Turn AI from Threat to Advantage: The Rise of Autonomous Security
Turn AI from Threat to Advantage
The Rise of Autonomous Security
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Regional tensions have reinforced a reality many organizations are now confronting: disruption is no longer an exception. It is the operating environment. Alongside these events, enterprises in the UAE and the wider region have experienced cyber incidents that directly tested operational resilience, recovery readiness, and leadership decision making.
The response is visible in investment priorities. According to IDC, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are sharply accelerating cybersecurity investment across the region. Cybersecurity ranks as the second-highest IT investment priority in the UAE, with budgets flowing into both new security initiatives and AI-driven security enhancements.
This closed-door‑ executive forum, hosted by IBM in collaboration with IDC, brings together C-suite‑ leaders and senior security executives to explore cyber resilience as a strategic business capability, not just a technical function. The discussion will focus on how organizations can maintain business continuity and trust amid escalating regional risks, increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks, and rapid adoption of AI across core business operations.
A central theme of the session will be resilience by design: Designing AI systems that are secure, governable, and resilient from inception. Understanding how AI is being weaponized by adversaries to increase scale, speed, and impact. Leveraging AI to strengthen cyber defense, accelerate recovery, and improve decision‑making under pressure.
Anchored in IDC’s independent market research and IBM’s global threat intelligence, the forum will provide leaders with practical perspectives on embedding resilience into security, AI, and operating models—to ensure organizations can withstand disruption, recover faster, and continue to innovate safely.
Agenda
Turn AI from Threat to Advantage: The Rise of Autonomous Security
One Day Event
Registration and Networking
Welcome Address
Ammar Almarzooqi
Associate Partner – Cybersecurity Services, IBM Consulting
Main Keynote on Cybersecurity at the Intersection of AI
Dr Bushra Al Blooshi
Executive Director of Cybersecurity, Governance and Risk Management Department, Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC)
The Shift to Autonomous Security: How Governed AI is Redefining Enterprise Security
Frontier AI is rapidly transforming the cyber threat landscape, enabling attackers to launch faster, more adaptive, and more disruptive attacks with unprecedented ease. Traditional, human-centric security programs are struggling to keep pace with autonomous, AI-driven adversaries. Organizations now require security models that operate continuously at machine speed, autonomously and in coordination across the enterprise.
IBM Autonomous Security addresses this shift through a multi-agent approach that delivers real-time intelligence, automated decision-making, and rapid response across governance, risk, identity, and threat operations—reducing exposure windows and strengthening cyber resilience.
In this session, IBM experts will discuss how frontier AI is reshaping the attack lifecycle and why autonomous, agent-based security is becoming essential. The session will also explore how IBM Autonomous Security enables continuous, machine-speed defense and governance. By the end, attendees will understand how to shorten exposure windows, contain accelerated attacks faster, and gain continuous insights into governance systems and compliance posture.
Dave McGinnis
Vice President & Senior Partner, IBM Global Cyber Threat Management, IBM Consulting
M.J. Vaidya
Global Senior Partner, Cyber Strategy & Risk, IBM Consulting
Executive Roundtable: From Strategy to Action & Closing
A discussion that brings together executive perspectives on how organisations are operationalising cyber resilience in the age of AI. The session will explore how leaders can balance rapid AI adoption with security and governance obligations, while addressing the critical decisions CISOs and business executives will need to make to strengthen resilience and prepare for autonomous threats.
