GISEC Global 2025: Dubai Mobilises Global Cyber Defence Leaders to combat AI-driven cybercrime and ransomware
RELATED TOPICS
CYBERSECURITY
RELATED COMPANIES
CrowdStrike Hldg Microsoft Deloitt Cisco Systems Qualys Cpx StrikeReady Dream Group Cloudflare Huawei Tech Honeywell Intl Lab Kasperskogo Spire Solutions Opswat Wck White Cyber Linkshadow
From 6-8 May, 25,000+ cybersecurity experts will gather at the Middle East and Africa's largest cybersecurity event to secure the region's digital future against deepfake scams and critical infrastructure vulnerabilities
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: With AI-driven cybercrime and ransomware attacks surging globally, GISEC Global 2025 returns to Dubai from May 6 - 8, bringing together the world's foremost leaders, innovators, and visionaries in a high-stakes effort to secure our digital future.
GISEC Global transforms Dubai World Trade Centre into the epicentre of cybersecurity, uniting 450+ CISOs, 25,000 professionals from 160 countries, and 750+ brands—from tech giants like AWS, Huawei, and Microsoft to innovative startups—for MEA's most pivotal cyber event under the theme 'Securing an AI-Powered Future.' The year 2025 has been declared as the 'Year of Community' by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, calling for collective action in building a connected and empowered society through AI and entrepreneurship. GISEC Global is strengthening the global cybersecurity community by fostering collaboration between governments, enterprises, and experts to secure our digital tomorrow.
The 14th edition brings together critical focus areas from some of the leading players in the industry, including Huawei, AWS, Microsoft, Google Cloud Security, CISCO, Deloitte, Kaspersky, Check Point, Cloudflare and Honeywell, alongside groundbreaking cybersecurity companies such as Spire Solutions, CPX, CyberKnight, LinkShadow, OPSWAT, Qualys, CrowdStrike, StrikeReady, and Dream Group.
The three-day event will reinforce the UAE's position as a world leader in AI innovation and responsible AI deployment in the face of threat actors, blending global expertise with regional priorities, and with a strong emphasis on public-private collaboration, innovation, and talent development.
These priorities come at a critical juncture. The World Economic Forum's Global Security Outlook 2025 report, published ahead of GISEC Global 2025, has shown that:
66% of organisations view AI as a game-changer in cybersecurity.
Nearly half (47%) warn that generative AI is simultaneously arming hackers with scalable new attack vectors
However, only 14% of organisations feel confidently equipped to respond
These key insights highlight how fast the global cybersecurity market is changing – an ever-growing economic sector that is expected to reach $298.5 billion by 2028, according to Markets and Markets – a significant jump from the $190.4 billion in 2023.
Nowhere is this urgency more apparent than in the Middle East, where 45% of organisations rank cyber risk mitigation as their top operational priority (PWC's 2024 Global Digital Trust Insights survey). As the region accelerates its digital transformation, GISEC Global 2025 arrives at a pivotal moment to shape its secure future.
The 2025 edition introduces groundbreaking new features:
Next-Gen Cyber Warriors Competition: The Student Hackathon transforms classrooms into cyber defence labs, where young talent tackles real-world scenarios in network security, threat analysis, and incident response.
Critical Infrastructure Programme: The launch of OT Security Conference Track addresses the growing convergence of IT and operational technology, offering actionable strategies to protect vital systems from emerging vulnerabilities.
Africa Cyber Resilience Initiative: As the continent's digital economy expands, GISEC launches dedicated roundtables with CISOs and national authorities to build continent-wide defences.
GISEC AI: Explore polymorphic malware, adversarial AI, and deepfake scams. This year's largest AI in cybersecurity showcase will feature pressing topics including polymorphic malware, adverbial AI, deepfake scams and Gen AI tech.
Launch of GISEC North Star: Cyber71, in strategic partnership with GISEC GLOBAL, will launch a series of high-impact initiatives at the region's largest platform for innovative cybersecurity startups. It will provide a dynamic space for cybersecurity startups to network, attract investment and scale their businesses.
Dubai Cyber Challenge: Premiering at GISEC Global, Organised by DESC, an exclusive 'Capture the Flag' competition will be held for Dubai government entities as teams go head to head across two days, focusing on different trends such as web security, reverse engineering and digital forensics through various challenges.
Dubai's hosting of GISEC Global 2025 cements the UAE's position as the world's cybersecurity leader, recently crowned #1 in the Global Cybersecurity Index 2024. The event serves as both a showcase of the nation's security achievements and a call to action for international collaboration in our interconnected digital future.
