Exposing the UAE’s Hidden Cyber-Espionage Firms

An Emirati opposition website has unveiled details about some of the UAE’s most secretive cyber-espionage companies, highlighting Abu Dhabi’s focus on surveillance and authoritarian control.

It concerns the company “BeamTrail”, which was tasked with hacking the personal information of citizens and residents in the Emirates as part of the reorganization of technical intelligence in Abu Dhabi.

According to the opposition site Emirates 71, “BeamTrail” was required to align its operations with security and military objectives. In the wake of the DarkMatter scandal, the UAE has restructured its technical intelligence and eavesdropping efforts, now distinguishing between offensive and defensive operations.

The UAE’s cyber sector continues to transform and reorganize under the supervision of the State Security Agency (Intelligence) and the EDGE Group, which brings together all the UAE’s defense tools.

The semi-governmental cyber firm “Beam Trail” is solidifying its role as part of the (G42) group, which operates under the leadership of National Security Advisor Tahnoun bin Zayed. This reorganization aligns Beam Trail’s activities with both security and military objectives.

Abu Dhabi’s approach to cybersecurity has long been characterized by an expansive surveillance philosophy, extending beyond traditional boundaries. Instead of targeting only external threats, their strategy involves extensive monitoring, akin to searching for a lost cat by inspecting every possible location, including private spaces like homes and bedrooms.

Abu Dhabi’s Spy Trio

Think your phone is just a tool for managing your life? In the UAE, it’s a crucial part of an extensive surveillance network orchestrated by three key entities from the capital, Abu Dhabi:

NESA (now SIA): Formerly known as the National Electronic Security Authority, NESA has evolved into the Signals Intelligence Agency (SIA). With assistance from American counterparts, this agency has developed Abu Dhabi’s cyber-espionage capabilities. It operates as a more discreet, yet privacy-invasive counterpart to the NSA.

SIA’s Role: The Signals Intelligence Agency gathers a broad spectrum of signals, including intelligence from espionage, traffic, communications, and various other sources within the UAE. This extensive data collection forms the basis for comprehensive intelligence assessments.

DarkMatter (now “Digital14”): Originally founded in 2014 as DarkMatter, this entity represented the UAE’s ambitious move towards creating its cyber army. It was akin to a high-stakes chess game, but instead of traditional pieces, it involved a team of cyber experts and hackers sourced from around the globe, including the US and Israel.

In 2016, it became a contractor for Project Raven (Abu Dhabi’s largest espionage project), which targeted governments, journalists, and human rights activists in the UAE and across the Middle East, in which NESA participated.
Other reports in 2021 said that its offensive cyber activities were transferred to Digital14.

In 2022, Digital14 announced the gradual layoff of its cyber intelligence engineers, giving them the option of leaving the company entirely or working for a company called CPX.

BeamTrail: This entity specializes in electronic processors and radio frequency technologies. With capabilities so advanced that a smartphone signal can be intercepted from a submarine at the bottom of the Marianas Trench, BeamTrail transforms smart devices into surveillance nodes. This means it’s as if every light bulb in your home is eavesdropping on your conversations, even those about what to have for dinner.

In Abu Dhabi, under the oversight of the State Security Agency, a “spy trio” has emerged, blurring the lines between government intelligence and private technology sectors. This network is dedicated to extensive surveillance of citizens, residents, and regional entities, fulfilling the authorities’ broad monitoring ambitions.

Companies closely aligned with Abu Dhabi’s leadership are securing most government contracts, while others face stagnation or potential bankruptcy, impacting the sector’s growth prospects.

The reorganization of the cyber sector, notably involving “BeamTrail,” has turned smart devices into tools for governmental surveillance. This includes potential access to personal information from devices like smart refrigerators, allowing the authorities to monitor dietary habits and more.

Offensive Tools

BeamTrail’s website, last updated in 2018, provides minimal information, simply stating: “We design and develop a range of open-architecture radio frequency products.”

Recently, the development of offensive radio frequency tools for hacking WiFi, GSM, 3G, and other systems was transferred from DarkMatter and other quasi-governmental organizations to BeamTrail. Under the leadership of Hisham Fadel, an Emirati military and industry veteran, the company has seen significant growth over the past two years.

Fadel, who previously worked with General Dynamics on military communications technology, was formerly the head of the government contracts division at Emirati satellite communications firm Yahsat. Before joining BeamTrail in May 2018, he led special projects at DarkMatter for two years.

Total Secrecy

BeamTrail operates with a high level of confidentiality, extending to its tasks, projects, partners, and even its employees.

A senior software engineer who interviewed for a position at BeamTrail in Abu Dhabi last May described the experience as the worst job interview of his career. He reported, “There were no cameras on, and I couldn’t see who was sitting next to me. When I asked, ‘I can’t see you guys,’ they responded, ‘We have a problem, so we can’t turn on the camera.’”

He added, “They seem afraid that people will expose them.”

A data manager who also interviewed with the company corroborated this, noting that BeamTrail required strict confidentiality under a non-disclosure agreement, which even prevented employees from listing their job titles on their resumes.

Another React developer recounted an unusual interview experience, noting that he did not meet with BeamTrail at their Abu Dhabi office. Instead, he was approached in a mall in Dubai. “I came to Dubai for personal reasons and was unexpectedly asked to meet the team in a mall. It’s very strange; I’ve never had an interview conducted in such a setting,” he remarked.

In September 2023, another software engineer described his final interview as particularly bizarre. He was given a task reminiscent of the “The Lady or the Tiger” scenario. After providing his answer, he was told, “I just found the solution.”

The engineer did not disclose the specifics of the task. For context, “The Lady or the Tiger” is a short story known for its unresolved ending. It features a semi-barbaric king who, when administering justice, forces individuals to choose between two doors: behind one is a fierce tiger, and behind the other is a beautiful maiden whom they would marry. The outcome is left to chance and blind trust.

If spy technology were a fashion show in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi would be strutting down the runway in the latest spy fashions with the ability to buy and use it against citizens and residents.

Abu Dhabi’s approach can turn any smart device into a surveillance tool, ignoring the critical ethical responsibility to protect privacy. This not only threatens individual privacy but also poses risks to economic stability, with the potential for sensitive data to be exposed to competitors or malicious actors.

As you read this report, consider that “BeamTrail” utilizes this technology in ways that are almost beyond imagination, providing security agencies with unparalleled capabilities. The entire region, including the Emirates, is essentially a canvas awaiting the results of this surveillance-driven evolution.