UAE Information Assurance Regulation compliance in the United Arab Emirates

UAE Information Assurance Regulation compliance in the UAE at a glance

Critical entities designated under the UAE's Critical Information Infrastructure Protection (CIIP) policy carry a specific obligation: to implement the UAE Information Assurance Regulation issued by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA). The regulation sets management and technical information security controls for the use, processing, storage and transmission of information, and for the systems and processes used for those purposes. There is no UAE IA certificate; compliance is evidenced through the entity's own control implementation, documentation and any assessment its sector authority requires. Dubai Government and critical entities also answer to the Information Security Regulation developed by the Dubai Electronic Security Centre, and personal data brings the federal PDPL into play. UAE IA can be paired with ISO/IEC 27001, which an accredited certification body can certify. Sterling maps UAE IA controls, ISO/IEC 27001 and PDPL obligations into one programme from its Dubai office, so policies, risk assessments and evidence are written once. The route, local drivers and frequent questions are set out below.

Who needs UAE Information Assurance Regulation in the UAE, and what happens without it

These are the organisations in the UAE that most often need to show UAE Information Assurance Regulation.

• Critical entities under the UAE CIIP PolicyThey must implement the UAE Information Assurance Regulation's management and technical controls.
• Dubai Government and critical entitiesDESC's Information Security Regulation applies in parallel and the control sets can be mapped together.
• Organisations processing personal dataPDPL security obligations can be evidenced through the same controls.

UAE Information Assurance Regulation requirements in the UAE

Strip away the vocabulary and the UAE Information Assurance Regulation requires an entity to comply in six areas of information assurance.

In the UAE these six sit alongside the local laws and regulations listed under drivers below; one system can evidence both. The detail is on the global hub: UAE Information Assurance Regulation explained →

How to achieve UAE Information Assurance Regulation compliance in the UAE

One team from the Dubai office carries the work from scoping to sign-off. All seven emirates and the free zones, on-site from Dubai; remote delivery for distributed teams.

1. Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
2. Gap assessment against UAE Information Assurance Regulation and the UAE requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
3. Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
4. Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before any external review.
5. Reviews by regulators, customers and auditorsSterling supports the reviews your regulators, customers and auditors run.

The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.

How long does UAE Information Assurance Regulation compliance take in the UAE?

There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In the UAE these are the factors that set the timeline.

• Number of controls applicable to the entity's priority level
• Existing ISO/IEC 27001 or DESC ISR controls that can be reused
• Evidence maturity for technical controls (logging, vulnerability management)

Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.

• Scope and timeline estimator

How much does UAE Information Assurance Regulation compliance cost in the UAE?

The cost has two parts: the consulting work to build and prove the system, and any external assessor’s fees, which are quoted separately. In the UAE these factors move both.

• Size and complexity of the IT and OT estate
• Number of entities and sites in scope
• Extent of technical control remediation

Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.

UAE Information Assurance Regulation consultants and assessors in the UAE

Two different organisations are involved. A consultant helps you build the system and prove it works; your regulators, customers and auditors then audits or assesses it and decides. Keeping the two separate is what makes the result credible to buyers and regulators.

• Check that the body’s accreditation or approval covers UAE Information Assurance Regulation and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
• Ask the consultant how the local requirements in the UAE are mapped into the same system, so nothing runs twice.
• Ask for client references in your sector; Sterling’s client letters are available on request.
• Agree who owns the evidence and the tool after the engagement; with Sterling the system stays yours, in Effivity.

UAE Information Assurance Regulation in the UAE: questions clients ask

More on UAE Information Assurance Regulation for UAE organisations

• UAE Information Assurance Regulation: the complete guide
• Watch: How to comply with the UAE IA Standard
• Sterling in Dubai
• UAE Information Assurance Regulation compliance in the UAE and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards UAE businesses ask Sterling for

Organisations in the UAE often combine UAE Information Assurance Regulation with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.

All 22 standards Sterling delivers in the United Arab Emirates →