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The Risk Outlook 2025 Report underscores the volatility witnessed globally that is reshaping business operations and workforce safety across the world. The study, based on expert analysis and insights from over 800 senior risk decision-makers across 96 countries, including the UAE, identifies three key amplifiers of global instability and its potential impact locally:

1. Geopolitical Conflicts & Internal Fragmentation – Tensions in the Middle East, Russia-Ukraine, and broader economic and political shifts are leading to a more multipolar and unpredictable global environment influencing local business operations.
2. Climate Change & Health Risks – Extreme weather, resource scarcity, and the resurgence of infectious diseases pose growing risks to businesses and employees in the Middle East region and beyond.
3. Misinformation & Digital Threats – The rapid spread of misinformation, combined with evolving AI risks, is creating new security vulnerabilities for organisations.

Additionally, 69% of the senior risk professionals who are also primary decision makers surveyed, expect geopolitical events to significantly impact their operations in 2025, while 65% of risk leaders cite political stress and social unrest as major concerns compelling organisations in the UAE to adopt smarter and more unified approaches to protect their operations and ensure business growth. The global report reveals that 78 per cent of respondents who are on the decision making team with significant influence consider cyber attacks and online crimes, as well as work stress and burnout tops the list of risks perceived within the workforce. 75% reported to be impacted by the growing cost of living followed by mental health concerns noted at 70 per cent – requiring businesses in the UAE to reassess how they safeguard workforce wellbeing.

According to Sebastien Bedu, General Manager Middle East, International SOS, “As we enter 2025, organisations in the region must prioritise Resilience and Duty of Care by moving from reactive to proactive risk management approach. The ability to anticipate, prepare for, and mitigate risks – whether geopolitical, health-related, or digital-is now a business imperative. Our mission is to provide organisations in the UAE amongst others with real-time intelligence, expert analysis, and on-the-ground support to help them navigate this increasingly complex landscape.”

To address these escalating risks, a data-driven approach by International SOS is paving the way for global and local risk management by understanding and tackling the destabilising effect of external forces on business operations and employees. The Risk Outlook 2025 report introduces an advanced risk intelligence platform that integrates AI-driven analytics with expert-led risk assessments. This new technology aims to enhance situational awareness, improve crisis response times, and streamline business continuity planning specially for multinational organisations based in the UAE.

According to recent research conducted by International SOS, 75% of surveyed senior risk professionals identify social and political unrest as a top risk, while 69% anticipate significant impacts from geopolitical tensions on their organisations in 2025. These statistics underscore the critical need for comprehensive crisis management strategies, as detailed in International SOS’ latest whitepaper, to help organisations navigate these escalating challenges. The whitepaper offers specialised strategies and tools to enable local businesses to better anticipate risks, respond effectively, build resilience and drive long-term growth.

Michael Tutte, Regional Security Manager

The paper outlines three key approaches to equipping organisations in the UAE to prepare and respond to uncertainties:

1. Anticipating and mitigating risks with advanced modelling tools
2. Strengthening leadership capabilities to act decisively under pressure
3. Embedding employee wellbeing at the core of crisis planning to build sustainable resilience

Drawing on real-world feedback from security leaders at global organisations including Michelin and L’Oréal, the whitepaper serves as a vital resource for decision-makers in the UAE, enabling them to navigate uncertainties effectively while demonstrating how anticipating and preparing for crises can help companies in successfully averting major challenges during political conflicts, natural disasters, unrest and so on.

“In a world where uncertainty has become the norm, crisis management is no longer a simple reaction to unforeseen events, but a way to turn every challenge into an opportunity for growth and innovation. The release of this whitepaper aligns with International SOS’ commitment to safeguarding the health and safety of employees, and ensuring operational resilience of organisations across UAE and beyond,” said Gautier Porot, Global Crisis Management Practice Leader.

The insightful whitepaper emphasises the need for businesses in the UAE to move beyond traditional crisis response strategies and adopt innovative frameworks that prioritise resilience, collaboration, and adaptability. Given the geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainties that are compelling businesses in the region to evaluate their risk management strategies, the insights presented in the whitepaper are timely and actionable focused on employee wellbeing and scaling business despite the challenging scenario.

During the webinar, Michael Tutte, Regional Security Manager of Middle East commented, “Crisis management, when approached with purpose, becomes a pillar of business continuity and a driver of innovation. The whitepaper provides practical frameworks, including the Gold-Silver-Bronze crisis response model, and stresses the importance of continuous training through scenario-based simulations and media preparedness exercises. These tools will enable UAE organisations to remain agile and responsive to emerging threats driving long-term success.”