Speakers
Shilpi Handa
Event Sessions
One Day Event 9:05 am
IDC Keynote: Orchestrating Resilience Amid Transformation, Regulation, and Emerging Threats
META’s cybersecurity agenda is shaped by unprecedented digital acceleration, regulatory dynamism, and the proliferation of advanced threats across IT, OT, and cloud. As organizations embrace AI, platform-centric architectures, and hybrid environments, the attack surface expands and adversaries become more sophisticated—leveraging GenAI, identity compromise, and cyber-physical exploits. At the same time, regulatory mandates around data sovereignty and trust are intensifying. CISOs are challenged to orchestrate holistic defense strategies that unify technology, process, and people: integrating real-time detection, adaptive controls, and continuous compliance, while investing in workforce upskilling and AI augmentation. Achieving resilience in this environment demands a proactive, inclusive approach—balancing innovation, operational continuity, and regulatory alignment across the region’s diverse digital landscape.
One Day Event 9:00 am
IDC Welcome Address
Tom Seal
Tom Seal is Senior Research Director, Enterprise Software Sourcing Strategies at IDC. In this role he is tasked with developing processes and market intelligence to support IDC’s new AI-powered platform aimed at Technology Buyers. In his prior role at IDC he was an analyst covering Enterprise Applications in Europe.
Before joining IDC Tom worked in the procurement and supply chain space in both corporate and advisory roles.
Yaman Hakmi
Yaman Hakmi is a strategic technology leader driving innovation and transformation across the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa. As Director of Solutions Engineering at Splunk, he leads regional efforts to empower organizations in advancing their digital resilience through observability, cybersecurity, and cloud-driven strategies.
His leadership focuses on shaping digital strategies, fostering design thinking, and delivering measurable outcomes that enable customers to thrive in this AI-driven era.
Yaman is also a co-founder of a digital trust non-profit organization that advocates for advancing cybersecurity and digital literacy across the Middle East.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 9:20 am
Defending in the Mythos era: AI’s impact on future of SecOps
Agentic AI is the new frontier and it’s pushing security teams into uncharted territory. The lines between defenders and machines are blurring, and new threats overwhelm traditional defenses. It’s why you need agentic SecOps. This session will provide practical insights and strategies for building the modern, human-led agentic SOC that operates at machine speed and scale.
Saghir Khan
Khan is a Senior Cybersecurity Consultant at SBM, a regional MSSP and cybersecurity advisory firm, with over 18 years of experience securing critical infrastructure, Finanacial Sector, energy sector operations, and enterprise environments across the Middle East, and Global. He specialises in AI-powered security operations, SOC transformation, and regulatory alignment under NCA, SAMA, and PDPL frameworks. Khan holds CISM, CCISO, CISA, CEH, AAISM, and PMP certifications with Master Degree in Cyber Security and has led large-scale security deployments and adversarial validation programmes across the GCC. He advises CISOs and boards on translating security investment into measurable business outcomes.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 9:40 am
AI Security Gaps: Managing Risk in the Era of Enterprise AI
As organizations accelerate AI adoption to drive innovation, productivity, and business transformation, they are also expanding their cybersecurity risk landscape.
Many enterprises still face challenges in establishing the visibility, governance, and control mechanisms required to secure AI-enabled environments effectively. These gaps can create vulnerabilities across data protection, model integrity, access management, and regulatory compliance.
To unlock the full value of AI with confidence, organizations must adopt a structured, risk-based approach to identifying, prioritizing, and addressing security gaps. Strengthening AI governance and resilience enables businesses to scale AI initiatives securely while maintaining trust, compliance, and operational excellence.
