JEDDAH: The biggest cybersecurity conference in the region, Black Hat, which brings together top minds in the industry, is getting ready to launch in Riyadh between Nov. 15-17.
Black Hat is part of Riyadh Season 2022 activities and is in partnership with the General Entertainment Authority and organized by the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones, and Informa Markets.
The three-day event is expected to host 30,000 visitors in the presence of the most famous speakers in the cybersecurity sector.
Following the success of At Hack (@Hack) in Riyadh last year, Black Hat is fueling interest in cybersecurity by including more than 200 international speakers and will be attended by more than 250 leading cybersecurity companies, including Cisco, IBM, Spire, Infoblox and more, in addition to more than 40 startups in the field.
The event will also provide 23 specialized cybersecurity training courses delivered by 50 Black Hat certified trainers and a hacking tournament, “Capture the Flag” which will include over 1,000 contestants to enhance their ethical hacking skills at different difficulty levels for a cash prize of SR700,000 ($186,243).
GEA Chairman Turki Al-Sheikh said: “Riyadh Season 2022 includes more than 8,500 activity days and experiences in 15 zones, each of which has a special entertainment character. The season contains 252 restaurants and cafes, 240 stores, daily firework shows, in addition to eight international shows, and more than 150 musical events throughout the season.
“One of the events of this season, Black Hat, which specializes in cybersecurity, confirms the diversity and inclusion of all target groups in the season with their various interests.”
Faisal Al-Khamisi, chairman of the Saudi Federation For Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones, said: “The At Hack event has been an impressive success, especially in the high participation rate from the most prominent cybersecurity communities in the world and the region, as well as the contribution of the growing local cybersecurity community in Saudi Arabia.”
He added: “Black Hat event establishes its position as a must-attend event to raise awareness about cybersecurity and educate individuals about the mechanism of safe use of digital space in the future.”
Mike Champion, regional executive vice president of Informa Markets, added: “Last year we launched the largest IT exhibition of 2021 worldwide. This exhibition has grown this year to witness more than 25,000 visitors registered. Now there is only one event that allows you to meet leading security researchers and keynote speakers for information security. During the Black Hat event, a variety of topics are highlighted, such as hacking tools, big prize money and many important events.”