Doha: The National Cyber Drill, organised by the Qatar National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA), tops domestic and Arab preparations to confront growing digital threats, with the 12th drill set for November 16, 2025, under the theme ‘Cross-Border Attacks.’ The drill brings together national and Arab entities in a simulation that mirrors real-world challenges facing critical digital infrastructure.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency, Director of the Cyber Resilience, Risk, and Insurance Department at NCSA, Mohammed Murshid Al Mannai, said the event represents a critical platform to test the nation’s cyber readiness at both sectoral and corporate levels, manifesting a paradigm shift in the mechanisms for measuring national compliance with various regulatory and legislative frameworks amid a rapidly evolving cyber threat environment.
Opting for this theme reflects the current geopolitical situation, where digital threats intertwine with struggles over interests and influence, with cyberattacks now being carried out by organised and well-funded entities capable of infiltrating systems and remaining undetected for months, Al Mannai highlighted.
Al Mannai pointed out that the drill is built on advanced technical scenarios designed to test institutions’ actual response capabilities to cyberattacks and assess their national compliance with multiple frameworks, such as the Data Privacy Protection Law, the Cyber Incident Management Framework, the Data Classification Policy, and the Institutional Framework for Cyber Crisis Management.
These policies are integrated within the simulation environment to mirror real-world compliance requirements during cyber crises, underscoring Qatar’s enduring commitment to safeguarding its digital infrastructure and enhancing resilience amid a staggering scale of cyber threats, he said.
He said the number of entities participating in this year’s drill exceeds 160 domestic organisations, representing over ten vital sectors, including finance, energy, government services, and communications, underscoring the growing institutional awareness of the drill’s significance.
