Corero Network Security partners with Commercis to deliver advanced real-time DDoS protection solutions across the Middle East

Partnership expands access to advanced cyber resilience technologies supporting digital transformation and critical infrastructure in the region.

London, UK – July 7, 2026 Corero Network Security (AIM: CNS) (OTCQX: DDOSF), the distributed denial of service ("DDoS") protection specialists and champion of adaptive, real-time service availability, today announced a strategic partnership with Commercis , a leading technology and cybersecurity solutions provider in the Middle East. 

The partnership expands Commercis' cybersecurity portfolio, enabling organizations across telecommunications, internet services, banking, government, energy, critical infrastructure, and enterprise sectors to strengthen cyber resilience while ensuring the continuous availability of critical digital services.

As digital transformation accelerates across the Middle East, organizations are facing increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, evolving regulatory requirements, and growing expectations for always-on service availability. Through this partnership, Commercis will deliver Corero's industry-leading DDoS protection platform, providing customers with real-time attack detection and mitigation, comprehensive network visibility and analytics, and flexible deployment architectures designed for modern hybrid and service provider environments.

"Our customers are increasingly looking for security solutions that go beyond simply detecting threats—they need technologies that preserve business continuity, protect customer trust, and ensure uninterrupted digital services," said Newrouz Mawlood, VP of Sales & Special Projects at Commercis. "Corero's market-leading real-time DDoS protection, combined with our regional expertise and customer-first approach, enables us to deliver resilient, carrier-grade cybersecurity solutions that help organizations confidently navigate today's evolving threat landscape."

Corero's solutions are trusted by service providers, enterprises, and critical infrastructure operators worldwide to automatically detect and mitigate DDoS attacks in seconds, helping organizations maintain network performance, customer experience, and operational continuity.

"The Middle East continues to experience rapid digital growth, making cyber resilience more important than ever," said Michelle Ragusa-McBain, Global VP of Channels & Alliances at Corero Network Security. "We're excited to welcome Commercis to the Corero partner ecosystem. Their deep regional expertise, trusted customer relationships, and commitment to delivering exceptional outcomes make them an outstanding partner. Together, we'll help organizations strengthen their security posture, maintain service availability, and protect the critical infrastructure that powers today's digital economy."

Beyond delivering Corero's technology portfolio, Corero and Commercis will collaborate on customer education initiatives, executive briefings, industry webinars, thought leadership programs, and cybersecurity awareness activities to help organizations better understand, prepare for, and defend against evolving DDoS threats.

 

Strengthening emergency rescue at heights preparedness through advanced rope access rescue exercises

Demonstrating operational readiness, workforce protection, and a commitment to safety excellence across high-risk environments

Commercis has successfully completed a series of advanced emergency response and rescue exercises as part of its ongoing commitment to protecting its workforce and maintaining the highest standards of safety performance across its operations especially when working at heights and when utilising rope access techniques.

Conducted within a realistic operational environment, the exercises were designed to evaluate emergency preparedness, response effectiveness, team coordination, and rescue from heights capability under conditions that closely replicate real-world scenarios. The simulations challenged personnel to respond to complex incidents requiring rapid decision-making, effective communication, technical competence, and seamless coordination between field teams and support functions.

The exercises form part of the company's broader Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) strategy that closely align with IRATA international procedures, which places workforce protection, risk management, and operational resilience at the centre of project delivery. By regularly testing emergency rescue response arrangements, the company ensures that its personnel, procedures, and equipment remain prepared to respond effectively when unexpected situations arise.

“Emergency preparedness is a critical element of operational excellence,” said Stewart Phillips, Managing Director Service Delivery at Commercis. “Our responsibility extends beyond preventing incidents to ensuring that we have the people, systems, and capabilities necessary to respond effectively should an emergency occur. These exercises demonstrate our commitment to safeguarding our workforce while continuously strengthening our operational readiness.”

The successful completion of the exercises demonstrated the effectiveness of the company's emergency response framework and the professionalism of its trained personnel. Teams successfully executed simulated rescue and recovery activities while maintaining strict adherence to safety protocols, reinforcing confidence in the organization's ability to manage high-risk situations across a variety of operational environments.

