Saudi Arabia’s CQR raises $3 million to scale AI capabilities

Saudi Arabia’s CQR raises $3 million to scale AI capabilities

News

• 26 February, 2025

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• Saudi Arabia-based cybersecurity firm CQR has secured a $3 million funding round led by Shorooq.
• Founded in 2023 by Naser Aldossary, CQR provides businesses with AI-driven, product-based cybersecurity solutions.
• This investment will accelerate CQR’s ability to scale and expand its AI capabilities.

Press release:

CQR, Saudi Arabia’s leading Operational Technology (OT) cybersecurity firm, has successfully secured a $3 million funding round led by Shorooq, one of the region’s most dynamic investment firms. This strategic investment marks a pivotal moment for CQR as it accelerates its mission to fortify the security of critical infrastructures, including oil & gas, manufacturing, power plants, and smart cities, through its pioneering product-centric approach.

CQR, pronounced “Secure,” is setting a new industry standard by shifting OT cybersecurity from traditional service-heavy models to scalable, AI-driven, product-based solutions. At a time when the IT-OT convergence is exposing industrial environments to heightened cyber threats, CQR is redefining how mission-critical operations are protected—eliminating costly downtime risks, ensuring regulatory compliance, and enabling organizations to deploy cybersecurity solutions at scale without requiring deep expertise.

Unlike conventional security firms that rely on service-heavy, resource-intensive approaches, CQR is empowering industries with cutting-edge, easily deployable cybersecurity products that integrate AI-powered threat detection, risk scoring, and automated response mechanisms. CQR’s flagship product is designed to address the complex cybersecurity needs of national infrastructure and industrial giants.

“Cyber threats in OT environments are evolving rapidly, and traditional security models are no longer enough. At CQR, we are reengineering cybersecurity for industrial operations—building innovative, product-driven solutions that make OT security accessible, efficient, and highly scalable,” said Naser Aldossary, Founder & CEO of CQR. “This investment will accelerate our ability to scale, expand our AI capabilities, and ensure that industries dependent on OT systems remain resilient against emerging threats.”

Shorooq’s decision to lead this funding round is a testament to CQR’s market leadership, technological excellence, and strategic importance in the cybersecurity ecosystem. “Our investment in CQR aligns with our vision to support transformative technology companies that address critical industry challenges,” said Yousef Albabtain, Partner at Shorooq. “CQR’s product-driven cybersecurity approach is disrupting a traditionally service-heavy industry, making OT security more accessible, efficient, and scalable. We believe their solutions will become an industry standard, and we are excited to support their growth.”

CQR operates at a time when nation-state actors and cybercriminal groups are aggressively targeting critical infrastructure. A single cyberattack on OT environments can cause catastrophic financial losses, operational shutdowns, and even national security threats. With deep industry expertise—rooted in its leadership team’s experience at Aramco, Dragos, and other leading OT security firms—the company positions itself as the preferred cybersecurity partner for governments, industrial giants, and regulated sectors. CQR’s expansion strategy aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which prioritizes cybersecurity sovereignty and industrial protection.

“Every nation must cultivate its own cybersecurity expertise. OT Cybersecurity is not just an IT concern-it is a matter of national security,” said Pierre Noel, former CSO of Microsoft Asia and Worldwide CISO of Huawei. “CQR’s approach represents the future of OT security-intelligent, product-driven, and built to secure the backbone of modern industry.”