OPSWAT has announced the appointment of cybersecurity veteran Hussam Sidani as Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa. The company reported that the move reinforces its long-term commitment to a region where it sees strong potential to deliver value and support national digital ambitions. Sidani is widely recognised for elevating major cybersecurity organisations to leadership positions, a capability that arrives at a pivotal moment as OPSWAT expands its regional presence.

In his new role, Sidani will shape and execute a strategy aimed at strengthening OPSWAT’s position as a key cybersecurity provider in critical infrastructure protection. The company revealed that this includes accelerating local threat intelligence focused on MENA cyber risks, growing Arabic-speaking technical support teams, and enhancing professional services for deployment and optimisation. OPSWAT will also expand its Academy programmes to align with local regulatory requirements and invest in developing an ecosystem of certified partners.

Sidani will report directly to James Neilson, Senior Vice President International at OPSWAT. Neilson said Sidani’s experience in driving the success of global cybersecurity firms in the Middle East aligns with OPSWAT’s strategy of embedding itself deeply within local markets and working closely with regional stakeholders.

OPSWAT reported that its increased regional focus comes as cyberattacks on critical infrastructure continue to rise. Governments are advancing major transformation initiatives, while sectors such as energy, finance, telecommunications, transport and healthcare face expanding digital ecosystems and heightened operational technology vulnerabilities. Sidani’s mandate will focus on boosting cyber resilience across high-impact sectors and adapting global cybersecurity best practices to the specific threat landscape of MENA.

Sidani stated that his priority is protecting critical infrastructure where cybersecurity, national security and public safety intersect. He noted that global cybersecurity solutions must be tailored to regional realities and highlighted OPSWAT’s efforts, including the launch of the region’s first dedicated critical infrastructure cyber protection lab. He added that after 25 years in the industry, his mission is centred on protecting essential systems and services rather than just selling products.

Before joining OPSWAT, Sidani served as Regional Vice President for the Middle East and Turkey at Cybereason, where he built the company’s presence and drove strong adoption of advanced endpoint protection and XDR solutions. He previously led operations for FireEye across Gulf, Levant and Africa during a period of heightened cyber activity and spent nearly a decade at Symantec in senior roles, contributing to revenue growth and expanding the company’s regional footprint. Earlier roles at Avaya, 3Com and NCR provided him with deep experience in channel development and regional market dynamics.

Key points:
• OPSWAT announced Hussam Sidani as the new MENA VP.
• The company aims to accelerate regional cybersecurity investments.
• Sidani will focus on critical infrastructure protection and cyber resilience.

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