Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), a leading Islamic financial institution, has hosted the UAE Cybersecurity Innovation Challenge, an initiative designed to accelerate collaboration between financial institutions, technology leaders, regulators, and emerging cybersecurity innovators. The challenge aims to promote the development of cutting-edge solutions to counter evolving digital threats.
A Collaborative Push For National Cyber Resilience
Organised in partnership with the UAE Cyber Security Council and the DIFC Innovation Hub, the event brought together a diverse group of regional and international startups and industry stakeholders. The goal was to explore practical solutions for emerging cyber threats, secure digital infrastructure, and AI-driven risk management.
The initiative reviewed over 50 global pitches, narrowing the field to 10 finalists. A judging panel comprising representatives from ADIB and partners including the UAE Cyber Security Council, Al Etihad Payments, CyberE71, Microsoft, Visa, Katim, Shorooq, and CPX, evaluated the finalists. The evaluations focused on innovation, relevance to the UAE’s specific needs, deployment feasibility, and long-term impact, reflecting a cross-sector approach to enhancing the nation’s expertise.
Global Innovators Emerge as Winners
The judging panel announced three international companies as the winners of the challenge, each bringing a unique solution to the table:
- Corgea (San Francisco, US): An advanced cybersecurity platform designed to proactively address security vulnerabilities, strengthen cyber resilience, and provide clear visibility into potential threats and compliance gaps.
- Nothreat (London, UK): A cybersecurity platform focused on finding, analysing, and mitigating insider and external threats using behavioural intelligence and real-time monitoring to detect unusual activities.
- DTEX Systems (California, US): A human-centric workforce cyber-intelligence platform that unifies data loss prevention, user activity monitoring, behavioural analytics, and insider threat management into one AI-driven solution.
Fortifying The UAE’s Digital Sovereignty
In his opening address, H.E. Dr Mohamed Hamad Al Kuwaiti, Chairman of the UAE Cyber Security Council, underscored the nation’s commitment to safeguarding its digital sovereignty, noting that the country defends against hundreds of thousands of cyber attacks targeting various sectors.
He reaffirmed the importance of the “Society as the First Line of Defence” initiative, emphasising the need for collective responsibility. He also reiterated the nation’s determination to build AI-driven, quantum-resilient cybersecurity infrastructure to fortify the UAE against the rapidly evolving landscape of global cyber risks.
Building the Bank of the Future
This challenge reflects ADIB’s 2035 vision to build the bank of the future through strong ecosystems and impactful partnerships driven by ADIB Ventures. By supporting the UAE National Cybersecurity Agenda, the initiative focused on practical and scalable innovations to enhance national cyber resilience.
Fernando Plaza, Chief Digital Officer at ADIB, commented on the initiative, stating, “The UAE Cybersecurity Innovation Challenge showcased ADIB’s forward-thinking approach to banking. Cybersecurity is fundamental to trust in digital banking and financial services. Engaging with emerging technologies and innovative startups allows us to identify practical, scalable solutions that strengthen resilience, support secure digital transformation, and respond to the evolving threat landscape facing the industry.”
About Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB)
ADIB is a leading bank in the UAE with AED 270 billion in assets. The bank also offers world-class online, mobile and phone banking services, providing clients with seamless digital access to their accounts 24 hours a day. ADIB provides Retail, Corporate, Business, Private Banking and Wealth Management Solutions. The bank was established in 1997 and its shares are traded on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX). ADIB has a strong presence in six strategic markets: Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Qatar, and Iraq.
Source: Zawya