H.E. Dr Mohamed Al-Kuwaiti, Head of the UAE Cybersecurity Council, said: "GISEC Global comes at a critical time as cyber threats grow more prevalent and sophisticated," says HE Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of the UAE Cybersecurity Council. "In this 'Year of Community,' our partnership with GISEC underscores the UAE's commitment to uniting global stakeholders in addressing urgent cybersecurity challenges—from safeguarding data privacy and securing critical networks to countering advanced threats through AI-powered solutions. Through initiatives like the world's largest Global Cyber Drill and strategic collaborations at GISEC, we are turning the UAE's cybersecurity vision into action, ensuring a resilient digital future for all."
H.E. Yousuf Al Shaibani, Director General of Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC), said: "Dubai's rapid digital transformation is redefining the way we live, work, and connect, making cybersecurity more critical than ever. GISEC Global 2025 stands as a pivotal gathering where global experts converge to address emerging threats and pioneer the next generation of cyber resilience. At DESC, we are steadfast in our mission to safeguard Dubai's digital ecosystem by fostering collaboration, driving innovation, and implementing robust cyber defences. Our participation in GISEC reflects our commitment to shaping global cybersecurity discourse, sharing expertise, and ensuring that Dubai remains at the forefront of secure and intelligent digital progress."
Trixie LohMirmand, EVP of Dubai World Trade Centre, GISEC Global organiser, said: 'Every year, the cybersecurity industry is dealing with new threats and opportunities with GISEC Global at the heart of driving impactful discussions and action from the worldwide ecosystem. This year will be no different as we bring the best minds together once again to Dubai World Trade Centre to explore ways to not only manage cyber risks effectively, which can have far-reaching implications if not dealt with adequately, but also build a safe future that will not impact our economies.'
Sean Yang, Global Cybersecurity and Privacy Protection Officer of Huawei, Lead Strategic Partner of GISEC Global, said: 'We are delighted to be extending our long-term partnership with GISEC Global by becoming its Lead Strategic Partner for the 2025 edition. Huawei is committed to securing our shared digital future with governments, industry organisations, standardisation bodies, and enterprise stakeholders. Through such partnerships, we aim to be a reliable partner in the digital and intelligent world and provide our customers with competitive and secure product solutions. GISEC Global is a leading platform to exchange ideas and expertise, as well as collaborate in building a trustworthy digital environment of various partners that can address the challenges of today and tomorrow.'
GISEC Global 2025 is hosted by the UAE Cybersecurity Council, and supported by Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC), UAE Ministry of Interior and Dubai Police.
About GISEC Global
GISEC Global, Middle East & Africa's largest and most impactful cybersecurity event, will return to Dubai World Trade Centre for its 14th edition taking place from 6th to 8th May 2025, under the overarching theme of 'Securing an AI-Powered Future.' Following the monumental success of 2024, the super-connector event for the region's cybersecurity industry will bring together over 25,000 attendees, 750 exhibiting brands and 350-plus speakers hailing from over 160 countries. GISEC Global stands as the unrivalled platform for navigating the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity. More information: www.gisec.ae
About Dubai World Trade Centre
With a vision to make Dubai the world's leading destination for all major exhibitions, conferences and events, DWTC has evolved from being the regional forerunner of the fast-growing MICE industry into a multi-dimensional business catalyst, focusing on Venues, Events and Real Estate Management. Complementary to the primary service offerings are a range of value-added services from media/advertising, engineering and technical consultation and wedding planning, security, and hospitality.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Etihad
9 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Presidents of UAE, Angola explore cooperation opportunities
8 June 2025 22:07 ABU DHABI (WAM) President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a phone call with His Excellency João Manuel Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola, during which they discussed cooperation between the UAE and Angola and explored ways to strengthen ties in support of development priorities and the shared goal of sustainable growth and Lourenço also extended Eid Al-Adha greetings to His Highness, wishing him continued health and two leaders discussed a number of issues of mutual interest and exchanged views on regional and global matters. They reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing cooperation between the UAE and African nations, particularly in the fields of development and economic partnership, in ways that support stability, promote sustainable economic growth, and help realise the aspirations of their peoples. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed reiterated the UAE's commitment to enhancing development cooperation with African countries, in line with its longstanding approach to building constructive and impactful partnerships that contribute to shared progress and prosperity.
