Black Hat MEA 2024 Sets Global Record as Largest Cybersecurity Event by Space

• BlackHat MEA 2024 sees a 51% year-on-year increase in space to 53,000 square metres, as well as a 135% increase in startup numbers and a 52% increase in new brands.
• Event will host over 40,000 attendees, 330 speakers, 335 sessions and 175 hours of content
• Industry pioneers Vijay Bolina of Google DeepMind and Ugo Vignolo Lutati of Prada Group will join representatives from Coca-Cola, Scale AI, Peloton, Relativity Space, and Panasonic, amongst others.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – October 15, 2024: Black Hat MEA 2024, the world’s fastest-growing cybersecurity event, will set a global record as the largest cybersecurity event by space - at over 53,000 square metres - when the event opens its doors from November 26 - 28 at the Riyadh Exhibition & Convention Centre in Malham.  

Now in its fourth year and welcoming over 40,000 guests, BlackHat MEA 2024 will witness a 135% increase in startups at the event from 2023, as well as a 52% increase in new brands taking part in the 2024 edition. There will be eight ‘hacking villages’ this year, featuring content around the cybersecurity of everything from cars and trucks, to ATM machines and the latest security measures employed in today’s smart homes.  The event will also host over 330 speakers, 335 sessions and 175 hours of content.

Black Hat MEA will play a critical role in elevating the global cybersecurity conversation with new additions to the 2024 speaker and stage lineup. Vijay Bolina of Google DeepMind and Ugo Vignolo Lutati of the Prada Group have been confirmed as keynote speakers for Black Hat’s fourth edition and the pair join speakers from Coca-Cola, Scale AI, Peloton, Relativity Space, Wendy’s, Panasonic, and World Wide Technology amongst others.

 The Announcement Segment at Black Hat MEA is set to be a highlight of the event, where organisations will take the main stage to unveil impactful news shaping the cybersecurity landscape. This segment will feature major announcements on innovative products, strategic investments, and transformative partnerships. Attendees will have the unique opportunity to hear firsthand from industry leaders as they reveal groundbreaking initiatives that promise to enhance security measures and drive technological advancements.

 The annual summit – organised by Tahaluf, an Informa PLC joint venture in partnership with the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones – will again bring the brightest minds in cybersecurity from across the globe for three days of presentations, panel discourses, and networking opportunities. Attendees can expect brand new contests and intense personal development courses, with leading cybersecurity trainer Offensive Security confirmed as the event’s official strategic training partner.

The Investor & Startup Program at Black Hat MEA will empower startup founders to showcase their products and solutions, while connecting them to relevant opportunities in the industry. By joining this program, there is an opportunity to participate in the Cyberseed Pitch Competition [Registration link https://shorturl.at/ENeLF]. Confirmed startup exhibitors will have the opportunity to be one of eight startups selected to pitch at the close of Black Hat MEA’s Executive Summit, for a chance to win $30,000. All companies selected will have a 3-minute startup pitch, followed by a 2-minute Q&A session, and each pitch will be scored against seven key criteria.

An exclusive “byte-sized” networking breakfast meetup will also see CISO’s collaborate and discuss pressing industry challenges in a more informal setting. And a strategic leadership forum at “The Vault” will bring global CISOs together to lead private, behind-closed-doors roundtables, where exclusive sessions will be designed to provide the CISO community with hands-on training and real-world insights tailored to elevate strategic cybersecurity leadership.

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, NetWitness. “As a globally trusted partner for some of the world’s largest and most security-conscious organisations, 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 META region.”

 The Activity Zone will also host a jeopardy-style Capture the Flag tournament - one of the largest ever held in the GCC - involving more than 1,000 competitors across multiple skill categories.

"Building on the event's 25-year history, Black Hat MEA has grown rapidly in just three editions and is now the world's largest cybersecurity gathering by floor space. 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," said Annabelle Mander, Senior Vice President of Tahaluf.

"We are offering cutting-edge 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," added Mander.    

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About Black Hat MEA:

Black Hat Middle East and Africa is a leading cybersecurity conference and exhibition held in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This exceptional event draws in an impressive gathering of more than 40,000 information security professionals, along with 450+ exhibitors and 300+ internationally acclaimed speakers hailing from over 120 countries.

Black Hat MEA returns to Riyadh from November 26-28, 2024. For further information and to stay up to date, visit: www.blackhatmea.com

 About Tahaluf:

Headquartered in Riyadh, Tahaluf brings together strategically important commercial communities from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the wider Gulf region, and from around the world to a portfolio of world-class exhibitions and digital platforms.

Tahaluf is a joint venture partnership between Informa PLC, the world’s largest tradeshow organiser, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), and Events Investment Fund (EIF). Sela, the Saudi-owned event production company renowned for its creation of spectacular event experiences, intends to join the joint venture in the near future.

Following the highly successful launches of award-winning tech events LEAP, Black Hat Middle East, the artificial intelligence event DeepFest in the Kingdom, Cityscape Global, the Global Health Exhibition and InFlavour, for the food industry, Tahaluf plans to launch further diverse original concept events, for the Infrastructure sector, the VC community, and multiple other sectors including Health, Consumer, Aviation, Consumer and Luxury. Tahaluf will also bring iconic Informa brands to Saudi Arabia, including CPHI and Cosmoprof, serving the global pharmaceutical and beauty industries respectively.

For more information about Tahaluf, visit https://tahaluf.com