integrator, and provider, how have you seen cybersecurity conversations evolve over the past decade, and what do you believe organizations across the region are still underestimating today?

Cybersecurity conversations have changed significantly over the past decade. Organisations have moved beyond a traditional focus on perimeter security and compliance checklists toward a broader emphasis on cyber resilience, identity protection, cloud security, and business continuity.

One of the most encouraging developments has been the evolution of the customer-provider relationship. In our recent 2026 MSP survey, we found that nearly half of organisations now view their MSP as either a strategic advisor (24 per cent) or a proactive partner (23 per cent), rather than simply a technology supplier. Businesses increasingly expect guidance, expertise, and measurable outcomes, not just products.

However, numerous organisations still underestimate the operational side of cybersecurity. While investments in technologies continue to grow, areas such as identity governance, employee training and awareness, incident response planning, and policy enforcement often receive less attention. Across the Middle East region, we can see a robust commitment from leadership teams to strengthen cybersecurity, but execution gaps remain, particularly in cloud security and identity management.

As cyber threats continue evolving, what are some of the most common mistakes businesses still make when approaching cybersecurity strategies today?

One of the most common mistakes organisations make is viewing cybersecurity as a collection of tools rather than an ongoing operational strategy. Many businesses invest heavily in multiple security solutions but lack the resources, expertise, or processes required to manage them effectively. The result is often alert fatigue, fragmented visibility, and slower incident response. This is where dedicated MSPs play a major role. The data is compelling. Around 94 per cent of organisations using a dedicated MSP or MSSP report confidence in their protection against emerging threats, compared to just 83 per cent of those relying on consulting or professional services firms.

Another persistent challenge is underestimating identity-based risk. Today’s attackers increasingly prefer to exploit stolen credentials and over-privileged identities rather than breach networks directly. Our H2 2025 Threat Report highlights the growing prevalence of identity-focused attack techniques, underscoring the need for stronger access controls, continuous monitoring, and proactive detection capabilities.

Currently, organisations continue to underestimate the human element of cybersecurity. Our 2026 MSP survey found that 37 per cent of businesses want more cybersecurity awareness training, while 31 per cent seek greater communication and transparency from their security providers. Technology alone cannot deliver resilience; people and processes remain equally important.

Ultimately, resilient organisations are those that take a holistic approach, combining strong identity security, MFA, endpoint protection, employee awareness and training, and tested incident response plans within a single, continuously managed cybersecurity strategy.