Dragos, Inc., a global provider of cybersecurity for industrial control systems (ICS) and operational technology (OT) environments, has named Omar Al Barghouthi as Regional Director, Middle East. Al Barghouthi will be responsible for spearheading Dragos’ regional growth, strengthening its partner network, and consolidating the company’s leadership role in providing security solutions for the Middle East’s rapidly growing industrial sector via the Dragos Platform.
The appointment of Al Barghouthi comes at a pivotal time in Dragos’ regional expansion. The company opened its Dubai office in March to support UAE government initiatives such as Operation 300bn, which aims to increase the industrial sector’s GDP contribution from US$ 36 billion to US$ 82 billion (AED 300 billion) by 2031. The Dubai expansion came shortly after the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s November 2021 expansion to support Saudi Vision 2030’s call for digital transformation and increased connectivity in critical systems such as oil and gas, chemical, mining, industrial, logistics, and water.
“The Middle East is a strategic market for Dragos, which has seen growing adoption of the Dragos Platform and has made investments in the region through local offices, training facilities, and key partnerships,” said Christophe Culine, Chief Revenue Officer, Dragos. “Omar is a 20-year veteran of the industry and the region. He is versatile and accomplished with a strong background in leadership, strategy, technology, sales, and business development to fuel our continued growth in the Middle East. We are delighted to have him on board and look forward to seeing his considerable talents in action.”
Al Barghouthi joins Dragos from IBM Middle East, where he was the Cybersecurity Sales Director for the Middle East, Levant, and Pakistan. He previously held positions in strategy, business development, and service delivery in both the private and public sectors, including Injazat Data Systems, Dubai World, and Ajman Government.
Al Barghouthi stated that he was drawn to Dragos’ mission of establishing a community “to safeguard civilization” at a time when the region’s governments are focusing on capacity building in non-oil sectors. However, this progress must take place in the context of a threat landscape that is becoming increasingly sophisticated and making headlines around the world for its targeting of critical infrastructure.
“We aim to establish a new frontier in protecting civilians and defending against digital adversaries,” said Al Barghouthi. “Dragos is a company built by practitioners for practitioners. It offers the leading technology for an end-to-end customer journey to safeguard industrial infrastructure, and its core mission, global presence, and transparent and open corporate culture are a source of great pride for me as I join this team. I am excited about this new chapter in my career, which will allow me and my new team to work closely with the region’s industrial organizations, including critical infrastructure customers, to help them overcome the complexity of their technology environments, secure their operational technology infrastructure, and build safer societies.”
