BlackHat3_2025

BlackHat3_2025

Transcript

00:00My name is Tom. I'm the senior event manager for Black Hat Middle East Africa. So I oversee the

00:20strategy and delivery of the event. Everything from content direction and partnerships to

00:26overall attendee experience and features. So my role is essentially to ensure we

00:32raise the bar every year, attract the right global talent, and create a real

00:36impact for the cybersecurity community here in the kingdom and across the globe.

00:41Key drivers could probably be broken down into three areas. So that's quality,

00:47credibility, and community. So if you look at something like the conference program,

00:53we're talking about the highest caliber of global speakers delivering real

00:58substance in an environment where learning and collaboration really

01:04translates to real outcomes.

01:08Real standout highlight for me is the sheer growth of the community from

01:13students to Fortune 500 CISOs and government representatives. I think this

01:18event really helps position Saudi Arabia as one of the most important global

01:22cybersecurity hubs. It accelerates talent development and really attracts global

01:28companies to have presence here as well. It really attracts the world's best in the

01:33community. So bringing that talent here to share that knowledge with the local

01:38community here who are learning and accelerating is really important. And then of

01:44course in terms of brand presence, you know, it really attracts all those major

01:48players to come to the region, sometimes for the first time. And in many cases now you're seeing

01:54major players setting up regional headquarters here.

02:00I think looking ahead, we can expect more global, technically deep, and more immersive experience

02:06across the show floor. We're scaling content, we're adding new zones and competitions,

02:12and even some new summits to the conference. In terms of the actual cyber landscape, you're going to have to see

02:18it. We'll talk about AI, you're going to see more AI, not just in terms of threats, but also defense.

02:24And the rapid expansion of cloud, OT security, national scale infrastructure protection.

02:31So we really want Black Hat to be the cornerstone of all of that.

02:36So Black Hat MIA is more than just a conference, really is the meeting point for the global cybersecurity

02:41community. You've got world-class speakers, hands-on training, real business happening on the show floor,

02:47and it's the largest gathering of cybersecurity talent in the region. So if you care about cybersecurity,

02:54whether you're a beginner or a global leader, there's simply nowhere else to be.