• Cisco Sovereign Critical Infrastructure (SCI) is now available for customers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
  • It addresses the needs of Cisco customers who want to build their own on-premises, sovereign infrastructure in the AI era.
  • Cisco Customer Experience (CX) provides support and services with options for air-gapped, on-prem, and hybrid setups.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Cisco, the worldwide leader in networking and security, today launched its Sovereign Critical Infrastructure (SCI) portfolio for customers across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Cisco Sovereign Critical Infrastructure addresses the needs of organizations to innovate at pace while maintaining even greater control and autonomy over their data and digital infrastructure.

The portfolio spans Cisco’s core product lines including networking, security, compute, collaboration, network management, AI and Splunk. Customers can configure and operate it in their own air-gapped, on-premises physical environments.

The Journey to Sovereign Critical Infrastructure

SCI is designed to support customers at different stages of their digital sovereignty journey. Built around the principle that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, the portfolio gives organizations with a need for digital sovereignty the flexibility to choose the model that best meets their needs, whether fully on-premises, air-gapped environments for maximum control or hybrid approaches that combine sovereign infrastructure with cloud services. By addressing key customer priorities around data control, operational autonomy, and freedom from dependency, Cisco helps organizations strengthen resilience while maintaining choice and control over their digital infrastructure.

"At Cisco, we understand that true sovereignty means having the freedom to innovate with choice and control remaining crucial to businesses in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Our Sovereign Critical Infrastructure portfolio meets organizations where they are on their sovereignty journey. The availability of this portfolio reinforces our commitment to being a trusted technology provider for the region’s critical infrastructure,” said Gordon Thomson, President Cisco EMEA. 

“In the UAE, we are seeing strong demand from organizations that want to accelerate innovation while maintaining tighter control over critical data, systems, and operations. This is especially important as AI, security, and infrastructure strategies become more closely connected. Cisco’s Sovereign Critical Infrastructure portfolio gives customers the ability to build secure, customer-controlled environments that support resilience, compliance, and long-term digital growth. Backed by Cisco Customer Experience, we are helping organizations in the UAE create trusted infrastructure that is ready for both today’s operational needs and tomorrow’s AI opportunities,” said Abdelilah Nejjari, Managing Director for Gulf and Levant at Cisco.

Expanding Support with Local Expertise

Customers operating a sovereign environment also require support and expertise. To address these needs, the Cisco Customer Experience (CX) organization now offers support and services with air-gapped, on-premises, or hybrid setups.

Additional Resources 

  • Executive Blog from Gordon Thomson: Cisco Sovereign Critical Infrastructure: From Customer Needs to Delivery
  • Cisco Sovereign Critical Infrastructure Page

About Cisco 

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide technology leader that is revolutionizing the way organizations connect and protect in the AI era. For more than 40 years, Cisco has securely connected the world. With its industry leading AI-powered solutions and services, Cisco enables its customers, partners and communities to unlock innovation, enhance productivity and strengthen digital resilience. With purpose at its core, Cisco remains committed to creating a more connected and inclusive future for all. Discover more on The Newsroom and follow us on X at @Cisco.