- Kaspersky has opened a new Cybersecurity Center at KidZania Dubai inside the Dubai Mall
- The interactive experience allows children to step into the role of cyber investigators
- According to Kaspersky, the UAE initiative is designed to strengthen critical thinking
Cybersecurity education is increasingly moving beyond technical training and into childhood development, as governments, schools and technology companies across the Middle East push to prepare younger generations for a digital-first future.
Recent initiatives suggest that early exposure to cyber awareness may not only improve online safety for children today, but also help build long-term digital competency that strengthens future workforce readiness.
The latest example comes from Kaspersky, which has opened a new Cybersecurity Center at KidZania Dubai inside the Dubai Mall.
The interactive experience allows children to step into the role of cyber investigators, where they learn to identify online threats, investigate digital clues, and practice safe browsing through hands-on simulations and role-play activities.
The initiative reflects a broader shift in how cybersecurity is increasingly being framed. Right now, it’s not seen simply as a technical skill for adults, but as a foundational literacy that should begin early in childhood – acting as a preventative measure.
The Dubai launch builds on Kaspersky’s wider collaboration with KidZania, which first began in Mexico City in 2025 before expanding into India earlier this year.
According to Kaspersky, the UAE initiative is designed to strengthen critical thinking, digital awareness and responsible online behaviour while introducing children to cybersecurity concepts in an engaging and practical environment.
The timing aligns with growing concern across the UAE over how digital exposure is shaping childhood development.
Government officials are currently preparing new child online protection measures that will begin with social media platforms before expanding to wider digital services.
The newly formed Child Digital Safety Council has already begun laying out the foundations for a national framework focused on age-appropriate digital environments, platform accountability and online safety standards.
Officials say the aim is not only to protect children from digital harm, but also to help them engage with technology in healthier and more productive ways.
That distinction is becoming increasingly important as cybersecurity evolves into one of the region’s fastest-growing strategic priorities.
A growing number of business leaders now see cyber literacy as essential far beyond the technology sector itself.
At the same time, governments and telecom operators are introducing additional child-focused protections to reinforce safer digital habits.
In Kuwait, Virgin Mobile Kuwait recently partnered with Kidzonet to launch a child-focused SIM service that filters harmful content directly at the network level rather than relying solely on device-based parental controls.
The service is expected to expand across GCC markets during 2026.
