Dubai Electronic Security Center and Microsoft give Dubai Government a real-time view of its cybersecurity posture
A new dashboard, co-developed by DESC and Microsoft, shows how Dubai Government entities are performing against the Dubai Information Security Regulation and how to close security gaps
Amr Kamel Microsoft and DESC
Dubai, United Arab Emirates — 17 September 2026: Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC) and Microsoft today announced a collaboration that gives DESC a real-time view of the security posture of Dubai Government entities, creating a safer digital environment for everyone the government serves.
Announced at GISEC Global 2026, the collaboration has produced a purpose-built Zero Trust assurance dashboard. Instead of relying on periodic, self-reported assessments that only capture a single moment in time, DESC can now see continuously updated evidence of how entities are performing against the Dubai Information Security Regulation (ISR) and give their IT teams clear steps to close any gaps.
The dashboard was co-developed by DESC in collaboration with Microsoft. DESC maintains the Dubai ISR, which sets the minimum information-security requirements for Dubai Government entities across 13 domains. The dashboard draws on Microsoft security signals that participating entities already use and turns them into measurable evidence against those ISR controls. It surfaces things like risky identities, multifactor authentication and Conditional Access posture, privileged access, device compliance, active incidents and vulnerabilities.
Every one of the dashboard’s 37 finding types tells an entity’s IT team what the issue is, why it matters, where to verify it and how to fix it, in plain language. Guidance can be exported in Arabic and English.
Following the pilot phase, two Dubai Government entities have been onboarded so far with rollout happening across the Emirate to over 80 additional entities.
H.E Amer Sharaf, CEO of Cybersecurity Systems & Services Sector at Dubai Electronic Security Center, said: “Strengthening cyber resilience requires visibility that is timely, measurable and actionable. By bringing together evidence from the security controls already operating across participating government entities, this initiative helps us strengthen oversight while giving entity teams clearer guidance on the actions required to address identified gaps. This supports our continued efforts to advance Zero Trust and strengthen cyber resilience across Dubai Government.”
Amr Kamel, General Manager, Microsoft UAE, said: “Cyber resilience cannot rely on point-in-time visibility. As governments operate increasingly connected digital environments, security needs to be continuously measurable, actionable and built into how those environments are managed. Our collaboration with DESC shows what this looks like in practice: turning security signals entities already generate into a live view of their posture, faster remediation and stronger Zero Trust across Dubai Government.”
The collaboration builds on long-standing work between Microsoft and DESC. Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 have been certified against DESC’s Cloud Service Provider Security Standard, and Microsoft operates cloud regions in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
ENDS
About Dubai Electronic Security Center
The Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC) is the official government department entrusted to make Dubai the safest city in cyber space. The center was established under decree number 11 of 2014 by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of UAE and the Ruler of Dubai.
The Center’s objectives include safeguarding information, communications network and governmental information systems in the Emirate of Dubai in addition to enhancing, adjusting and implementing the necessary methods in the realm of cyber security and raising efficiency by which information is maintained and circulated among the governmental entities in the Emirate. Additionally, the center is also responsible to develop strategic plans to confront any risks or threats to the government information in coordination with all concerned government authorities.
To learn more about DESC visit our site at: desc.dubai.ae
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) creates platforms and tools powered by AI to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The technology company is committed to making AI available broadly and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
For more information (Press only):
Magdalena Stepien, Microsoft UAE
M: +971 56 114 2948
Kriti Kulshreshtha, Assembly Middle East
T: +971 50 265 8024
