08 Jan Future-proofing security

As economic growth and innovation accelerate across the region, security professionals are redefining their strategies to meet the future challenges of corporate, community and commercial protection.

Security is at the forefront of transformation across the Middle East, where cutting-edge innovation and unique regional challenges are shaping tomorrow’s landscape. As construction, tourism, finance and technology sectors continue to accelerate, security professionals must adapt faster than ever — whether safeguarding major hospitality investments, securing smart infrastructure, mitigating cyberthreats or rethinking community environments.

Security Middle East magazine has asked leading industry experts from across the region to share their perspectives on the future of corporate and community investigations, tourism and hospitality security, commercial protection, advanced access control, integrated systems, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), and the evolving world of cybersecurity. Together, their insights highlight how collaboration, innovation and tailored strategies are set to redefine security throughout the Middle East in the years ahead.

What’s next for the future of corporate and community investigations?
“From 2026 onward, investigations will no longer sit in the background of corporate governance. They will define it. The Middle East is entering an era where digital intelligence, ethical oversight and community engagement merge into one decisive capability: proactive investigative readiness. Driven by Vision 2030, organisations in Saudi Arabia are indicating maturity levels in demonstrating transparent, values-based inquiries. The real disruption with the strategic value will come from investigators who are empowered to challenge assumptions, question systems and elevate truth above hierarchy. Such investigators – who blend technology with cultural intelligence – will transform investigations from a procedural requirement into a strategic engine for trust, resilience and societal impact.”
Sameeha Assayari, Security Middle East Ambassador and Senior Manager of Security Investigations at Red Sea Global 

What’s the future of tourism and hospitality security in KSA and the GCC?
“It will be defined by smart integration, sustainability and collaboration. As giga projects transform the region’s tourism landscape, security will evolve from a reactive function to a proactive enabler of guest confidence and operational excellence. Advanced technologies, AI analytics, biometrics and smart surveillance, will blend with culturally aware human engagement to create seamless, secure experiences.

“Cross-sector partnerships between government, private operators and local communities will be vital to sustaining resilience. Ultimately, the next era of tourism security will balance innovation with empathy, ensuring safety enhances rather than disrupts the visitor journey.”
Tawfeeq Alsadoon, Security Middle East Ambassador and Group Head of Security at the Red Sea Global 

What’s next for the future of commercial security in KSA?
“Commercial security is shifting toward a hybrid, service-driven model that blends human presence with advanced technology and managed operations. Companies are increasingly moving toward long-term outsourcing contracts, partnering with specialised providers who deliver integrated security, monitoring and cybersecurity solutions. This evolution enhances efficiency and resilience but requires strong governance, transparent SLAs, and investment in national workforce training to sustain quality and compliance. The future belongs to organisations that can balance technology, human capital and policy — transforming security from a cost centre into a strategic enabler of trust and business continuity.”
Turki Almalki, Security Middle East Ambassador and Security Facilities & Vigilance Manager at Riyadh Air 

What’s next for access control?
“One of the strongest trends we’re seeing across industries is deeper integration in access control. Organisations increasingly want to manage everything from a single, unified platform — where every component communicates seamlessly. This not only simplifies processes but gives administrators far better visibility and control, especially when managing multiple sites. The days of juggling disconnected systems are fading fast. Going forward, the ability to integrate access control easily and completely within a broader ecosystem will be a key differentiator. This simplified, connected approach is shaping the future of how secure operations are managed.”
Roshin Roy, Regional Director, Middle East and Africa, Traka

Security 2026: Integration, intelligence and influence
“By 2026, security will no longer hinge on walls or perimeters but on foresight, integration and trust. Physical and digital domains will merge into a single, fluid battlespace, where drones, data and deception operate side by side. The contest between defender and disruptor will accelerate, defined by tempo, resilience and decision speed. Across the Middle East, nations and organisations will interlink infrastructures into nervous systems — swift, sensitive, yet exposed to both cyber and geopolitical tremors. Regional realignments, shifting trade routes and evolving alliances will shape security postures as much as technology will. The winners will be those who fuse intelligence, operations and leadership into adaptive systems that combine human judgment with algorithmic precision. Embedding resilience by design, integrating geopolitical awareness and transforming vigilance into insight will turn security from a defensive cost into a decisive source of strategic advantage.”
Chady Daccache, Partner at Kearney Middle East & Africa – Mobility, Defense, and  Advanced Industries Practice

