According to Dark Reading, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia together absorbed half of all cyberattacks recorded across the Gulf region in the first half of 2026. The report highlights a surge in attacks that are increasingly automated and complex.
The concentration of attacks on these two countries underscores their strategic importance and the growing sophistication of threat actors. The rise of automated attacks suggests that adversaries are scaling their operations, making it harder for defenders to keep pace.
While the report does not break down the types of attacks or the sectors affected, it signals a heightened risk for organisations operating in the region. Security teams should expect more frequent and harder-to-detect intrusions.