Gartner Analysts Discuss Ongoing Security Challenges and Threats at the Gartner CIO & IT Executive Conference 2025, October 6-8 in Dubai, UAE
Dubai, UAE, October 6, 2025 — End-user spending on information security in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is projected to reach $4 billion in 2026, an increase of 10.1% from 2025, according to Gartner, Inc. a business and technology insights company.
Expert Take:
“Organizations in MENA are being cautious with new spending during turbulent times, reflecting the global trend, yet security remains a top priority in their budgets,” said Shailendra Upadhyay, Sr Principal at Gartner. “Persistent threat environments and rapid cloud adoption will keep security at the forefront for MENA chief information security officers (CISOs), fueling growth in security spending through 2026.”
Security software is expected to account for 48% of total information security spending in 2026, making it the largest category for end-user spending in MENA (see Table 1). This reflects a shift among local organizations that are prioritizing security software investments to address the region’s maturing cybersecurity market.
Within this segment, endpoint protection platforms and cloud security posture management solutions are the primary drivers of growth.
Table 1. Information Security End-User Spending for All Segments in MENA, 2025-2026 (Millions of U.S. Dollars)
Segment |
2025 Spending | 2025 Growth (%) |
2026 Spending | 2026 Growth (%) |
Network Security | 527 | 9.3 | 579 | 9.9 |
Security Services | 1,376 | 11.9 | 1,522 | 10.6 |
Security Software | 1,797 | 10.9 | 1,970 | 9.6 |
Total | 3,699 | 10.9 | 4,072 | 10.1 |
Source: Gartner (October 2025)
