The Highly Anticipated Black Hat MEA Returns To Riyadh
The fourth edition of Black Hat MEA in November 2024 will bring the world’s leading cybersecurity leaders to Saudi Arabia.
Now in its fourth year, Black Hat Middle East and Africa (MEA) – one of the world’s leading cybersecurity conferences and exhibitions – is heading to the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center in Malham, Saudi Arabia from November 26-28, 2024.
Spread over 53,000 square meters, this year’s edition will set a global record as the largest cybersecurity event by space when it opens its doors in November.
The event is set to host 330 speakers, 335 sessions, and 250 hours of content, including presentations, panel discussions, and networking opportunities delivered over three days.
With an expected 40,000 guests, Black Hat MEA 2024 will see a 135 percent increase in startup attendance at the event, as well as a 52 percent increase in new brands. The annual summit will see more than 100 chief information security officers (CISOs) and executives of some of the largest organizations in the world in attendance, many of whom will use Black Hat MEA as a platform to share their insights and experiences.
"Building on the event's 25-year history, Black Hat MEA has grown rapidly in just three editions, and it is now the world's largest cybersecurity gathering by floor space,” said Annabelle Mander, senior vice president of Tahaluf, an Informa PLC joint venture that organizes Black Hat MEA in partnership with the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones (SAFCSP). “This reflects Saudi Arabia's significant investments in the cyber sector, with both government and private entities driving innovation and resilience.”
“The event will bring regional and international decision-makers together to address pressing cyber issues that require global collaboration," Mander added. "We are offering insights and exclusive access to experts from military intelligence, government agencies, and leading global businesses, ensuring the region is equipped to tackle tomorrow’s cyber challenges."
Industry experts, innovators, investors, and ethical hackers will converge at the convention and exhibition to discuss the latest developments in cybersecurity, including quantum computing and cryptography, supply chain security, remote workforce security, and threat detection responses.
“The cybersecurity goalposts have moved and now, more than ever, keep on moving, as our industry faces some of its biggest challenges due to the evolving nature of threats,” Mander noted. “From artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, to interconnected technologies and humans, who continue to be one of the biggest threats to organizations, the pace of change is extraordinary.”
Black Hat MEA has locked in some of the biggest names in information security to speak at this November’s Executive Summit, which is already 80 percent sold out. Keynote speakers include Mikel Rodriguez of Google DeepMind and Ugo Vignolo Lutati of the Prada Group, who will be joined by speakers from Coca-Cola, Scale AI, BNP Paribas, Relativity Space, Wendy’s, Panasonic, and World Wide Technology, among others.
The lineup of speakers also includes Gary Hayslip, CISO, SoftBank Investment Advisors; Lori Wade, Intelligence Community Chief Data Officer, Office of The Director of Intelligence; Sounil Yu, founder and chief technology officer, Knostic; Kevin Jones, Global CISO, Bayer Group; Jennifer Ewbank, former Deputy Director, Digital Innovation, Central Intelligence Agency; Jason Lau, CISO, Crypto.Com; Susan Chiang, CISO, Headway; Ashish Shrestha, CISO, Jaguar Land Rover; Lakshmi Hanspal, chief trust officer, DigiTrust; and Dr. Wojtek Swiatek, vice president and CISO, Dassault Systèmes.
Commenting on his enterprise’s participation in Black Hat MEA, Unilever’s deputy CISO and global head of cyber technology and operations Craig McEwen said, “As cyber defenders, our true strength is in collaboration and rapid sharing of information and ideas to counter this increasingly hostile environment in which we operate. Black Hat MEA offers a true opportunity to collaborate and discuss the pressing issues we face as cyber defenders, and helps create a collective security posture against cyber threat actors.”
Similarly, Jason Lau, CISO of Crypto.com, added, "As a member of the Black Hat MEA Advisory Board, I recognize the immense value this event in Riyadh brings to our global cybersecurity community. Black Hat MEA stands as a pivotal nexus where experts from diverse backgrounds converge to share knowledge, innovate, and develop strategies to tackle the ever-evolving threats facing our digital world. This platform fosters unparalleled collaboration, elevating our collective understanding and empowering us to advance critical areas like digital trust and the application of AI in cybersecurity.
Black Hat MEA’s exhibition includes some of the biggest regional and global cybersecurity leaders and innovators, including Kaspersky – which successfully blocked 30 million cyber threats in the UAE last year – Fortinet, Opentext, Builder AI, Help AG, Infoblox, Netwitness, Palo Alto Networks, Recorded Future, and Trend Micro, among others.
More than 450 exhibitors will also attend the show, including NetWitness, a leading network security company from the United States known for its expertise in real-time network forensics and automated threat detection.
“Black Hat has held some of the most relevant cybersecurity events over the past two decades,” said Ken Naumann, CEO of NetWitness. “As a globally trusted partner for some of the world’s largest and most security-conscious organizations, we find these conferences to be a fantastic outlet to showcase NetWitness and our innovative product and services portfolio. The upcoming Black Hat Middle East and Africa conference aligns perfectly with our efforts to expand the business in this dynamic and rapidly evolving market, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase the latest of our cutting-edge Threat Detection, Investigation, and Response Platform. Our team is looking forward to Black Hat MEA for eye-opening discussions with key cybersecurity professionals, solutions providers, and decision-makers from around the world, sparking new and productive collaborations across the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META) region.”
The exhibition will include interactive features, including industry briefings and training sessions, the Cyberseed Startup Competition, and an investor program. In a series of presentations and panel discussions, information security experts will share the latest tricks and trends in the industry and hackers will expose the latest breach techniques.
Participants at a previous edition of Black Hat MEA. Courtesy of Tahaluf.A key highlight of the event, the Announcement Segment, will see organizations take the main stage to unveil impactful news shaping the cybersecurity landscape, including major announcements on innovative products, strategic investments, and transformative partnerships. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear firsthand from industry leaders as they reveal groundbreaking initiatives that promise to enhance security measures and drive technological advancements.
This year’s event will also feature Black Hat MEA Arsenal, which is being held in partnership with cybersecurity training company ToolsWatch. The segment will see developers showcasing the latest open-source tools and products and allow presenters to interact with attendees for firsthand experiences. The convention will also include eight “hacking villages,” which will feature content around the cybersecurity of everything, including cars, trucks, ATM machines, and smart homes, among other things.
Meanwhile, at Black Hat Campus, entry-level professionals can attend talks and meet industry experts to understand how they can grow their careers in cybersecurity. In addition, this year’s convention will include contests and personal development courses in coordination with the event’s official strategic training partner, cybersecurity trainer Offensive Security.
At the Activity Zone, over 1,000 participants will compete in a series of challenges across different competency levels in a jeopardy-style Capture The Flag tournament, which is one of the largest ever held in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Last but certainly not least, Black Hat will feature the Investor and Startup Program, where startup founders will showcase their products and solutions while connecting to relevant opportunities in the industry. Participating startups will also have the opportunity to be part of the Cyberseed Pitch Competition, where startup teams will receive multiple mentoring sessions. Eight finalists will be selected to present their ideas to a panel of esteemed judges to compete for a share of the $30,000 Cyberseed Prize Fund at the close of Black Hat MEA’s Executive Summit.
Inc. Arabia is a Media Partner for Black Hat MEA 2024.