Notis Iliopoulos
Notis Iliopoulos is EVP for MRC, bringing over 25 years of global experience in the cybersecurity domain in critical positions. Notis has held demanding positions in large corporates under risk management across SE Europe and the Middle East driving businesses to successful development. He was involved in the Initial establishment & operation of six business units, providing information security consulting services, and two corporate information security departments. His research interests include Information & Cyber Resilience and Risk Assessment Methods and Techniques, focusing lately on the Convergence of Digital & Physical Security and a holistic approach to Security Risk Management. He holds an MSc in Information Security (Royal Holloway, University of London), MSc in Business Innovation Management (AIT) and BSc in Computer Science (Royal Holloway, University of London). He is also certified by CISA, CISM & ISO 27001 Lead Auditor.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 9:55 am
Operationalizing Cybersecurity Through Outcome-Based Delivery, Quantified Risk, and Resilience-First Prioritization
Cybersecurity leaders are increasingly challenged to demonstrate how security investment translates into measurable business outcomes. This session explores how organizations can operationalize cybersecurity through outcome-based delivery, quantified cyber risk, and resilience-first prioritization. Moving beyond fragmented tools and isolated initiatives, the discussion will focus on building security models aligned with operational continuity, faster recovery, and measurable risk reduction. Attendees will gain practical perspectives on prioritizing investments based on business impact and strengthening resilience through repeatable, outcome-driven cyber operations.
Tarek Kuzbari
Tarek Kuzbari is a seasoned leader with 20+ years of experience in the Technology Media and Telecommunications (TMT) sector, specializing in international market expansion, revenue growth, and P&L management. He has held senior roles at HUMAN, Cybereason, Bitdefender, Group-IB, SABA Software, and Kaspersky, managing $58m ARR across regions including MEA, APAC, and Eastern Europe. Tarek, an acknowledged industry influencer, has been listed among the top “30 under 30” by Gulf businesses and ACN’s “Top 25 Most Powerful Executives in the Middle East”. He also earned a spot in Network Middle East’s “Top Executives in the Security Industry in the Middle East”. He holds an MBA from London Business School and actively supports NGOs like Agastya International Foundation and the Grow Movement.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 10:05 am
Unlocking Your Unfair Advantage Against AI Adversaries
Attackers use AI to strike in minutes. To adapt, we must shift our perspective from manual reaction to automated mobilization. This session demonstrates how to utilize a ‘virtual crew’ of AI agents to ingest intelligence, build attack playbooks, simulate threats to find gaps, and mobilize fixes.
Saddam Alsad
Saddam is a recognized cybersecurity, cloud, and AI leader with more than 20 years of experience helping organizations navigate complex technology transformations and strengthen their cyber resilience. Over the past two decades, he has worked extensively across the cybersecurity industry, partnering with leading global technology providers and advising some of the region’s largest enterprises, government entities, financial institutions, and critical infrastructure organizations on their security and digital transformation strategies.
Today, as a sales leader at Cloudflare, Saddam focuses on enabling organizations to securely accelerate cloud adoption, embrace AI-driven innovation, modernize network architectures, and implement Zero Trust security at scale. His expertise spans cybersecurity, cloud platforms, AI, networking, data protection, and digital resilience, allowing him to bridge the gap between business objectives and technology execution.
Known for combining strategic vision with operational execution, Saddam has built high-performing teams, developed successful go-to-market strategies, and led complex engagements that deliver measurable business outcomes. He is a trusted advisor to executive and technology leaders, helping organizations leverage the power of AI, cloud, and cybersecurity to drive innovation, improve user experience, and reduce risk in an increasingly connected world.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 10:15 am
Building Resilient, Intelligent Networks for the AI Era
AI workloads, autonomous agents, and machine-driven traffic are pushing enterprise networks beyond their breaking point. This session explores why legacy architectures are failing under distributed inference and intelligent adversaries, then shares five immutable principles for the next-generation network.