Hamad Musabeh
Senior Director of the Information Security Department, Digital Dubai Government Establishment, Digital Dubai
Yaqoub AlZarooni
Head of Information Security & Risk Management & Intelligent Operation Center, Du
Dave McGinnis
Vice President & Senior Partner, IBM Global Cyber Threat Management, IBM Consulting
Dinner & Networking
Speakers
Dr Bushra Al Blooshi
Executive Director of Cybersecurity, Governance and Risk Management Department
Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC)
Read bio
Dr Bushra Al Blooshi
Dr. Bushra Al Blooshi is the Executive Director of Governance and Risk Management for Cybersecurity at the Dubai Cyber Security Center. She is the first Arab woman to chair the World Bank’s Cloud Computing Group, the first Arab to win the ISC2 CEO Award from the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, and the only representative from the Middle East selected in the Critical Digital Risks Initiative led by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
In May 2026, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, congratulated Dr. Bushra Al Blooshi on being selected as the Middle East’s sole representative in the Critical Digital Risks Initiative led by the ITU and the UNDRR.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 6:35 pm
Main Keynote on Cybersecurity at the Intersection of AI
Hamad Musabeh
Senior Director of the Information Security Department
Digital Dubai Government Establishment, Digital Dubai
Read bio
Hamad Musabeh
Hamad Musabeh is the Senior Director of the Information Security Department at Digital Dubai Government Establishment, Digital Dubai, overseeing compliance, implementation of security controls and the Security Operation Center.
Prior to joining Digital Dubai, he was the Security Director at Du telecom, leading the security architecture and implementation team ensuring the security of consumer and enterprise services. Musabeh also held the role of Head of Crisis Management and Business Continuity Management at the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) and The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) during a national telecom crisis.
Musabeh’s 19 years of experience involves working in multiple industries and addressing security requirements across industrial, telecom and government sectors, which gained him diverse experience in managing security strategies and understanding the respective entity’s requirements to embed security in an effective approach and act as a business enabler.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 7:45 pm
Executive Roundtable: From Strategy to Action & Closing
A discussion that brings together executive perspectives on how organisations are operationalising cyber resilience in the age of AI. The session will explore how leaders can balance rapid AI adoption with security and governance obligations, while addressing the critical decisions CISOs and business executives will need to make to strengthen resilience and prepare for autonomous threats.
Yaqoub AlZarooni
Head of Information Security & Risk Management & Intelligent Operation Center
Du
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Yaqoub AlZarooni
Yaqoub Zarouni is the head of security at Emirates Integrated Telecommunications company. He oversee’s end to end security strategy of EITC against emerging threats. He is all round experienced in telecommunications technologies and specializes in signalling and mobile security . He has overseen end to end transformational security initiatives in EITC like Identity access management, Data security programs , SOC transformational initiatives and other major security and resilience initiatives with DESC, TDRA, NCEMA and other competent agencies in UAE.
His interests includes in Cryptography and Post Quantum Cryptographic algorithms and AI security.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 7:45 pm
Executive Roundtable: From Strategy to Action & Closing
A discussion that brings together executive perspectives on how organisations are operationalising cyber resilience in the age of AI. The session will explore how leaders can balance rapid AI adoption with security and governance obligations, while addressing the critical decisions CISOs and business executives will need to make to strengthen resilience and prepare for autonomous threats.
Ammar Almarzooqi
Ammar leads Cybersecurity for the UAE Public Sector at IBM Consulting, with over 14 years of expertise across cybersecurity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation. Throughout his career, he partnered with CXOs to shape secure, scalable technology landscapes. Ammar specializes in driving digital modernization and cybersecurity transformation programs across the GCC and MEA, and he has a strong track record of leading multimillion-dollar engagements in the oil and gas, banking, and aviation industries.
Prior to rejoining IBM Consulting, Ammar held strategic roles at Microsoft and the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development. He holds an M.Sc. in Information Security from Khalifa University and a B.Sc. in Computer Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dave McGinnis
Vice President & Senior Partner, IBM Global Cyber Threat Management
IBM Consulting
Read bio
Dave McGinnis
Dave McGinnis is a Vice President & Senior Partner at IBM, responsible for the Global Cyber Threat Management business and delivery operations. With over 25 years in Cyber Security Operations, Mr. McGinnis directs the world’s industry leading consulting and managed services operation assisting clients in the design, implementation, ongoing execution and continuous improvement of best-practice security capability delivery.