As the energy industry continues to evolve, organizations are increasingly recognizing emergency preparedness as a key indicator of operational maturity and resilience. Companies that routinely test and validate their emergency response capabilities are better positioned to manage risk, protect personnel, and maintain continuity during unforeseen events. These exercises demonstrate not only technical capability, but also the effectiveness of the leadership, culture, and systems that support safe and reliable operations.

The initiative also reflects the company's commitment to continuous improvement. Lessons identified during the exercises are incorporated into ongoing training, competency development, and in both internal and customer emergency preparedness programs, ensuring that operational experience is translated into measurable improvements. This cycle of learning and enhancement strengthens both workforce capability and organizational resilience.

By embedding preparedness into everyday operations, Commercis continues to foster a culture in which safety is integrated into every activity, decision, and outcome. Through sustained investment in people, training, and emergency rescue response capability, the company remains committed to supporting safe, reliable, and efficient operations across the oil and gas sector.

Why sovereign AI infrastructure Is becoming a strategic priority for governments and enterprises

As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes global industries, a new challenge is emerging alongside innovation: control over digital infrastructure.

For years, organizations focused primarily on cloud scalability, speed, and cost efficiency when designing digital ecosystems. Today, the conversation is evolving. Governments, critical infrastructure providers, financial institutions, and enterprise leaders are increasingly prioritizing sovereignty, resilience, and jurisdictional control over data, AI systems, and operational infrastructure.

The shift is not being driven by technology alone.

It is being driven by geopolitics, cybersecurity risk, regulatory pressure, and growing concerns around long-term dependency on centralized digital ecosystems.

As AI adoption accelerates, the infrastructure supporting it is becoming strategically important.

The growing importance of digital sovereignty

Digital sovereignty is no longer viewed solely as a regulatory issue. Increasingly, it is being treated as a national resilience issue.

Organizations operating across critical sectors are becoming more conscious of where their data resides, who controls access to infrastructure, how AI models are governed, and what operational risks emerge from external dependency.

This is particularly relevant in sectors managing sensitive information, including government services, financial systems, energy infrastructure, healthcare, telecommunications, and defence-related operations.

The concern is not only cybersecurity. It is continuity, control, and long-term operational stability.

As geopolitical tensions, cyber threats, and regulatory fragmentation continue to increase globally, many organizations are reassessing how resilient their digital ecosystems truly are.

The traditional assumption that public cloud scale alone guarantees resilience is beginning to face greater scrutiny.

AI Is increasing the complexity of infrastructure decisions

The rapid expansion of AI capabilities is adding another layer of complexity to infrastructure strategy.

AI systems require significant computational resources, large-scale data processing, real-time analytics, and highly interconnected digital environments. At the same time, they introduce new governance considerations around privacy, model transparency, data ownership, and operational accountability.

As organizations integrate AI into core operations, infrastructure decisions are becoming inseparable from broader questions of trust and sovereignty.

Leaders are increasingly asking:

These are no longer purely technical discussions. They are strategic leadership discussions.

Resilience is becoming more important than centralization

One of the most significant changes occurring across enterprise infrastructure strategy is the move away from excessive centralization.

Organizations are increasingly adopting hybrid, sovereign, and regionally controlled infrastructure models designed to improve operational resilience while maintaining flexibility and compliance.

This may include hybrid cloud environments, sovereign data frameworks, localized infrastructure control, secure edge computing, AI-enabled monitoring and threat detection, region-specific compliance architectures, and more.

The objective is not isolation from global technology ecosystems. The objective is intelligent resilience.

Forward-looking organizations are recognizing that resilience requires balancing innovation with control, scalability with security, and global connectivity with localized governance.

Cybersecurity and sovereign infrastructure are now interconnected

The relationship between cybersecurity and infrastructure sovereignty has also become increasingly important.

Modern cyber threats are no longer limited to isolated technical attacks. They increasingly target operational continuity, infrastructure dependencies, supply chains, and interconnected digital ecosystems.

As a result, organizations are moving beyond reactive cybersecurity models toward integrated resilience strategies that combine secure infrastructure design, AI-driven monitoring, operational visibility, jurisdictional governance, continuity planning, intelligent threat response systems

Infrastructure itself is becoming part of the security strategy.

This is particularly relevant as AI-driven automation increases the speed, scale, and sophistication of cyber threats globally.

