In a significant development poised to strengthen cyber resilience across the Middle East, SonicWall and Digital Planets have entered into a strategic partnership. The deal was officially inked at GITEX Global 2025 in Dubai and marks a bold step toward bolstering digital defences in regions under rising cyber-attack pressure.
Under the agreement, Digital Planets becomes a SonicWall Gold Partner, granting it access to a full suite of advanced managed cybersecurity tools and services. Its remit will cover key markets including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Egypt. The collaboration seeks to help organisations in these nations safeguard critical infrastructure, sensitive data and digital assets from ever-evolving cyberthreats.
During GITEX — one of the world’s largest tech showcases, drawing thousands of firms and visitors annually — the timing of the announcement underscored how central cybersecurity has become to digital transformation narratives.
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Addressing the Surge in Cyber Threats: Why This Partnership Matters
The alliance comes at a critical moment. The Middle East has seen exponential growth in digital adoption across sectors such as finance, energy, government services and telecommunications. However, rising connectivity also amplifies exposure to complex security risks.
In Egypt alone, more than 20,000 cyberattacks were reported in just the first half of 2025, targeting infrastructure, communications networks and data systems. These figures reflect a global trend: cybersecurity economists now estimate that damages from cybercrime may reach USD 10.5 trillion annually worldwide.
Industry forecasts suggest the cybersecurity markets in the Middle East and Africa could become the world’s second-largest by value, driven by a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.2 % in coming years. Regionally, the Middle East and Africa accounted for the third-highest number of cyberattacks globally in 2024, with much emphasis on state-sponsored threats and attacks aimed at Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
Against this backdrop, SonicWall’s decision to partner with a regional firm with local insight could prove decisive. The alliance brings together global threat intelligence, best-in-class tools and a partner capable of deep regional reach and relationships.
How the Partnership Will Operate: From SecureFirst to Regional Rollout
At the core of the collaboration is Digital Planets’ formal induction into SonicWall’s SecureFirst Partner Program. This status empowers Digital Planets to market, deploy and support SonicWall’s full portfolio — from endpoint protection to network security, cloud defence and predictive threat analytics.
Digital Planets’ CEO, Dr. Ahmed Hanafy, described the move as “a strategic milestone” for the firm and for its customers:
“By integrating SonicWall’s advanced solutions with our regional expertise, we will deliver a suite of comprehensive and reliable security offerings that ensure robust cyber resilience for organisations in Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.”
For his part, Eng. Mohamed Abdallah, SonicWall’s Regional Director for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META), emphasised the alignment of philosophies:
“Digital Planets’ client-oriented and professional approach aligns with our philosophy of putting partners at the core of the business ecosystem. Our goal is to facilitate secure digital transformation and assist organisations of all sizes transition safely to cloud and hybrid environments amidst rising threats in the age of AI.”
The initial rollout will focus on high-value sectors—governments, banks, telecoms, critical infrastructure providers and large enterprises. But the ambition extends beyond heavyweight institutions: small and medium enterprises (SMEs), too, stand to benefit from more accessible, robust security packages.
Training, certification and local support teams will form part of the build-out. Digital Planets will invest in local engineers, enable regional security operations centres (SOCs), and embed threat intelligence feeds tailored for the region. SonicWall, meanwhile, will supply software, firmware updates, global threat feeds and centralised orchestration tools.
Given the scale and urgency of cyber risks, the partnership maintains an aggressive timeline: deployments are expected to begin immediately, with proof-of-concept pilots in major cities across KSA, UAE and Egypt within months.
What This Means for Regional Cyber Defences — and Beyond
From a broader lens, the SonicWall–Digital Planets alliance signals a maturing cybersecurity ecosystem in the Middle East. Rather than relying solely on global vendors, regional players are increasingly being empowered to operate deeper within their own markets.
For organisations in Nigeria and across Africa, the ripple effects could be meaningful. As neighbouring regions strengthen their defences, adversaries may pivot southward—or seek new vulnerabilities. African firms, governments and critical sectors would do well to watch these developments, consider partnerships, and invest proactively in security capabilities.
Moreover, the model here—global vendor + local partner with ground presence—may become a blueprint for future expansion. It balances world-class tech with cultural, regulatory and market knowhow. In regions where local trust, compliance and language matters, that formula offers a competitive edge.
From a marketing and thought leadership standpoint, the alliance will likely generate momentum in local tech media, government procurement circles, and enterprise boardrooms. News of this partnership already demonstrates how cybersecurity is no longer a niche concern but a visible boardroom issue across the region.
The stakes are high. A single breach could cost a government or large enterprise millions, jeopardise national security, erode public trust and invite regulatory scrutiny. With growing cross-border data flows, cloud migration and remote work, the attack surface continues to widen—so the reactions must be equally strategic and coordinated.
If this alliance succeeds, it could mark a shift: rather than being reactionary, regional cyberdefences could become proactive, predictive and resilient.
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