Partnership includes a TENEX commitment to a Centre of Excellence in Abu Dhabi, advancing agentic, human-led AI operations as a national capability
DUBAI, UAE — September 16, 2026 — The UAE Cyber Security Council and TENEX.ai today announced a strategic partnership to advance the nation’s cyber resilience and support its ambition to become a global hub for AI-native security innovation.
The collaboration will focus on integrating agentic AI capabilities into operations, building local expertise in AI-native SOC practices, and supporting the UAE’s broader digital and resilience agenda. It reflects a shared view that as threats to critical infrastructure and government systems grow more sophisticated and automated, defense must become equally autonomous without losing the human judgment and accountability that responsible security operations require.
As part of the partnership, TENEX has committed to establishing a Centre of Excellence in Abu Dhabi dedicated to agentic AI operations. The Centre will give UAE cybersecurity practitioners hands-on access to agentic SOC environments, helping them develop and test detection and response skills against real-world attack scenarios. It will also support joint research into defenses against advanced threats and create structured training pathways for security professionals transitioning from traditional, alert-driven SOC roles to human-led, AI-augmented security operations.
As threats now move at machine speed, the commitment builds on TENEX’s core proposition: a fully-agentic, human-led security operations provider that is AI-native rather than bolted on to legacy tooling, standing up a full security operation in 7 days. Bringing that model to the UAE Cyber Security Council is intended to demonstrate, in practice, why TENEX’s approach is well suited to fortifying national-scale security operations, and to do so at a moment when the region’s digital transformation is accelerating the need for cyber resilience to keep pace.
H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity for the UAE Government, said:
“Advancing the UAE’s position as a hub for AI-native security innovation requires building local expertise alongside global technology leaders. Our partnership with TENEX, including its commitment to a Centre of Excellence in Abu Dhabi, will help develop the practical, human-led skills our security professionals need as operations become increasingly AI-augmented.”
Piers Morgan, Senior Vice President & GM – EMEA, TENEX.ai, said:
“The UAE has established itself as a global leader in AI and cybersecurity innovation. This partnership with the UAE Cyber Security Council, together with our commitment to establish a Center of Excellence in Abu Dhabi, will help build lasting local expertise in fully agentic, human-led security operations. Our goal is to give security professionals the capabilities and practical experience needed to respond to increasingly sophisticated threats while keeping human judgment and accountability at the center.”
The partnership was signed at the Cyber 100 Club, running alongside GISEC Global 2026.
About the UAE Cyber Security Council
In November 2020, the UAE Cabinet established the UAE Cyber Security Council to develop a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy and ensure a safe and strong cyber infrastructure, as a part of the UAE vision to strive toward a more secure digital transformation, The Council, led by the UAE Government’s Head of Cyber Security, aims to contribute to the nation’s legal and regulatory frameworks for cybersecurity and to secure both current and emerging technologies. It also responsible for building a vibrant ecosystem for cyber security across UAE driving innovation and stimulating economic growth in cyber through collaboration with industry, academia and international cyber diplomacy. The Council is also responsible for pioneering and implement awareness & capacity development initiatives across UAE to enhance the safety and security of the UAE populace, in line with leadership’s vision.
For more information please visit: www.csc.gov.ae