The future of AI will depend on trust

The next phase of AI adoption will not be determined solely by technological capability.

It will also depend on trust. Organizations, governments, and citizens increasingly want confidence that AI systems are secure, transparent, resilient, and governed responsibly. That trust cannot exist without reliable infrastructure foundations.

As digital ecosystems become more interconnected and AI becomes embedded within critical operations, sovereign infrastructure is likely to become one of the defining strategic priorities of the next decade. The future of AI is not only about intelligence.

It is about control, resilience, and the ability to operate securely in an increasingly uncertain digital environment.

Sovereign cloud, redefining ownership in a fragmented digital world 

Sovereign cloud is no longer a niche concept reserved for government workloads; it is rapidly becoming a defining policy of modern digital strategy. As organizations accelerate cloud adoption, the conversation has shifted from efficiency and scalability to control, jurisdiction, long-term resilience and recovery. 

At Commercis, we see sovereign cloud not as a constraint on innovation, but as an enabler of sustainable, compliant, secure and trusted digital ecosystems. 

Moving beyond data location agnostic to true sovereignty 

The market often oversimplifies sovereignty as data residency. While storing data within national borders is important, it does not address the broader risks associated with jurisdictional reach and operational control. 

True sovereignty is multi-dimensional. It requires that data is governed exclusively by local laws, insulated from foreign legislation such as the US Cloud Act, and managed by entities operating within the same legal and political framework. 

It also demands strict control over who can access systems and data, how infrastructure is operated, and how compliance is enforced. Frameworks like GDPR provide a foundation, but national requirements increasingly add further layers of specificity and enforcement. 

This distinction is critical. Many organizations believe they are compliant because their data is stored locally, yet they remain exposed to extraterritorial access or foreign operational control. 

Why sovereign cloud is becoming a strategic imperative 

Several stakeholder requirements are accelerating the adoption of sovereign cloud, and they are unlikely to diminish. 

Geopolitical dynamics are reshaping technology decisions. Governments and enterprises are reassessing dependencies on foreign-controlled infrastructure, particularly in light of increasing regulatory assertiveness and concerns around data access. 

Regulatory environments are becoming more fragmented and stringent. National frameworks such as SecNumCloud and C5 demonstrate how countries are formalizing sovereignty requirements beyond pan-regional regulations. 

Economic strategy is also a key driver. Sovereign cloud supports the development of domestic digital capabilities, reduces reliance on external providers, and strengthens national competitiveness in critical technology domains. 

Equally important is trust. Organizations handling sensitive data, whether financial, medical, or governmental, must demonstrate not only compliance but also accountability. Sovereign cloud provides a framework for that assurance. 

Sector impact is visible where sovereignty is reshaping decisions 

The implications of sovereign cloud extend across industries, influencing both strategy and architecture. 

In the public sector, sovereignty is foundational. Governments are prioritizing environments where they retain full control over data and operations, particularly for defense, identity systems, and citizen services. 

In financial services, regulatory pressure is driving adoption and compliance requirements are increasing. Institutions must balance innovation with strict procedures around data localization, auditability, and risk management. 

In healthcare and life sciences, the stakes are equally high. Patient data, clinical research, and intellectual property require environments that guarantee both privacy and jurisdictional protection. 

Critical infrastructure sectors, including energy, transport, and telecommunications, all are increasingly reliant on cloud-based systems. Sovereign cloud ensures these systems remain resilient and protected from external influence. 

Across all sectors, we observe a common theme, sovereignty is no longer a compliance afterthought. It is a design principle. 

Navigating the evolving delivery models 

The market is converging around several sovereign cloud models, each with distinct trade-offs. 

Dedicated sovereign environments offer maximum control and isolation, often tailored for government use. However, they can limit access to broader cloud innovation. 

Partner-led models combine hyperscale capabilities with local governance through in-country operators. These approaches aim to balance scalability with compliance, though their effectiveness depends on execution, contractual structure, and the degree of true operational independence. 

National cloud platforms, built by domestic providers, prioritize full sovereignty and alignment with national standards. They often play a strategic role in supporting local digital ecosystems. 

