Dubai Cybersecurity Center Launches Open-Source Deepfake Detection Model
DESC unveiled SARAAB, an open-source AI model for spotting deepfake videos, alongside a cybersecurity skills framework and an auditor certification program.
Tariq Benali Tariq Benali covers business and corporate news across the UAE and MENA for Anecdoted, tracking the deals, leadership moves and regulatory shifts behind the region's companies. tariq@anecdoted.com
The Dubai Electronic Security Center unveiled SARAAB, an open-source artificial intelligence model built to detect deepfake videos, at GISEC Global 2026. It is the first deepfake detection model developed by a government entity in the Arab region, and an Emirati team built it.
SARAAB will be made available through developer platforms. AI engineers, cybersecurity experts and researchers can test it, build on its capabilities or contribute to its development. DESC said in a statement on Wednesday that the open-source design is intended to encourage collaboration among developers and cybersecurity professionals, and to support advances in deepfake detection beyond the government sector.
That decision carries weight. Generative AI keeps getting better at producing video that looks authentic, which makes separating real footage from fabricated clips harder for everyone. The risk falls on organizations, governments and individuals alike, and it adds pressure to protect digital trust. Opening a government-built detection model to outside developers puts the tool into a much wider pool of hands than a closed release would.
The three initiatives DESC presented cover different layers of the same problem. SARAAB is the tool. The skills framework concerns people. The certification program concerns verification.
The Dubai Cyber Skills Framework provides a unified reference for qualifications, certifications, training pathways and career progression across the cybersecurity sector. It is designed for cybersecurity professionals, employers, academic institutions and training providers, and sets a common methodology for measuring and developing competencies. Those competencies are aligned with internationally recognized standards. The intent is to match workforce development with the skills Dubai's cybersecurity sector needs, at a time when demand for specialized expertise is growing.
The ISR Auditor Certification Program equips auditors and information security professionals to assess compliance with Dubai's Information Security Regulation. It uses a standardized methodology and defined requirements, with a focus on the practical application of auditing and evidence assessment. The program aims to make compliance reviews across Dubai more efficient and more consistent.
Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, DESC's CEO, said the initiatives reflect Dubai's focus on anticipating cyber risks and on developing national capabilities. They turn emerging challenges into opportunities for innovation, he said. Al Shaibani added that DESC aims to develop solutions and expertise within Dubai that have impact beyond the emirate.
GISEC Global 2026 runs until Friday at the Dubai Exhibition Center in Expo City Dubai. DESC is showcasing SARAAB and its other initiatives at its stand in Hall 5.
