Cybersecurity in Gulf Cooperation Council Economies

Abstract

This chapter examines the cybersecurity landscape of the six Gulf Cooperation Council economies. Key elements of data protection regulations in these economies draw on a number of frameworks such as the Shari’ah principles, U.S. data privacy laws, EU data protection directive, UN Model Laws on e-commerce and electronic signatures and other sources. This chapter examines CS regulations in these economies, their principal triggers, drivers and facilitators as well as challenges facing these economies on the CS front. Also analyzed in the chapter are similarities and differences of these economies’ CS frameworks with those of the EU and the U.S. For the U.S. and other Western countries, the strategic significance of GCC economies’ CS initiatives is growing due to the fact that these economies are involved in intelligence gathering and sharing about key issues such as Iranian arms, and their rapidly growing CS market due primarily to some of the high profile cyber-attacks faced by some of the GCC economies has created opportunities for Western technology firms specializing in CS.