INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY
Value at risk: A new narrative for the cybersecurity channel that quantifies the cost of inaction
Hadi Jaafarawi, Regional VP – Middle East and Africa, Qualys
As cybersecurity investment accelerates across the UAE, channel partners face mounting pressure to demonstrate measurable business value rather than technical capability alone. Hadi Jaafarawi, Regional VP – Middle East and Africa, Qualys, tells us that reframing security conversations around Value at Risk and cyber-risk quantification enables partners to express threats in financial terms, prioritise investment more strategically and build longer-term, outcome-driven customer relationships.
T he UAE’ s cybersecurity sector is expected to be worth US $ 543.47 million in 2025 and shows no signs of deceleration in the coming year. Revenues are projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.88 % to 2030, reaching US $ 757.98 million. But while threat actors continue to bolster their arsenals with the latest developments in Generative AI and Agentic AI, enterprise decision-makers are questioning whether their cyber-investments will deliver returns.
As 2026 dawns, UAE business leaders will recognise they are in the final furlong of Vision 2030. Anxious to avoid a stumble, many will ramp up protection of their digital assets. Cybersecurity competition will continue to intensify as global vendors and local integrators compete to deliver capabilities such as zero-trust architecture, AIpowered analytics and managed cloud-native security services.
Amid this sector growth, how should the cybersecurity channel differentiate itself? What do customers truly value? We believe the answer lies in Value at Risk( VAR).
Why should a VAR care about VAR?
Value-added resellers and other channel players have traditionally focused on complementary services. By focusing on Value at Risk, partners can demonstrate the long-term business value of security relationships. This approach involves quantifying the real-world cost of inaction through cyber-risk quantification( CRQ). By translating threats into financial exposure and probability of loss, the channel shifts the conversation from the expense of action to the cost of inaction.
Many enterprises lack formal mechanisms to categorise risk or update those assessments over time. Often, C-level executives only react after high-profile breaches dominate headlines. In early 2025, the UAE Cyber Security Council warned that more than 223,800 domestically hosted digital assets were vulnerable and that half of all critical vulnerabilities had remained unpatched for over five years. Waiting for the next headline is not a strategy.
Connecting spend to risk averted is a powerful motivator. For example, two vulnerabilities may differ in probability, but the financial impact may be significantly different. Multiplying probability by business value enables clearer prioritisation. This is CRQ in action.
Bringing VAR to the ROC
Risk management must evolve into an operational discipline. A modern Risk Operations Center( ROC) requires multi-source data and structured analysis. Channel partners can guide customers in building their own ROCs or provide managed ROC services.
Either approach fosters long-term partnerships. By individualising risk advice, delivering relevant threat intelligence and updating risk scoring over time, partners help customers make informed, strategic decisions.
Route to safety
The UAE cybersecurity channel faces constant change in 2026. IT architecture is evolving and cybersecurity providers must evolve with it. Focusing on Value at Risk addresses the longstanding challenge of prioritisation and aligns security investment with business impact.
Talk about money. Link it to risk. Map the exposure and show the route to safety. •
INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS 31