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The Arab Open University is a pioneering nonprofit higher education institution established in 2000 through the visionary initiative of the late HRH Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. With its headquarters in Kuwait and branches in eight Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Bahrain, Oman, Sudan, and Kuwait, Arab Open University is committed to expanding access to quality education across the Arab 
world.

Arab Open University delivers accredited undergraduate and graduate programmes through a blended learning model that combines online and in-person instruction, offering flexibility and inclusivity for students of diverse backgrounds. The university partners with the UK Open University to ensure international academic standards and continuous programme development. 

With over 60,000 students and a broad academic portfolio across disciplines such as Business, Computer Studies, Education, Language Studies, Media, and Law, Arab Open University is shaping the future of higher education in the region. The university remains dedicated to empowering individuals, fostering innovation, and contributing to the sustainable development of Arab societies.

Arab Open University Kuwait serves as a central hub for more than nine Arab countries, offering a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in fields like Business Administration, Information Technology and Computing, English Language and Literature, and Education, in partnership with the Open University in the United Saudi Arabia.

Rising incidence of cyber attacks

In response to the rising volume and sophistication of cyber threats targeting academic institutions, Gulf Business Machines, GBM, signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding, with Kuwait based Arab Open University.

The MoU is aimed at fortifying cybersecurity resilience, building digital trust, and supporting the sustained evolution of secure digital learning in the region’s education sector. Arab Open University is committed to providing accessible and high-quality blended learning opportunities across the Arab world.

The agreement sets the foundation for a fullspectrum cybersecurity engagement. The initiative will be powered by GBM’s proprietary COR. platform, delivering a comprehensive suite of Managed Detection and Response, MDR services, integration, and cybersecurity consultancy.

As part of the engagement, GBM Kuwait, also known as Khorafi Business Machines – KBM will provide Arab Open University with 24x7 threat monitoring, threat hunting, digital forensics, and strategic advisory support.

Leveraging the vendor-agnostic GBM Shield framework and the AI-powered COR. platform, the university will benefit from deep visibility, predictive analytics, and fast response capabilities to reduce risk exposure and increase operational resilience.

“At Arab Open University, we view cybersecurity not just as a technical necessity, but as a strategic enabler of educational progress,” said Prof Omar Al-Jarrah, Vice President for Planning and Development and CIO at Arab Open University.

“By partnering with GBM, we are investing in the safety and integrity of our digital infrastructure, empowering our faculty and students with the confidence to teach, learn, and collaborate without disruption. This collaboration reinforces our role as a future-ready institution committed to delivering secure, high quality education across Kuwait and the wider region.” 

GBM’s product stack

GBM Shield is more than just a cyber defence programme; it is a next-generation solution crafted to combat complex digital threats. In a digital age where cyber threats constantly evolve, GBM’s approach combines technology with expert guidance.

GBM Shield offers a solution and practice framework designed to empower organisations in achieving cyber resilience. It aligns with global best practices while adapting to regional regulatory requirements and sector-specific risks. It is structured around five core pillars: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover, empowering organisations to build resilience not just through technology, but through people, process, and strategy.

Powering GBM’s cybersecurity services is the latest evolution of its proprietary cyber defence engine, COR.xyz. This new version of the COR platform delivers next-generation capabilities in AI-powered threat detection, automation, and visualisation. COR. xyz is technology-neutral, integrating seamlessly with a wide range of SIEMs, EDRs, and cloudnative tools.

It offers a unified, real-time view of security events across environments, on-premises, cloud, or hybrid, and enables advanced incident correlation, automated playbooks, and visual incident chaining to enhance analyst efficiency and response time. COR.xyz recently achieved a key milestone, reducing average time from detection to response to just 4.3 minutes, showcasing the impact of automation and orchestration on rapid containment.

GBM’s MDR offering of 24x7 threat monitoring and detection is delivered through its regional Cyber Defence Centres in the GCC, powered by COR.xyz and supported by advanced hyper automation.

By eliminating the need for Level 1 and 2 analysts, GBM accelerates triage, threat hunting, and incident response while reducing noise and operational fatigue. The service is offered in two flexible models: it can either integrate and leverage the customer’s existing security technologies, such as SIEM and EDR. Or alternatively, GBM can provision these technologies as part of its MSSP offering, hosted securely within its regional data centres.

Complementing its technical depth, GBM offers advisory support to help organisations align cybersecurity with business objectives. These services range from cyber maturity assessments, regulatory gap analysis, and risk quantification to full security transformation programs.

Together, these components form a forward-looking cybersecurity model for supporting education institutions like Arab Open University, national SOCs, or multinational enterprises,

With GBM Shield framework, COR.xyz platform, 24x7 MDR operations, and strategic guidance, GBM is a partner of choice for institutions seeking operational protection and resilience in a digitally connected world.

Moving forward

Through this collaboration, Arab Open University demonstrates a forward-thinking commitment to protecting its digital ecosystem while enhancing student and faculty experiences through secure, uninterrupted access to digital education platforms.

The partnership also represents GBM’s expanding leadership in securing educational environments and reinforces its position as the cybersecurity partner of choice for public sector institutions in Kuwait and across the region.

THE INITIATIVE WILL BE POWERED BY GBM’S PROPRIETARY COR. PLATFORM, DELIVERING A SUITE OF MDR SERVICES, INTEGRATION, AND CYBERSECURITY CONSULTANCY. 

"Our partnership with the University reflects our shared commitment to securing the digital foundation and embedding robust, proactive cybersecurity into the heart of modern education,” said Wassim Seliman, General Manager of GBM Kuwait.

With more than 35 years of experience, 7 offices and over 1500 employees across the region, Gulf Business Machines, GBM is an end-to-end digital solutions provider, offering the region’s broadest portfolio, including industry-digital infrastructure, digital business solutions, security and services. We have nurtured partnerships since 1990 with the world’s technology companies and invested in a talented, skilled workforce to implement solutions that cater to customer’s specific, complex and diverse business needs. 

GBM’s strategic partners in the Gulf include IBM as their sole distributor throughout GCC, excluding Saudi Arabia and selected IBM product and services, Cisco as a Gold Partner, the highest level of certification at Cisco, and VMware as a Premier Partner, the highest partner status within VMware.