What’s next for the future of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
“Rapid urbanisation across Asia, Africa and the Middle East is creating dense environments that increase risks of crime, disorder and terrorism. Conflicts and climate change will continue to fuel mass migration, adding pressure on borders and urban infrastructure. Security is now a strategic pillar, with ambitious urban projects prioritising eco-friendly ecosystems. In the Middle East, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is gaining momentum as the best approach to align security with UN Sustainable Development Goals. Success will depend on multidisciplinary teams integrating Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) to deliver strategies that enhance societal impact and build safer, inclusive communities.”
Boguslawa Motylska, Security Middle East Ambassador and Founder and Director of CPTED-UK 

Cyberthreats to watch out for in 2026
“The most urgent cybersecurity threat heading into 2026 is the accelerating impact of generative AI on the creation of zero-day malware that traditional defences simply cannot recognise. Until recently, developing malware required significant technical skill, and only a small portion of those with that capability ever used it for criminal activity. Today, an inexperienced bad actor can craft well-engineered prompts and generate entirely new malicious code in minutes. By definition, systems that rely on denying only known threats will fail to catch these attacks. As a result, one of the defining shifts of 2026 will be organisations moving toward Zero Trust architecture that defaults to denying all code except what is explicitly known, verified and approved, while blocking everything else until it can be safely reviewed.”
Danny Jenkins, CEO and Co-Founder of Threat Locker

How will the event security landscape evolve in the coming years and what is driving the change?
“The security landscape of events is evolving rapidly, and the coming years will be shaped by how well organisers and organisations adapt to a more complex and fast-moving risk environment. Geopolitical volatility, greater operational complexity and the acceleration of digital threats are converging, which means security planning can no longer operate as a background function but needs to evolve into an integrated function that brings together real-time intelligence, medical preparedness and clear escalation pathways. Today’s events take place in an environment where reputational impact and Duty of Care obligations are more prominent. Organisations that invest early in stronger situational awareness, coordinated command structures, and well-trained on-the-ground teams will be best positioned to deliver safe, and resilient events.”
Michael Tutte, Regional Security Manager, International SOS Middle East

What will drive cybersecurity strategy in the UAE in 2026?
“We are witnessing a splintering of the global cloud market (and hence an expansion in the attack surface) as neoclouds supplant hyperscale infrastructure as the home of compute-heavy workloads such as AI. Abu Dhabi’s G42 is rapidly positioning itself as a regional leader in this arena having already announced a US$15.2-billion investment from Microsoft. More recently, G42 and Microsoft promised an “[acceleration of] the nation’s digital transformation” through a planned 200-megawatt (MW) expansion of data-centre capacity to align with the Abu Dhabi powerhouse’s neocloud strategy. In 2026 expect to see competition heat up in UAE industries as businesses rapidly deploy new digital experiences and hyperscalers respond by also offering the GPU-centric bare-metal performance and simplified pricing needed by AI-hungry organisations.”
Christopher Hills, Chief Security Strategist at BeyondTrust

What does the future hold for physical security?
“Artificial intelligence (AI) stands out as a game-changing force in physical security. AI integration elevates the role of physical security within organisations. Rather than being viewed merely as a necessary cost centre, security operations can demonstrate tangible value through improved efficiency, enhanced risk management and direct contributions to business continuity. Natural language processing and decision support algorithms allow automated triage and escalation of security events.

“The convergence of physical and digital security measures currently are integrated security systems that help detect threats that span multiple domains. The future trends are to establish localised or regional controls over online spaces. Along with this convergence OT Security and IT will become converged, this will progress alongside AI and ML.

“Drone surveillance systems will become widely used. They are already being used in critical infrastructure. They use autonomous or remotely piloted aerial platforms equipped with cameras, sensors and communication systems to conduct real-time monitoring, perimeter patrols and incident response. They integrate with VMS, access control, and AI analytics to enhance situational awareness across wide or inaccessible areas.”
Andrew Long, Security Middle East Ambassador and Principal Consultant – Security Risk Management, WSP 

Looking ahead to built-environment security
“The next frontier of built-environment security lies in AI-driven integration. As our cities grow denser and more complex, traditional siloed systems, such as video surveillance, access control and command and control, will struggle to meet demands. AI has the potential to shift security from reactive monitoring to predictive risk management, identifying anomalies before they escalate, improving response coordination and providing new efficiencies in our operational teams. Certainly, many system providers now cite ‘AI’ capabilities, but these are often a response to market interest in the term rather than true AI potential. The future therefore demands robust governance, testing and human oversight. The challenge for us is to have future foresight, while ensuring flexibility in scalable security that works with today’s technology. The organisations that succeed will be those that can adopt smarter collaboration between designers, technology and operators to define their AI roadmaps clearly.”
Craig Ross, Security Middle East Ambassador and Security Strategy & Design Associate Director, Diriyah Company 

This feature appeared in issue 146 of Security Middle East magazine.