Marsh: Cyber Resilience Essential as UAE’s Data Center Ambitions Accelerate

As the UAE expands its role as a global hub for artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure, Marsh, the world’s leading insurance broker and risk advisor, a business of Marsh McLennan (NYSE:MMC), is encouraging organizations to strengthen their cyber resilience strategies in line with the country’s ambitions.

While the demand for AI-ready data infrastructure is growing rapidly, the associated exposure is also expanding – from business interruption and data loss to regulatory and reputational consequences. At the same time, the uptake of cyber insurance and structured risk analysis across the UAE remains relatively limited compared to more mature markets.

Simon Bell, Cyber Practice Leader at Marsh UAE, said: “The UAE is making remarkable progress in establishing itself as a leader in data and AI infrastructure. As this ecosystem expands, we’re seeing greater interest in cyber resilience across the board. Many organizations are now examining their evaluation and management of exposure more closely – particularly in light of growing third-party dependencies and increasingly sophisticated threat actors. With favorable market conditions – cyber insurance rates in the UAE have decreased by 20 percent over the past 12 months – and more tools available than ever, this is an opportune time to take stock and plan ahead.”

To support organizations in navigating this evolving landscape, Marsh has announced the launch of its Data Centre Insurance and Risk Management Services. Designed to address the unique challenges faced by data centre operators and related sectors, including construction, real estate, and technology, the new service provides risk management and insurance solutions for clients globally throughout the lifecycle of data centre operations, to safeguard critical assets.

The global data centre market is forecast to grow from $328 billion in 2023 to $792 billion by 2032, driven by demand for high-performance computing, cloud storage, and AI deployment. In the Middle East, this growth is matched by increasing regulatory maturity – with data protection laws now in place across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and other GCC markets. However, experts note that compliance alone is not enough to address the full spectrum of digital risk.