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Huzaifa Bismillah, Director of End User Business for the Middle East and Africa, offers a clear perspective on the rapid transformation of the region’s identity solutions landscape. In this interview, he discusses the key drivers accelerating market growth across the GCC, the growing strategic importance of trusted digital identity, and how the convergence of physical and cyber security is redefining access control. He also outlines how mobile credentials, biometrics, and cloud-based platforms are shaping secure, future-ready identity ecosystems across the Middle East.
What is the anticipated growth of the identity solutions market in the Middle East?
The identity solutions market across the Middle East, particularly within the GCC, is witnessing strong and sustained growth. This momentum is being driven by large-scale national digital initiatives and a decisive shift away from legacy systems toward modern, integrated security technologies. While traditional infrastructure has historically dominated parts of the market, there is now a clear move toward advanced, identity-driven solutions that unify physical access, digital identity, and cybersecurity into a single ecosystem.
What is driving the rapid growth of the market in the Middle East?
Two parallel forces are shaping this growth. Governments across the GCC are aggressively advancing digital transformation agendas, promoting mobile-first, cloud-enabled, and on-demand services. At the same time, organizations are developing a more sophisticated understanding of modern security—moving beyond basic access control to encompass cybersecurity, data protection, and identity assurance.
As citizens and employees increasingly expect services to be accessible via smartphones for everything from payments to transportation and secure access, demand continues to rise for mobile access, biometric authentication, and cloud-managed identity platforms.
Why is trusted identity becoming central to regional security strategies?
Trusted identity has become foundational as security is no longer limited to physical access points. Identity today must be verified, encrypted, authenticated, and continuously monitored across both physical and digital touchpoints. As systems grow more complex, governments and enterprises are adopting holistic security frameworks that protect identity at every layer—from credentials and readers to backend platforms and cloud infrastructure. This is especially critical in the Middle East, where governments are prioritizing secure digital ecosystems that safeguard national infrastructure while maintaining seamless user experiences for citizens and businesses.
Why must physical and cyber security now be addressed together?
The historical separation between physical security and cybersecurity is no longer sustainable. Modern access control systems are cloud-connected, data-driven, and remotely managed. Credentials are provisioned over the air, data is transmitted to cloud platforms, and systems are continuously updated. Without strong cybersecurity embedded into physical access systems, organizations expose themselves to vulnerabilities across the entire identity chain. As cloud adoption accelerates and regional data center capacity expands, continuous security—encryption, secure communication, and resilient infrastructure—becomes essential at every level.
How is digital transformation reshaping access control in the GCC?
Digital transformation has fundamentally changed both the perception and deployment of access control. Physical cards are no longer the sole form of identity. Today’s workforce, particularly younger generations, expects access to be available through their mobile devices. As a result, credentials are increasingly delivered through mobile applications, Apple Wallet, and Google Wallet. These mobile credentials leverage encryption, biometrics, and multi-factor authentication, offering significantly higher security than traditional cards. Access control has evolved beyond simple entry, becoming a real-time, cloud-validated, and IT-integrated security function.
What innovative digital solutions will shape the Middle East by 2026?
By 2026, the market will shift decisively toward end-to-end identity ecosystems rather than standalone products. Key innovations will include:
• Secure mobile credentials stored in digital wallets
• Multi-technology biometric readers supporting facial recognition, QR codes, physical cards, NFC, and Bluetooth
• Intelligent edge devices capable of local authentication while remaining cloud-connected
• API-driven platforms enabling seamless integration with access control and enterprise IT systems
• Automated identity management solutions that reduce manual processes and human error
These technologies will play a critical role across transportation, smart cities, commercial buildings, and data centers — sectors where security and operational efficiency must operate in unison.