BIO-key International has partnered with Dubai-based Al Majlis Group to expand its identity-security business in the Arabian Gulf, with an initial focus on government and private-sector organizations in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
The agreement combines BIO-key’s identity and access management technology with Al Majlis Group’s strategic advisory, public-affairs and regional relationship services. The companies plan to approach selected priority organizations jointly as they build a pipeline for biometric and passwordless authentication projects.
BIO-key’s offering includes identity-bound biometrics, which authenticate a person using their biometric characteristics rather than relying only on a device, password or physical token. Identity and access management controls which users can enter particular applications and systems. Its PortalGuard platform combines single sign-on and multifactor authentication, with deployment options for organizations operating on premises or in the cloud.
Al Majlis Group is led by chairman, chief executive and co-founder Dherar Belhoul Al Falasi, a former member of the UAE Federal National Council. The advisory firm will help BIO-key engage organizations in the region and navigate local institutional relationships.
BIO-key said the partnership is intended to support identity-security requirements across public services and enterprise environments. Its regional work is led by Nicholas Prinz, regional director for the Middle East and Africa, alongside managing director Alex Rocha.
The company has already established another route into Saudi Arabia through its partnership with Maktabi Tech for the education sector. That arrangement offers PortalGuard single sign-on, adaptive multifactor authentication and passwordless access to schools and universities, with cloud, on-premises and hybrid deployment options.
Its product portfolio has also expanded through FIDO certification for the PasskeyYOU authenticator. The certification covers protocol conformance for an enterprise authentication product designed to support shared biometric readers and environments where employees cannot rely on personal phones. It is separate from the new Gulf market-development agreement.
The Al Majlis partnership broadens BIO-key’s regional approach beyond that education-focused channel. The initial joint engagement will target a limited group of organizations before wider expansion, using BIO-key’s existing authentication products and Al Majlis Group’s local advisory capabilities. The arrangement centers on developing customer opportunities across the UAE and Saudi Arabian markets.
Sources: BIO-key
–
By the ID Tech Editorial Team
