UAE is a world leader in cybersecurity career guidance: Survey

Most young Emirati adults have received career guidance in cybersecurity, according to a new survey commissioned by Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) and the U.S. National Cyber Security Alliance. Among the youth of 12 countries surveyed across four continents, more millennials in the UAE heard about cyber careers from teachers and know what cyber professionals do than their peers abroad.

For the report, titled "Securing Our Future: Closing the Cybersecurity Talent Gap," Raytheon-NCSA surveyed nearly 3,800 young adults aged 18 to 26 worldwide. The survey, conducted by Zogby Analytics, included respondents from the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and eight other countries outside the Middle East region. The goal was to identify the root causes of the cyber talent gap as part of a shared, long-term commitment to building a robust talent pipeline.

The survey found that: 72 percent of Emiratis were given career guidance in the field of cybersecurity, compared to the 56 percent average found in the Middle East and double the global average (34 percent) 84 percent of those surveyed in the UAE are aware of the typical job responsibilities of cybersecurity professionals, compared to the 45 percent average worldwide 63 percent of Emirati youth have met with cyber professionals, mostly to discuss career opportunities in cybersecurity, compared to 31 percent internationally 66 percent of youth in the UAE are more likely than a year ago to consider a career in cybersecurity 61 percent of young adults in the UAE have been offered the skills that prepare them to pursue a career in cybersecurity 70 percent of young Emirati adults reported reading or hearing a news account related to cyber attacks, compared to 48 percent globally "The UAE has long invested in creating diverse career opportunities for Emirati youth to excel across a multitude of fields, and the survey results are a testament to these national efforts," said Chris Davis, president of Raytheon International Inc. in the UAE. "The need for properly trained cybersecurity professionals to help protect against cyber threats is on the rise in the Emirates and globally."

Earlier this year, Raytheon launched an international Cyber Academy with the first specialized workshops at Khalifa University. The effort is part of the company’s partnerships with leading educational institutions and its commitment to support the development of knowledge economies worldwide. Raytheon partnered with the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington to sponsor the UAE Security Forum in Abu Dhabi, to focus on a key topic of global and national security: bridging the cybersecurity talent gap.

Dr. Hadi Otrok, Associate Professor of Computer Engineering at Khalifa University, added, "We have placed great emphasis on building a robust cybersecurity curriculum at Khalifa University, in light of the UAE’s increased commitment to connected living. The promising results of Raytheon’s survey will undoubtedly help encourage our students to vigorously pursue careers in cybersecurity."