Broadcast Pro
2 days ago
- Broadcast Pro
SESs 7th and 8th O3b mPOWER satellites set to begin connectivity services
With these satellites, SES is enhancing the O3b mPOWER network to serve customers across multiple market segments SES has announced that the latest pair of O3b mPOWER satellites launched in December 2024 is now ready to offer services across the globe. Featuring redesigned payload power modules, the seventh and eighth O3b mPOWER satellites are bolstering the capabilities of SESs second-generation medium earth orbit (MEO) system, supporting the delivery of high throughput and predictable low latency services at scale. To date, SES has launched eight out of 13 O3b mPOWER high-throughput and low-latency satellites. The next O3b mPOWER launch is scheduled for summer 2025. SES has also expanded its strategically located satellite ground stations, and now has 12 operational O3b mPOWER gateways located in South Africa, Peru, Brazil, Portugal, Australia, Greece, the US, Chile, the United Arab Emirates and Senegal. Five out of these are co-located and operated by Microsofts Azure data centres. Our O3b mPOWER services are in high demand and we were eagerly awaiting the additional satellites to strengthen our MEO network, said Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of SES. As we continue to deploy additional O3b mPOWER satellites, we are bringing substantially more capacity and improved network efficiency, resulting in a threefold increase in available capacity by 2027 to better serve our mobility, government, enterprise and cloud customers. SES started offering O3b mPOWER services worldwide since April 2024 and has been delivering high-performance network services to customer sites across Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas in multiple market segments. The systems exceptional flexibility means it can provide services ranging from tens of Mbps to multiple gigabits per second of capacity to any site.
Middle East Eye
3 days ago
- Middle East Eye
For Palestinians, to exist is to resist Israel's war of annihilation
In a speech to the UN General Assembly on 22 September 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brandished a map in which the occupied Palestinian territories were no longer distinguishable from Israel, as he threatened Iran while touting the future glories of artificial intelligence (AI) and a world in which Israel would lead the region into a limitlessly bright future. Less than a month later, Israeli AI-driven technologies such as Lavender, Gospel, and Where's Your Daddy - developed in partnership with US corporate giants like Microsoft, Google and Amazon - exponentially boosted target banks, resulting in the murder of tens of thousands of Palestinian men, women and children, wiping out entire families in one fell swoop. The following year, at the 27 September 2024 General Assembly, Netanyahu doubled down on his earlier claims, further amplifying his division of the world: "As Israel defends itself against Iran in this seven-front war, the lines separating the 'blessing' and the 'curse' could not be more clear." By then, at least 41,000 Palestinians had already been killed in Gaza by Israeli air, naval, artillery and ground attacks. This against a people - needless to say, but still needing to be said - with no air force, air defences, navy, or mechanised units, not to mention bomb shelters or, most of the time, electricity. What is finally becoming clear to more and more people is that, as far as Israel is concerned, Palestinian resistance begins with simply existing. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters This resistance through "being" then extends to all other human activities: breathing, sleeping, eating, walking, farming, giving birth, and on, ad infinitum, to everything a person might do in life. Thus, every Palestinian, by virtue of their very existence, is considered a "legitimate" target. Carceral geography Since the inception of Zionism, colonisation in Palestine has exerted every possible effort to erase, usurp and fragment the land and its indigenous people into ever-smaller and less contiguous areas and communities. We have now reached a point where, in addition to the wholesale destruction in Gaza, there are towns and cities in the occupied territories where Palestinian residents must pass through checkpoints simply to exit their own homes. In some towns, Palestinians must pass through checkpoints just to exit their own homes. This extreme spatial fragmentation has been replicated inside Israel's vast prison system - at least until the more recent mass kidnappings and torture of Palestinian hostages, primarily from Gaza but also from the West Bank. Netanyahu's brazen display at the UN in 2023, his aim to expand the Abraham Accords at the expense of any possibility of Palestinian self-determination, the relentless atomisation of Palestinian land and society, and mass incarceration without charge, trial or hope of release - are all elements of the incendiary mix that exploded in Operation al-Aqsa Flood on 7 October 2023. No matter one's opinion of it, the stated aim of the operation was to unify a deeply fragmented Palestinian population under the banner of resistance - with the support of other resistance movements - while capturing prisoners of war and hostages to exchange for Palestinians held hostage in occupation prisons. The sentiments expressed by prisoners in the first exchanges between Israel and Hamas are so distant from western conceptions of individual personhood as to seem almost incomprehensible. