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A new report from StormWall, a cybersecurity company specializing in DDoS protection, reveals a dramatic shift in the threat landscape across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in Q3 2025.
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The analysis shows a 163% year-over-year increase in DDoS attacks, now predominantly driven by financially motivated cybercriminals rather than politically motivated hacktivists.
For-Profit Cybercrime Drives Surge in Attacks
The data marks a major shift in attacker motives. In Q3, 68% of malicious traffic originated from for-profit hackers and extortionists, a complete reversal from Q2 when hacktivists were responsible for 73% of attacks.
This profit-driven focus has redefined the primary targets, with high-revenue sectors becoming prime objectives.
Retail and Gaming Sectors Become Top Targets
The change in attacker motivation had a direct impact on target industries. The retail sector became the most attacked, absorbing 22% of all attacks—a 214% quarter-over-quarter jump.
Accordingly, the gaming industry saw its share of attacks nearly triple, rising from 5% to 14%. Finance (19%) and telecommunications (17%) remained among the most heavily targeted sectors due to the high cost of downtime.
Rising Threat from Larger, More Powerful Botnets
StormWall analysts identified a 182% year-over-year increase in botnet-driven DDoS activity. The average botnet size also grew significantly, from roughly 140,000 devices in Q2 to about 215,000 compromised devices in Q3. These larger botnets enable more powerful and sustained attacks, increasing the risk of severe service disruption.
Geographic Hotspots: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and UAE
In terms of geography, Saudi Arabia remained the most targeted country, receiving 22% of all attacks. Qatar saw an 89% quarter-on-quarter increase, becoming the second most attacked nation with a 17% share, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ranked third with 14% of the region’s malicious traffic.
Strategic Advice for High-Risk Industries
“When profit-driven hackers generate the majority of malicious traffic, attack volume usually spikes in sectors where downtime causes the greatest revenue losses,” said Ramil Khantimirov, CEO and founder of StormWall.
The report urges businesses in retail, gaming, finance, and telecom to urgently strengthen their DDoS mitigation strategies to protect against these escalating, financially motivated threats.