Prior to his current role, Mr. McGinnis held several executive roles in the Consulting & Systems Integration and Managed Security Services domains. He has built multiple successful cyber security consulting practices and has been responsible for business leadership and operations for a global network of Security Operations Centers around the world, protecting the IT infrastructure for thousand of customers and managing trillions of security events, daily.
Mr. McGinnis holds several cyber security technology patents and is one of the early pioneers of the Security Services market having worked in the mid 1990’s, pioneering the Managed Security Services market. He designed some of the very early customer premise managed security offers around Firewall, Scanning, and Intrusion Detection services. The basic elements of these services are still used by all major services providers today.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 7:45 pm
Executive Roundtable: From Strategy to Action & Closing
A discussion that brings together executive perspectives on how organisations are operationalising cyber resilience in the age of AI. The session will explore how leaders can balance rapid AI adoption with security and governance obligations, while addressing the critical decisions CISOs and business executives will need to make to strengthen resilience and prepare for autonomous threats.
One Day Event 6:45 pm
The Shift to Autonomous Security: How Governed AI is Redefining Enterprise Security
Frontier AI is rapidly transforming the cyber threat landscape, enabling attackers to launch faster, more adaptive, and more disruptive attacks with unprecedented ease. Traditional, human-centric security programs are struggling to keep pace with autonomous, AI-driven adversaries. Organizations now require security models that operate continuously at machine speed, autonomously and in coordination across the enterprise.
IBM Autonomous Security addresses this shift through a multi-agent approach that delivers real-time intelligence, automated decision-making, and rapid response across governance, risk, identity, and threat operations—reducing exposure windows and strengthening cyber resilience.
In this session, IBM experts will discuss how frontier AI is reshaping the attack lifecycle and why autonomous, agent-based security is becoming essential. The session will also explore how IBM Autonomous Security enables continuous, machine-speed defense and governance. By the end, attendees will understand how to shorten exposure windows, contain accelerated attacks faster, and gain continuous insights into governance systems and compliance posture.
M.J. Vaidya
M.J. has over 25 years of experience helping large global companies meet their strategic, digital, AI, operational, technology, cyber, risk, compliance and transformation goals. With CIO and CISO leadership experience at Fortune 500/1000 companies as well as consulting experience at the largest professional services firms in the world, M.J. brings a global perspective and deep expertise on AI and cybersecurity. M.J. has advised Boards and executive leadership teams on the most complex digital, AI, and cybersecurity challenges facing private and public companies today. A recognized thought leader and award-winning innovator in the industry,
M.J. is on the cutting-edge of helping private and public companies evolve their digital practices to manage unprecedented governance, disclosure and risk management challenges. He is widely recognized as a thought leader and educator in the cybersecurity field, frequently speaking at major industry conferences. He is an Aspen Institute Scholar, recipient of the ATP Award for Enterprise Innovation, and currently serves as an adjunct professor at New York University.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 6:45 pm
The Shift to Autonomous Security: How Governed AI is Redefining Enterprise Security
Frontier AI is rapidly transforming the cyber threat landscape, enabling attackers to launch faster, more adaptive, and more disruptive attacks with unprecedented ease. Traditional, human-centric security programs are struggling to keep pace with autonomous, AI-driven adversaries. Organizations now require security models that operate continuously at machine speed, autonomously and in coordination across the enterprise.
IBM Autonomous Security addresses this shift through a multi-agent approach that delivers real-time intelligence, automated decision-making, and rapid response across governance, risk, identity, and threat operations—reducing exposure windows and strengthening cyber resilience.
In this session, IBM experts will discuss how frontier AI is reshaping the attack lifecycle and why autonomous, agent-based security is becoming essential. The session will also explore how IBM Autonomous Security enables continuous, machine-speed defense and governance. By the end, attendees will understand how to shorten exposure windows, contain accelerated attacks faster, and gain continuous insights into governance systems and compliance posture.
Partner
Hosted By
IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of governments and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.
Visit www.ibm.com for more information.