Dubai Cyber Summit Expands 20 Percent; Hosts Global Security Leaders This Fall
Event expands capacity and programming to address AI, quantum threats and national cyber resilience.
GISEC Global’s 15th edition opens September 16 at Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City Dubai, arriving 20 percent larger than last year and carrying the banner “Cyber First: The New Digital Order.” The three-day conference, running through September 18, is organized by inD, a joint venture between Dubai World Trade Centre and Informa, and is hosted and endorsed by the UAE Cyber Security Council, Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC), the Ministry of Interior and Dubai Police.
The scale is considerable. More than 25,000 cybersecurity professionals are expected on site, joined by 750 exhibiting brands, 350 expert speakers and participants from 180 countries, making this the world’s third largest cybersecurity event by its own count.
The centerpiece of this year’s programme is a new Cyber First Leadership Summit, convening ministers, national cyber authorities, chief information security officers and technology leaders to examine geopolitical dimensions of artificial intelligence, digital sovereignty and nation-state threats. Confirmed speakers include Subra Kumaraswamy, senior vice president and CISO at Visa; Alex Attumalil, global CISO at Under Armour; and Roeland Delrue, co-founder and chief operating officer of Aikido Security.
Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of the UAE Cyber Security Council, framed the moment plainly. “Artificial intelligence, geopolitical instability and the rapid evolution of digital technologies are fundamentally reshaping the cybersecurity landscape,” he said. “As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated and interconnected, no single nation or organisation can address these challenges alone.”
The programme has grown to match that ambition. A new National Defence and Sovereign Cyber Track will examine cyber resilience through a national security lens. The Quantum Security Summit, hosted by the UAE Cyber Security Council and Technology Innovation Institute, will prepare governments and organizations for the post-quantum transition. New this year is the Global Quantum Drill, an evolution of the former Global Cyber Drill, positioned to become the world’s largest quantum readiness exercise.
Meanwhile, DESC is running the second editions of two domestic competitions: the Dubai Cyber Challenge for government entities and the School of Cyber Defense for university students across the UAE. Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, Chief Executive of DESC, described the platform’s value directly. “GISEC Global has consistently been an important platform for DESC to engage with the cybersecurity community, exchange expertise and advance Dubai’s cyber resilience,” he said.
The exhibition floor will feature Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Huawei, EDGE, CPX Holding, CyberKnight and Spire Solutions, among hundreds of international companies. Dedicated stages will cover operational technology security, critical infrastructure protection, cyber diplomacy, ethical hacking, AI-powered cyber defence, cloud security and workforce development.
Corey Deng, Chief Security Officer of Huawei Middle East and Central Asia, described the shift in terms of function. “As AI, cloud and digital technologies become increasingly embedded in critical operations, security must evolve beyond protection to become a foundation for intelligence and resilience,” he said.
Trixie LohMirmand, Executive Vice President of inD, tied the event to economic fundamentals. “The digital economy can only thrive if it is built on trust, resilience and secure innovation,” she said. “Today, cybersecurity is no longer solely a technology issue. It is fundamental to economic growth, national resilience and international competitiveness.”
The conference supports several UAE strategic frameworks, including the Dubai Cyber Security Strategy, the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, the Digital Economy Strategy and We the UAE 2031. Whether the Global Quantum Drill, making its debut this year, can genuinely establish itself as the world’s largest exercise of its kind is the operational question the September gathering will begin to answer.
Q&A
What is the scale and scope of GISEC Global's 15th edition?
The event runs September 16-18 at Dubai Exhibition Centre with 25,000 cybersecurity professionals expected, 750 exhibiting brands, 350 expert speakers and participants from 180 countries, representing a 20 percent increase from the previous year.
What new programming has been introduced for this year's conference?
New offerings include the Cyber First Leadership Summit for ministers and national cyber authorities, a National Defence and Sovereign Cyber Track, the Quantum Security Summit hosted by the UAE Cyber Security Council and Technology Innovation Institute, and the Global Quantum Drill, positioned as the world's largest quantum readiness exercise.
Who is organizing and hosting GISEC Global?
The event is organized by inD, a joint venture between Dubai World Trade Centre and Informa, and is hosted and endorsed by the UAE Cyber Security Council, Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC), the Ministry of Interior and Dubai Police.
What domestic competitions and capability-building initiatives are part of the conference?
DESC is running the second editions of the Dubai Cyber Challenge for government entities and the School of Cyber Defense for university students across the UAE, embedded within the broader conference platform.