Bushra Alhetelah
Bushra Alhetelah is a Detection and Intelligence Fusion Specialist at Cyberani by Aramco Digital, with experience in cybersecurity, threat detection, and intelligence-driven defense strategies. Her expertise includes detection engineering, threat intelligence, Large Language Models (LLMs), and prompt attack security. Bushra developed the first solution capable of detecting and preventing Browser-in-the-Browser attacks. She holds GRID and GDAT certifications from SANS and a Master’s degree in Computer Networks and Cybersecurity from KFUPM, with a strong focus on advancing proactive cyber defense capabilities.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 10:25 am
AI Resilience in the New Threat Landscape: Prompt Attacks and Business Risk
As organizations rapidly adopt Large Language Models (LLMs) and generative AI technologies, a new cybersecurity threat is emerging through prompt-based attacks and AI manipulation techniques. These threats can compromise AI behavior, expose sensitive information, disrupt business operations, and erode organizational trust. This session explores the evolving risks associated with prompt injection attacks, jailbreak techniques, and malicious AI interactions, while highlighting their impact on enterprise security and business continuity. The discussion will focus on how organizations can strengthen AI resilience through proactive detection, secure AI design, governance, and risk management strategies.
Attendees will gain practical insights into building resilient AI systems that can withstand emerging threats while enabling innovation, operational stability, and trusted adoption of generative AI technologies.
Hisham AlSuwi
Event Sessions
One Day Event 10:35 am
Ensuring Cyber Resilience In An Era of Destructive Attacks
As ransomware and sophisticated threats grow more destructive, prevention alone is no longer enough. This session explores how organizations can leverage modern data security platforms to withstand attacks, recover rapidly, and maintain business continuity when defenses are breached.
Rami Gherbal
Event Sessions
One Day Event 10:45 am
Your Vulnerability Management Program Is Working Against You: Why Hacking Yourself Is the Future of Exposure Management
Vulnerability management has been on life support for years, creating noise instead of reducing risk. In the age of Mythos and AI-augmented threat actors, what matters is exploitability, how it can be chained into real attack paths, and the business impact it creates; not log lists of CVE’s. With the advancement of AI, security teams are now able to hack themselves continuously and at scale, therefore moving beyond static counts and outdated severity scores toward Risk Based Exposure Management with focus on real world attack paths.
Sultan Alanazi
Sultan Alanazi is the Country Regional Director for Saudi Arabia at LogRhythm | Exabeam, with over 10 years of experience in cybersecurity, enterprise sales, and project leadership. He specializes in driving regional growth, leading high-performing teams, and enabling large-scale digital transformation across government and enterprise sectors. Sultan holds a Master’s in Cybersecurity and is PMP and Prosci certified, with a strong focus on aligning cybersecurity strategy with business outcomes.
Tarek Elsabaa
Tarek is an experienced IT Professional and Data Protection specialist with more than 15 years of comprehensive experience in this field , Tarek covers Saudi Arabia & Egypt region as Data Protection & Cyber Recovery Solutions Presales helping our customers in their journey for IT transformation through Modern & Proven Data Protection Strategy , Adding resilient framework within the standards Cyber Recovery solutions .
Wissam Alkhaldi
A Cybersecurity professional with over 15 years of experience across multiple security solutions. Global data security leader currently serving as a Regional Manager of Sales Engineering at Forcepoint, I worked closely with multiple organizations as a trusted advisor to align security strategies with business goals.
Siva Prakash
Charbel Chekie
Charbel Chekie, Technical Sales Engineer at Delinea, with 15+ years of experience in the GCC market in diverse Areas of IT Security and Technology Systems.
Pushkar Singh
Pushkar Singh brings over two decades of leadership experience spanning India, the Middle East, and Europe, with a proven track record in driving large-scale technology, risk, and cybersecurity transformations. Throughout his career, he has worked with leading Consulting firm, Telecommunications providers, Banking, Insurance and Government organization, where he led strategic initiatives focused on compliance and secure digital transformation across diverse sectors. With extensive experience collaborating with global clients and strategic partners, Pushkar plays a pivotal role in strengthening the security posture of digital ecosystems.
Currently serving as Country Head at Protectt.ai, a leading provider of Mobile Application and AI security solutions, Pushkar is focused on helping organizations secure their mobile and AI-driven environments. His mission is to enable enterprises to adopt innovation confidently by ensuring their digital assets remain resilient, compliant, and secure.
