CPX CEO Hadi Anwar on She Protects – Women in Cybersecurity - Gulf Business

CPX CEO Hadi Anwar on She Protects – Women in CybersecurityHadi Anwar, CEO of CPX, explains the thinking behind the programme and how it fits into the UAE’s broader cyber resilience agenda Neesha Salian16 February, 2026Image: SuppliedTT16As the UAE accelerates its digital and AI ambitions, the demand for cybersecurity talent is rising sharply. Yet women remain underrepresented in the sector, accounting for only around a quarter of the global cyber workforce. Bridging that gap is becoming both an economic and national security priority. Launched in February 2026, She Protects – Women in CyberSecurity is a six-month initiative by CPX and Microsoft aimed at equipping female university students and recent graduates with technical training, certification pathways and hands-on experience to enter the cybersecurity field. In this interview, Hadi Anwar, CEO of CPX, explains the thinking behind the programme and how it fits into the UAE’s broader cyber resilience agenda. What inspired CPX and Microsoft to launch the She Protects – Women in CyberSecurity programme, and what gap is it aiming to address in the UAE’s cyber workforce? She Protects was launched in response to a growing and urgent need to strengthen the cybersecurity talent pipeline at a time when the UAE is accelerating its digital and AI ambitions. While demand for cybersecurity professionals continues to rise, women remain significantly underrepresented in the sector, and many young women still feel discouraged from pursuing cyber careers despite a strong market demand. CPX and Microsoft came together to address this gap by creating a clear, supportive entry point into cybersecurity for female university students and recent graduates. The programme focuses on building skills, confidence, and awareness, while also creating direct pathways into the workforce through early career opportunities. Ultimately, this will help unlock a new pool of talent that is essential to the UAE’s long-term digital resilience. How does the programme equip young women, from university students to recent graduates, with the practical skills and mindset needed for careers in cybersecurity? The programme is designed to provide participants with both technical foundations and real-world exposure to the cybersecurity profession. Over the course of six months, participants will receive structured training on cyber hygiene, threat landscapes, and security fundamentals delivered by CPX, alongside Microsoft’s globally recognised SC-900 security, compliance and identity certification. These learnings will be complemented by immersive cyber labs, career readiness sessions, and professional development workshops that focus on employability, personal branding, and confidence building. Together, these elements ensure participants develop the technical skills and preparedness needed to transition into entry-level and early-career cybersecurity roles. Women currently make up only around 25  per centof the global cybersecurity workforce. How important is increasing female participation in cyber for the UAE, and what impact could it have on the sector? Increasing female participation in cybersecurity is critical to the UAE’s ambitions of building a resilient and future-ready digital economy. Cybersecurity relies on diverse perspectives, problem-solving, and innovation, and greater gender diversity strengthens the sector’s ability to respond to increasingly complex threats. By encouraging more women to enter cybersecurity, the UAE expands its talent base while fostering inclusive growth across the technology sector. Empowering women in cyber also helps build trust in digital systems and ensures the workforce securing the nation’s infrastructure reflects the diversity of the society it serves. How does She Protects tie into broader efforts to strengthen national cyber resilience, and what role does CPX play in supporting the UAE’s cybersecurity ecosystem? She Protects contributes directly to national efforts to strengthen cyber resilience by investing in talent development at an early stage. By equipping young women with essential cybersecurity skills and practical experience, the program supports the UAE’s ability to safeguard its digital infrastructure as technology adoption continues to accelerate. CPX plays a central role in this effort through its ongoing work to build cybersecurity capabilities, raise awareness, and collaborate with partners across government, private sectors, industry, and academia. The initiative reflects CPX’s commitment to supporting national priorities by helping to develop a secure, skilled, and sustainable cyber workforce. Can you explain how the six-month programme is structured and what kind of mentorship, training, or hands-on experience participants will receive? The programme runs from December 2025 to June 2026 and follows a structured learning journey that combines education, practice, and professional development. Participants progress through foundational cybersecurity training, certification preparation, and hands-on cyber lab experiences that simulate real-world scenarios. Alongside technical learning, participants benefit from mentorship, career coaching, LinkedIn profile development workshops, and networking opportunities with industry professionals. This holistic approach ensures participants graduate with both practical experience and a clearer pathway into cybersecurity careers. How do Microsoft, Cyberbit, Injaz UAE, and the UAE Cyber Security Council contribute to the programme’s success, and why are such partnerships critical in scaling impact? The success of She Protects is driven by strong collaboration across the public and private sectors. Microsoft brings global expertise, industry-recognised certification pathways, and a longstanding commitment to digital skills development. CPX contributes regional cybersecurity leadership and insights into the local threat landscape. Endorsement from the UAE Cyber Security Council reinforces the program’s national relevance and alignment with broader cyber resilience goals. These partnerships are essential to delivering a credible, scalable initiative that connects education, industry, and policy. Beyond this initial cohort, what is CPX’s long-term vision for fostering a more inclusive and skilled cybersecurity workforce in the UAE? She Protects represents an important step in CPX’s long-term vision to build a diverse and future-ready cybersecurity workforce in the UAE. Looking ahead, CPX aims to continue developing initiatives that promote inclusion, awareness, and skills development. Through sustained collaboration with government, industry, and education partners, CPX seeks to create lasting pathways into cybersecurity that empower more women to play an active role in securing the UAE’s digital and AI-driven future. She Protects is designed to become a benchmark initiative for empowering women in cybersecurity, with the long-term ambition of evolving into a formal certification that can be replicated globally. Read: Microsoft to invest $15.2bn in UAE to expand AI, cloud infrastructure InterviewmicrosoftcybersecurityCPX