Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa Fund Launches National Program To Support Cybersecurity Startups In The UAE

The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development (KFED), a not-for-profit economic development fund of the Government of Abu Dhabi, has launched a national program to support cybersecurity startups across the UAE, in partnership with the UAE Cyber Security Council. 

The new initiative, which is being launched under an existing memorandum of understanding (MoU) between KFED and the UAE Cyber Security Council, is designed to attract, develop, and support cybersecurity startups through a structured acceleration journey that aims to help founders develop scalable solutions, while also improving their readiness to pursue opportunities within the UAE's national cybersecurity ecosystem. 

The new program, developed in partnership with CyberE71, the cybersecurity business incubator launched by the UAE Cybersecurity Council, is designed to help cybersecurity-focused startups grow their businesses and strengthen their position across the UAE's cybersecurity sector. Participants in the program will receive a support framework that includes mentorship, partnership-building opportunities, and access to experts, investors, and industry stakeholders. The program thus aims to help develop a new generation of national cybersecurity companies capable of creating innovative solutions for local and international markets, while strengthening the UAE's cybersecurity ecosystem and supporting its position as a regional hub for advanced cybersecurity technologies and solutions. 

In a statement, Mouza Obaid Al Nasri, CEO of KFED, said, "The launch of this program reflects the Khalifa Fund's leading role in supporting and empowering entrepreneurs in collaboration with its strategic partners, while fostering the growth of startups across various sectors, including cybersecurity. This is achieved by providing an enabling environment that supports the development of scalable ventures and creates greater opportunities to transform ideas into success stories and productive businesses with sustainable economic impact."   

Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government, said, "Cybersecurity is no longer merely a technical sector; it has become a strategic driver of the digital economy and one of the fundamental pillars of the security and sustainability of societies. From this perspective, we are working to build an integrated national ecosystem that not only protects the digital space but also empowers entrepreneurs and supports startups capable of developing innovative cybersecurity solutions that originate in the UAE and expand into global markets."