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Ransomware activity rises across Middle East as criminal groups attack Gulf

thenationalnews.com · 8h · first reportShare

Ransomware activity across the Middle East has risen sharply, with organised criminal groups increasingly taking aim at Gulf businesses and sectors where disruption can put greater pressure on victims to pay, according to new research. Ransomware activity tracked by cybersecurity company CloudSEK rose from 17 incidents in April 2025 to 357 in June this year, with the company saying the increase reflected a growing focus on the region by established criminal groups. “The Gulf states were, until recently, not a primary ransomware target,” Shashank Shekhar, managing editor at CloudSEK, told The National . “What our data shows is that changed in 2025, and it changed fast.” Groups including The Gentlemen built databases of compromised network devices and repeatedly attacked Saudi businesses, while Nova operated throughout the 17-month reporting period with the Gulf as a focus, he said. “These groups are not testing the market. They have committed to it,” Mr Shekhar said. The growth of digit