Georgy Ovanesyan
Georgy is a technology executive with 20+ years of experience building, transforming, and leading technology businesses worldwide. Starting his career as a certified MCSE, he directed large-scale 24/7 technical operations before moving into consultancy, where he earned ITIL Service Manager, ITIL Expert certifications, and MOF, COBIT, and ISO 27001 Auditor credentials. He has delivered over 200 projects for 100+ clients and led transformative initiatives across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
Now CEO of a global identity security vendor, Georgy blends strategic vision with expertise in local compliance and unmatched execution, shaping the global standard for secure digital identity.
Thamer Alrowidhan
Thamer Alrowidhan is a seasoned cybersecurity executive with extensive experience leading information security strategy across government and critical national sectors in Saudi Arabia. As a Chief Information Security Officer, he specializes in building and scaling cybersecurity programs aligned with national regulations, risk management frameworks, and large-scale digital transformation initiatives.
With a strong background in governance, risk, and compliance (GRC), Thamer has led the development of resilient security architectures, incident response capabilities, and enterprise-wide security operations. His expertise spans cloud and hybrid security, data protection, third-party risk management, and aligning cybersecurity with organizational and national priorities.
Thamer is recognized for his practical, execution-driven approach to cybersecurity—bridging strategy with real-world implementation. He has played a key role in strengthening cyber resilience within complex environments and advising leadership on managing evolving threat landscapes. He frequently contributes to industry discussions and forums, sharing insights on cyber resilience, regulatory compliance, and the future of cybersecurity in Saudi Arabia.
Eng. Khalid Alfaheid
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA)
Read bio
Eng. Khalid Alfaheid
Eng. Khalid is a cybersecurity leader with extensive experience in cybersecurity governance, digital transformation, and national technology initiatives. He led the establishment of the General Department of Cybersecurity at the Ministry’s Headquarters and contributed to building a Cybersecurity Center of Excellence that currently serves more than 25 entities through over 30 specialized services.
He also participated in the design and launch of the “Reef Saudi” program and contributed to cybersecurity support for the international COP16 conference. In addition, he has been involved in several national digital projects, including the “Nafath” project, the “Absher” platform, the “Deem” cloud project, and the GCC Data Exchange project.
Alongside his professional contributions, Eng. Khaled is the author of the book “CYBROSHIMA,” reflecting his interest in promoting cybersecurity awareness and knowledge.
Asma Alyemni
Chief Information Security Officer
Technical and Vocational Training Corporation
Read bio
Asma Alyemni
As a Cybersecurity and Network Engineer with over 13 years of experience managing information technology and network operations in the educational sector, I am proud to serve as a Board Member of Trustees at the National IT Academy (NITA). Since 2022, I have been the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) in Saudi Arabia, where I lead multiple enterprise information security divisions, including governance, risk management and compliance (GRC), cyber resilience, security architecture, security strategy, security technologies, incident response, and data protection.
In addition, I represent TVTC on the Sectoral Council for Skills Development in Cybersecurity, contributing to national efforts to strengthen and align cybersecurity competencies with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives.
Throughout my career, I have held diverse leadership roles such as Deputy CISO, Head of Purchasing Department, and Director of Public Relations & Media. Before joining TVTC, I worked as a Project Manager at King Saud University, where I helped launch the Smart University Project in 2010.
I also previously served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Saudi Association in the UK, and have been actively involved in shaping the National Cybersecurity Strategy of Saudi Arabia in collaboration with the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA).
Dr. Saleh Alharbi
Dr. Saleh Alharbi is Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Shaqra University and an Associate Professor of Computer Science. He leads enterprise-wide initiatives in digital transformation, cybersecurity, cloud computing, AI, and technology governance. With a strong focus on innovation and business enablement, he drives the adoption of emerging technologies—including Large Language Models (LLMs) and IoT—to build secure, resilient, and future-ready digital organizations.
