UAE Cyber Security Council, Cisco, and Open Innovation AI Launch National AI Test and Validation Lab to Strengthen AI Security

ABU DHABI, UAE — In a significant move to bolster the secure and responsible adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), the UAE Cyber Security Council (CSC), in collaboration with Open Innovation AI and Cisco, has announced the establishment of the National AI Test and Validation Lab. This pioneering facility aims to provide sovereign, independent assessment and certification for AI models, agents, and applications, marking a new era in the UAE’s digital landscape.

The announcement was made during the “Make in the Emirates” conference, where leaders emphasized the importance of ensuring that AI technologies align with national security and policy frameworks. The National AI Test and Validation Lab is designed to support both government entities and private sector organizations in testing, validating, and certifying AI systems for security and reliability.

H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al-Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity for the UAE Government and Chairman of the UAE Cyber Security Council, highlighted the lab’s role in embedding AI into the fabric of government services and critical infrastructure. He stated that the lab provides a sovereign capability to ensure that every AI model and agent deployed in the UAE is secure, trustworthy, and compliant with national policies.

A Sovereign Environment for AI Security

The National AI Test and Validation Lab will operate under the governance of the UAE Cyber Security Council. Its primary objective is to facilitate AI deployments that adhere to UAE cybersecurity policies concerning AI, cloud, and critical information infrastructure. The lab will also evaluate compliance with international standards, including ISO 42001, MITRE ATLAS, NIST AI RMF, and OWASP frameworks for large language models (LLMs) and AI agents.

Comprehensive Assessment Framework

The lab will implement a thorough evaluation process for AI systems to ensure they meet the highest standards of reliability. Key assessment areas include:

• Model Security: Testing for robustness and safety.
• Threat Defense: Identifying vulnerabilities such as prompt injection and jailbreak attempts.
• Data Integrity: Monitoring for data leakage and privacy risks.
• Supply-Chain Security: Verifying the integrity of models and weights.
• Agent Autonomy: Evaluating risks associated with agent tool use.
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring alignment with UAE AI, cloud, and cybersecurity mandates.

AI systems that successfully pass these evaluations will receive a national certification mark, providing assurance to regulators, operators, and citizens regarding the security and reliability of the AI technologies in use.

Fady Younes, Managing Director for Cybersecurity at Cisco Middle East, Turkey, Africa, Romania, and CIS, emphasized that security must be an integral part of all infrastructure in the AI era. He noted that the collaboration with the UAE Cyber Security Council and Open Innovation AI represents a pivotal moment in securing the UAE’s digital economy. By merging secure, AI-ready infrastructure with proactive regulatory frameworks, they aim to create a resilient and trustworthy AI ecosystem.

Dr. Abed Benaichouche, CEO of Open Innovation AI, remarked on the necessity of continuous security measures in AI. He stated that as models evolve and new attack techniques emerge, the lab will industrialize AI security through ongoing red-teaming, testing, and certification of AI systems. The lab is expected to analyze tens of thousands of agents annually, contributing significantly to the UAE’s national mission.

A Unified Technology Stack

The lab is built on a high-performance infrastructure designed for scalability. It combines Cisco’s secure networking capabilities with Open Innovation AI’s software solutions to automate policy compliance and evidence collection. Key components of the lab include:

• Cisco AI-Ready Infrastructure: Secure networking and high-performance computing powered by NVIDIA GPUs.
• Open Innovation Cluster Manager (OICM): Orchestrates end-to-end AI workloads.
• OI AI Security & Cisco AI Defense: Provides comprehensive red-teaming and automated testing.

Operational at Scale

The National AI Test and Validation Lab is already operational and aims to scale its capabilities to analyze tens of thousands of AI agents each year, supporting the UAE’s rapid adoption of AI technologies.

Open to Government and Industry

The lab will cater to federal and local government entities, critical national infrastructure operators, financial services, healthcare, energy, telecommunications, and UAE-based AI developers. This initiative will help ensure that AI models and agents meet national requirements before they are brought to market.

The UAE Cyber Security Council is the national authority responsible for developing and governing the UAE’s cybersecurity strategy, policies, and regulations. It leads national cyber resilience efforts, protects UAE cyberspace, and coordinates responses to cyber threats in collaboration with various stakeholders.

Cisco, a global technology leader, has been at the forefront of revolutionizing how organizations connect and secure their operations in the AI era. With over 40 years of experience, Cisco focuses on creating a more connected and inclusive future.

Open Innovation AI is a UAE-based technology company dedicated to facilitating enterprise adoption of AI through a sovereign, hardware-agnostic platform. Its core product, the Open Innovation Cluster Manager (OICM), supports GPU orchestration and lifecycle management for AI workloads.

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Published on 2026-05-05 12:48:00 • By the Editorial Desk