Deloitte today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Palo Alto Networks to expand their strategic alliance into the Middle East, bringing the latter’s AI-powered cybersecurity offering to Deloitte clients in the region.
Tariq Ajmal, Cyber Leader at Deloitte Middle East and Ercan Aydin, Vice President – Middle East & North Africa at Palo Alto Networks signed the MoU during the opening day of the 2024 Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) in Dubai – the biggest tech and startup show in the world.
The expansion of their strategic partnership comes at a time when many organizations in the region are struggling to manage ever-expanding cyber environments consisting of disparate point products. In place of heterogenous, overly complex environments that can potentially compromise security outcomes, Deloitte Middle East and Palo Alto Networks are helping organizations move toward platformization. This refers to the consolidation of cybersecurity solutions into a single, integrated platform to simplify and strengthen the organization’s security posture and realize new efficiencies.
In line with its mission to simplify operational complexity, Deloitte has already consolidated multiple point solutions by adopting Palo Alto Networks’ AI-powered cloud and network security platforms, enabling clients to realize the benefits of platformization. Deloitte will also offer Palo Alto Networks security solutions to Middle East clients across its network, cloud, and security operations platforms.
Commenting on the announcement, Tariq Ajmal, Cyber Leader at Deloitte Middle East, said: “We are very pleased to be expanding our long-standing partnership with Palo Alto Networks into the region, in line with our mandate of collaborating with the world’s leading organizations to make cybersecurity and transformation synonymous with business success.” Tariq explains, “Moving towards platformization is essential to meeting the security needs of modern organizations, and by embracing Palo Alto’s integrated, AI-powered platforms, we are putting our clients at an advantage by enabling them to be early adopters of cutting-edge cybersecurity offerings.”
Ercan Aydin, Vice President – Middle East & North Africa at Palo Alto Networks, added: “At Palo Alto Networks, we are fully committed to our partnership with Deloitte to deliver innovative, AI-powered solutions across the region. By combining our leading cybersecurity platforms with Deloitte’s expertise, we’re transforming how organizations secure their operations. This collaboration simplifies security and reduces complexity, enabling clients to embrace a unified approach to platformization. Together, we aim to stay ahead of emerging threats and provide exceptional value to businesses across the Middle East.” With a focus on AI-powered cybersecurity offerings, the agreement signed between Deloitte Middle East and Palo Alto Networks is in line with the theme of GITEX 2024: “Global Collaboration to Forge a Future AI Economy.”