Abdulaziz Alarfaj
Abdulaziz Alarfaj is a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) with extensive experience in cybersecurity strategy, governance, architecture, and risk management. He has led cybersecurity initiatives across critical infrastructure environments and is a frequent speaker on cybersecurity leadership and emerging security challenges.
Dr. Abdullah A. Alnajem
Dr. Abdullah A. Alnajem is a Saudi Cybersecurity Executive, Head of Cybersecurity & Data Protection, Certified Nuclear Cybersecurity Professional (CNSP), and Licensed Computing, IT & Communications Consultant granted by the Saudi Ministry of Commerce. He holds a PhD in Computer Science (Cybersecurity) and an MSc in Informatics (Thesis in Wireless Network Security) from the University of Manchester, UK, as well as a dual Bachelor’s degrees in Finance and Accounting from George Mason University (GMU), USA. Started at KPMG and Riyad Bank HQ (2003 & 2005 respectively), Dr. Alnajem has progressed exponentially after the experience at Riyad bank – London Branch, UK (2014) where he was a consultant in liquidity risk and ani-money laundering investigations, then led cybersecurity, data protection, Cyber fraud prevention initiatives across the insurance, payment systems, and fueling automation systems sectors where he managed strategic projects involving fuel station payment technologies and critical operational infrastructure. He is the author of a US-patented cybersecurity innovation in mobile banking Multi-factor Authentications and fraud prevention and has spoken at international conferences, including Pulse Conferences, while contributing to scientific publications and research forums associated with IEEE and ACM in Macau, South Korea, and Scotland.
Aamir Khalid Pirzada
Chief Information Officer (CIO)
National Metal Manufacturing & Casting
Read bio
Aamir Khalid Pirzada
Aamir Khalid Pirzada is a distinguished technology executive, Chief Information Officer (CIO), and digital transformation leader with more than 20 years of experience spanning Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cyber Security, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Software Project Management, Enterprise Architecture, Data Analytics, and IT Infrastructure. His expertise extends across diverse industries, including manufacturing, mining, oil and gas, retail, telecommunications, and public services. Aamir is recognized for helping organizations transition from traditional digitalization to AI-powered enterprises by leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics, intelligent automation, and advanced cybersecurity frameworks to drive innovation, operational excellence, and sustainable business growth. He specializes in developing AI adoption strategies, establishing data-driven operating models, and implementing intelligent business solutions that enhance productivity, decision-making, and organizational resilience.
As a Chief Information Officer, Aamir provides strategic leadership in defining technology vision, governance, and transformation roadmaps aligned with business objectives. He oversees complex technology ecosystems, enterprise applications, cybersecurity programs, IT operations, digital innovation initiatives, and technology investments while ensuring business continuity and regulatory compliance. Aamir has successfully led large-scale enterprise transformation programs involving SAP S/4HANA, Oracle E-Business Suite, Microsoft Dynamics AX, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), ESG Sustainability Platforms, and advanced analytics solutions. His expertise includes integrating AI capabilities into business processes, predictive analytics, process automation, cybersecurity operations, and enterprise data management to create intelligent and connected organizations. A respected cybersecurity leader, Aamir has designed and implemented comprehensive security strategies, governance frameworks, risk management programs, security operations centers (SOC), vulnerability management initiatives, and cyber resilience programs that protect critical business assets and support regulatory compliance.
In addition to his technology leadership, Aamir is passionate about emerging technologies and their role in shaping the future of business. He actively advises organizations on AI readiness, data strategy, digital transformation, cybersecurity modernization, ESG technology solutions, and innovation management. His unique combination of business acumen, technical expertise, and leadership capabilities enables organizations to harness the power of AI, data, and technology to achieve measurable business outcomes and long-term competitive advantage. Aamir Khalid Pirzada continues to be a trusted advisor and transformation leader, helping organizations accelerate their digital journeys, strengthen cybersecurity posture, and unlock the full potential of Artificial Intelligence for sustainable growth and business success.