In parallel, global cloud providers are advancing sovereignty through enhanced control frameworks, regional isolation, and encryption-led architectures. While these models provide strong data residency and governance capabilities, they typically remain within the legal structure of the parent organization, which may not meet the strictest definitions of sovereignty in highly regulated or sensitive environments. 

Selecting the right model requires a nuanced understanding of regulatory exposure, operational requirements, and long-term strategic goals. 

The real challenge: balancing sovereignty and innovation 

Sovereign cloud introduces inherent trade-offs that organizations must navigate carefully. 

Increased control can come at the cost of complexity and higher operational overhead. Isolated environments may limit access to the full breadth of global cloud services and ecosystems. 

At the same time, excessive fragmentation risks creating inefficiencies and barriers to cross-border collaboration. 

The most effective strategies are not binary. They combine sovereign environments for sensitive workloads with broader cloud capabilities for less regulated use cases. 

This hybrid approach requires strong governance, clear data classification, and a deep understanding of regulatory boundaries. 

A more mature cloud conversation 

Sovereign cloud reflects a broader maturation of the cloud market. Organizations are no longer asking whether to move to the cloud, but how to do so in a way that aligns with legal, operational, and strategic realities. 

This shift demands more than technical implementation. It requires a holistic approach that integrates legal expertise, risk management, architecture design, and operational governance. 

Conclusion 

Sovereign cloud is not a temporary trend or a regional anomaly. It is a structural evolution in how digital infrastructure is designed and governed. 

Organizations that treat sovereignty as a strategic consideration rather than a compliance checkbox will be better positioned to manage risk, build trust, and sustain innovation. 

For many, the challenge is not understanding the importance of sovereignty but translating it into actionable architecture and operating models. This is where informed, experience-led guidance becomes critical. 

Commercis Plc Appoints Wael Alkhalidi as Chief Information and Technology Officer and Deputy CEO 

Commercis Plc, a global connectivity, technology, and consulting firm, is proud to announce the appointment of Wael Alkhalidi as Chief Information and Technology Officer (CITO) and Deputy Chief Executive Officer, effective 1st January 2026. This strategic appointment further enhances the company’s executive leadership team and reinforces its commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and sustainable growth. 

In this expanded dual role, Wael will lead Commercis’ technology strategy, digital transformation agenda, and innovation roadmap, while also supporting the CEO in driving organisational performance and strategic execution. His appointment underscores Commercis’ vision to more closely integrate technology, operations, and strategy as critical enablers of long-term success. 

Throughout his tenure at Commercis, Wael has demonstrated exceptional strategic vision and a deep understanding of the evolving technology landscape. His leadership has been instrumental in advancing the company’s digital infrastructure, developing regional and global partnerships, and expanding technology-driven service capabilities. His ability to bridge innovation with real-world execution has been central to elevating Commercis’ competitiveness and operational excellence across markets. 

“I am excited to continue my journey with Commercis in this expanded leadership role,” said Wael Alkhalidi. “The company has a powerful vision for the future of connectivity, cybersecurity, and digital transformation. My focus will be on advancing our technology ecosystem, enabling scalable growth, and ensuring that our clients remain at the forefront of innovation. I look forward to working closely with the leadership team to accelerate our strategic objectives and create lasting value for our clients and partners.” 

“Wael’s appointment reflects our dedication to strengthening leadership at the highest level,” said Alan Afrasiab, President & CEO of Commercis Plc. “His deep expertise in technology, strategic foresight, and ability to execute complex transformation initiatives will be instrumental as we navigate the next phase of growth. As Chief Information and Technology Officer and Deputy CEO, he will play a vital role in shaping our future.” 

About Wael Alkhalidi 

Wael Alkhalidi brings a distinguished career in technology leadership, digital innovation, and enterprise transformation. He has successfully led large-scale IT modernisation programmes, enhanced cybersecurity frameworks, and guided organisations through complex digital transitions. His ability to align technology with business strategy has delivered measurable impact across industries and international markets. 

About Commercis Plc 

Commercis is a global connectivity, technology, and consulting firm delivering mission-critical solutions across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. With deep regional expertise and a broad international footprint, we design, deploy, and manage secure digital infrastructure that enables organizations to operate with confidence. Our portfolio spans advanced connectivity, cybersecurity, cloud, and IT/OT integration, all powered by a commitment to reliability, innovation, and customer success.