She Protects graduates 50 women as UAE builds a domestic cyber defence workforce

The graduation of the first She Protects cohort in Dubai on Tuesday signalled more than the completion of a single training programme, coming at a moment when the wider Gulf cybersecurity sector is contending with a structural shortage of skilled professionals that organisations across the region have been unable to close at the pace their digital ambitions demand. Microsoft and CPX, a G42 company, brought 50 women from UAE universities through a curriculum that combined globally recognised certification with hands-on defence experience, and the two companies used the occasion at Zabeel Saray to confirm that a second cohort would follow.

What distinguishes She Protects from conventional skills campaigns is the breadth of what participants actually completed, which reached well beyond classroom certification into the operational reality of cyber defence work. The curriculum carried Microsoft’s SC-900 Security, Compliance and Identity Fundamentals certification, threat landscape training led by CPX, simulation-based cyber labs powered by Cyberbit, and career-readiness workshops run with IDEA HR, LinkedIn and INJAZ UAE. By pairing credentials with immersive simulation and structured routes into employment, the initiative addresses the part of the pipeline where university graduates most often stall, namely the transition from academic study into a working security role.

Hadi Anwar, CEO, CPX, said the discipline itself demands the kind of breadth the programme is built to supply. “Cybersecurity is fundamentally a people-powered discipline. As cyber threats become more sophisticated in the age of AI, organisations and nations need diverse perspectives and highly skilled professionals to stay ahead. Through She Protects, we are helping cultivate a new generation of cyber defenders and creating greater opportunities for women to shape the future of digital security in the UAE,” Anwar said.

Government backing signals where cyber talent sits in the UAE’s economic planning

The presence of senior state involvement, delivered through virtual remarks from H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government, placed the graduation within a national agenda rather than a corporate one, reflecting how closely the country now ties workforce development to its broader push toward an AI-powered economy. That alignment matters because the security of the digital infrastructure underpinning the UAE’s economic diversification depends on a domestic talent base that can scale, and initiatives of this kind are among the few mechanisms producing certified entrants at volume.

Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government, set the initiative against the country’s longer-term trajectory. “As the UAE accelerates its journey toward an AI-powered future, cybersecurity talent will play a critical role in safeguarding our digital infrastructure and driving innovation with confidence. Initiatives such as She Protects help expand the nation’s talent pool, create new pathways for women in technology, and strengthen the capabilities needed to secure the digital economy of tomorrow,” he said.

A second cohort turns a pilot into a pipeline

The decision to run a second intake, announced alongside the graduation, is the clearest indication that Microsoft and CPX intend She Protects to function as a recurring source of talent rather than a one-off gesture, an important distinction in a market where many diversity-focused programmes struggle to outlive their launch cycle. The initiative forms part of Microsoft Elevate UAE, the company’s wider commitment to the nation’s digital transformation through skills development, which gives the cohort model an institutional home and a degree of continuity that standalone schemes rarely secure.

Amr Kamel, General Manager, Microsoft UAE, set the graduation against access and durability rather than headcount alone. “Today is about opening doors to meaningful careers and creating a stronger, more diverse cybersecurity workforce for the UAE. The graduates from the She Protects initiative have gained foundational expertise, practical experience, and access to professional networks that will help them contribute to the country’s digital future. The launch of a second cohort reflects our long-term commitment to developing local talent and supporting the UAE’s ambitions as a global leader in AI and digital innovation,” Kamel said.