If you’re a cybersecurity practitioner, you need to experience Riyadh

This week we’re focused on…

Why you need to come to Riyadh. 

It’s where global cybersecurity conversations are shifting – and we think you should be a part of it. But instead of just telling you why we think that, we’ll leave it up to seven of our Black Hat MEA 2025 speakers. 

Make a coffee, pull up a chair, and clear your diary in the first week of December 2026. 

A region that treats cybersecurity as national infrastructure

Cybersecurity in Saudi Arabia is strategic.

Norah Aldeghaim (Digital Identity and Access Management Senior Manager at Riyadh Airports Company) points to the level of institutional backing:

“Our region is really on it. We have multiple cybersecurity events, endorsed by the government, and this helps us to be one of the best in the world in cybersecurity.”

That endorsement is critical. It drives attendance, investment, and follow-through – and it proves that cybersecurity here is treated as a long-term capability, not a compliance exercise.

Real market momentum (not conference theatre) 

For vendors and operators alike, Riyadh is alive with commercial opportunities. 

John Brown (Director, Key Accounts at Darktrace) doesn’t hide where the demand is coming from:

“Saudi Arabia represents a huge part of our pipeline, of our customer accounts…there are so many things that the Kingdom is doing amazingly well. The pace of innovation, the ambition, the development here is unrivalled.”

“What [Saudi Arabia] has achieved in the past five years is unparalleled. It’s never been seen before…I’m not sure it’ll ever be seen by another country again. So it’s hugely exciting for Darktrace, and for me as an individual, to be a part of that.”

What stands out is speed. Projects move quickly, decisions are made decisively, and organisations are willing to engage at scale – a combination you’ll rarely experience elsewhere.

A genuinely global cyber meeting point

Black Hat MEA’s location changes who shows up – and how they interact.

Saeed Abu-Nimeh (Founder and CTO at Augur Security) sees the value in the mix:

“Having this event in the region, attracting the front people from Europe, North America, the Middle East – bringing them all here is extremely beneficial for the cyber community.”

It’s one of the few places where American East Coast CISOs, European founders, GCC government leaders, and regional practitioners are all in the same room – not siloed into parallel tracks.

Challenging assumptions – especially around diversity

For many first-time visitors, Riyadh dismantles preconceptions.

Lance James (Founder and CEO at Unit 221B) says:

“From the Western angle, there's a lot of misinformation about Saudi Arabia…being here dispels a lot of these misnomers.”

That includes who participates in cybersecurity. The diversity on the BHMEA conference floor surprises lots of first-timers. 

Jaya Baloo (COO and CISO at AISLE) describes it as unmatched:

“It’s the biggest number of women in security that I’ve ever seen at any conference…I find that incredibly encouraging and quite unexpected.”

For an industry still struggling with inclusion elsewhere, we’re proud to help close the gap. 

A city in transformation creates security demand

Dr. Chenxi Wang, Managing General Partner at Rain Capital, draws a historical parallel:

“It kind of reminds me of China in the 1990s…you can see a tonne of transformation in tech and business. Hence you need a lot of cybersecurity transformation as well.”

Rapid change and digitisation bring growth – and risk. That’s why Riyadh is so rich in opportunities for cybersecurity professionals right now. 

It’s an experience that sticks with you

Putting strategy and market dynamics aside for a second, there’s something more human at play.

Jericho Beason (CISO at WM) says: 

“The first time you come and you see people who are all doing the same things you want to do…but all bringing a world of different perspectives…it’s unlike any experience you’ve ever had.”

More than just another conference destination, Riyadh is a reminder of how broad (and how brilliantly connected) the global cybersecurity community really is. If your professional world has started to feel a little too familiar, Riyadh might be the reset you didn’t know you needed.

Convinced you need to experience Riyadh? We’ve got you. Pre-register now for Black Hat MEA 2026, and start planning your trip for December.