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war Muhammed al-Arda, understanding all too well the enormity of the collective sacrifice involved, declared: "If you gathered all the poems, elegies, proverbs and sayings of the land, they would not do justice to Gaza." Another said: "Our freedom was paid for by the blood of the martyrs of Gaza. We owe them a debt that can never be repaid." Narrowing the frame The propaganda of so-called liberal democracies narrows the horizons of thought, severely limiting our ability to make sense of what is actually happening. When the official 9/11 Commission recommended the need to "bureaucratise imagination", it was not forecasting some future Orwellian dystopia, but describing the world we were already living in. With all the terminology used in discussing Israel and Palestine - genocide, apartheid, settler colonialism, anti-Zionism, and more - the key missing words remain "imperialism" and "national liberation". Trump's Middle East moves revive the question of who's in charge Read More » We cannot, for instance, even speak about Palestinian armed resistance - their political or military strategies, successes or failures - without first making a disclaimer of some kind. Under the standards his administration has set for ordinary civilians, it would seem that President Donald Trump's own team should be charged with consorting with "terrorists", as they negotiated the release of dual US-Israeli citizen and soldier Edan Alexander. The absurdities abound and multiply, as does the impunity: mere hours after Alexander's release, the Israelis assassinated journalist Hassan Eslaih, reducing to rubble the hospital where he was being treated after a previous assassination attempt. They went on to execute 12-year-old Mohammed Bardawil, the sole surviving witness to the actions of Major Nikolai Ashurov and Israeli tanks during the execution of UN field security supervisor Kamal Shatout, during the massacre of 15 Palestinian paramedics and other civilians on 23 March 2025. Since Alexander's release, the litany of new weapons tests, executions, forced displacement to new kill zones, systematic hospital destruction, and the use of starvation as a tool of genocide has continued apace. Breaking the spell As the "two-state solution" fades further into fantasy in the minds of western leaders - buying time for Israel to steal more Palestinian land, destroy more homes, and displace and kill more people - it might be time to open the floodgates of imagination. While many credit student movements and public opinion with ending the US war in Vietnam, the more decisive factor - rarely acknowledged - was the insubordination of US soldiers. Urban uprisings also pulled the National Guard away from overseas deployment. How many more generations will be enslaved to guard the imperial front of US interests, upholding a totalitarian, colonial ideology that dominates their lives? In Vietnam, whole units were known to refuse orders, sabotage operations, and refuse to engage in combat. "Fragging" - the use of fragmentation grenades against overzealous officers - was not limited to a few isolated cases. One book alone, Fragging: Why US Soldiers Assaulted Their Officers in Vietnam, documents 500 such incidents. We have become so accustomed to self-incriminating social media posts by Israeli soldiers - cheering the demolition of homes, mosques, hospitals, schools and universities; prancing around in women's clothing in vandalised and destroyed homes - that it is almost impossible to conjure anything else. But can we even imagine these same soldiers refusing orders, let alone bearing arms against their commanding officers or staging a revolt? How many "existential" wars will they be expected to fight? How many more generations will be enslaved to guard the imperial front of US interests, upholding a totalitarian, colonial ideology that dominates nearly every aspect of their lives - and every aspect of Palestinian life? Once there was "denazification"; then came "de-Baathification". Did they work? What about "de-Zionisation"? Could it work? Could we even imagine a democratic Palestine, from the river to the sea? Is this genocide yet another attempt to forestall that inevitability - by etching irreversible traumas into bodies and minds? From Balfour to the present As we travel down the road of Sykes-Picot 2.0 - with Syria's newly installed regime negotiating with Israel, and Lebanon on the path to becoming a protectorate - we are witnessing the culmination of processes set in motion by the 1917 Balfour Declaration. These processes were vividly imagined in Abdelrahman Munif's Cities of Salt, and most cogently analysed in Ghassan Kanafani's The Revolution of 1936–1939 in Palestine, written in the shadow of the Naksa, the 1967 "setback" and what has come to be known as Black September. Kanafani's text, as Palestinian editor and educator Hazem Jamjoum has noted, "has everything to do with the imperialist victory over the Arab and internationalist liberation movements in the 1970-1971 war in Jordan." As if written today, Kanafani notes in his introduction: "In the years 1936–39, the Palestinian revolutionary movement was dealt a devastating blow by the three formations that have since evolved to become the major forces working against the people of Palestine: reactionary Palestinian leaders, Arab regimes surrounding Palestine, and the alliance between Zionism and imperialism." As the US shores up support among Gulf oil and other Arab regimes while silencing dissent on imperial policies regarding genocide and famine in Gaza, and as Mahmoud Abbas's collaboration forces repress uprisings in the West Bank, what has actually changed? We are at a crossroads. The forces arrayed against justice in and for Palestine remain largely the same, though their firepower and technological reach have expanded dramatically, as shown by the entourage of CEOs accompanying Trump to Saudi Arabia, including Palantir's openly genocidal Alex Karp. But Palestinian resistance must not only be further understood, it must be embraced by anyone who hopes to retain earthly and spiritual value while rejecting the despair and nihilism spreading across the political and cultural spectrum. Israel and its western allies have made their choice unmistakably clear: total destruction, mass population transfer, genocide, and full compliance with their agenda. Most Arab regimes have also chosen to lavish Trump with gifts while offering not a single loaf of bread for Gaza. As the lines are drawn, the question remains: who else will join the struggle for justice, and what form will it take? The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
