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Black Hat Middle East and Africa

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Coordinates: 25°15′5.8″N 46°23′12.98″E / 25.251611°N 46.3869389°E / 25.251611; 46.3869389
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Black Hat Middle East and Africa
StatusActive
GenreCybersecurity & hacking
VenueRiyadh Exhibition and Convention Center, Malham, Saudi Arabia
Location(s)Riyadh
Coordinates25°15′5.8″N 46°23′12.98″E / 25.251611°N 46.3869389°E / 25.251611; 46.3869389
CountrySaudi Arabia
Inaugurated28–30 November 2021
FoundersSAFCSP, Tahaluf
Most recent26-28 November 2024
Attendance25000+ (2021), 40,000+ (2023)
Websiteblackhatmea.com

Black Hat Middle East and Africa, formerly @HACK, is a three-day cybersecurity and hacking convention held annually in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during Riyadh Season. It is one of the largest conventions in its industry.[1][2][3][4]

The event is co-organised by the Saudi Federation For Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), and Tahaluf, an Informa company. It is designed in association with the Black Hat Team.[5][6][7]

History

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The first event took place from 28–30 November 2021 at Riyadh Front Expo Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The inaugural edition attracted over 25,000 attendees, 250 cybersecurity exhibitors, 50 expert ethical hackers, and many Black Hat trainers. The event also featured two contests, Capture The Flag and Bug Bounty.[8][9][10][11]

Following the 2021 event, @HACK was rebranded as Black Hat Middle East and Africa and relaunched under this name in 2022.[12] The first event of Black Hat MEA was held from 15th – 17th November 2022 at Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center (RFECC) in Saudi Arabia.[13][14][15] This edition welcomed 30,000+ visitors at the event and hosted over 250 exhibitors and more than 200 speakers.[16][17]

The second edition of the event took place at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center (RFECC) in Saudi Arabia from 14th – 16th November 2023 under the tagline 'Infosec on the Edge.'[18][19] The event was attended by over 40.000 infosec or cybersecurity professionals and featured more than 300 speakers and exhibitors from over 120 countries.[18][20] The line-up included CISOs from Huawei, Netflix, Uber, Airbus, FBI and Zoom.[18][21] The event also featured the youngest-ever speaker, 13-year-old Marco Liberale, with a session on ransomware.[22]

The 2023 edition of Black Hat MEA introduced an Investor Programme with over 80 investors seeking opportunities in cybersecurity startups.[23][24] These new initiatives complemented Black Hat MEA’s existing tournaments and a cybersecurity-focused Activity Zone, sponsored by NEOM in the 2023 edition, with prize funds of up to SAR 1,000,000.[24][25][26][27]

Black Hat MEA 2024, the third edition of the event, is set to take place from 26 to 28 November 2024.[15]

Speakers and sponsors

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Over the various editions the speaking panel has included many executives, government officials, and sportspersons, including Jayson E. Street, Jenny Radcliffe, Bruce Schneier,[28][29] Kurt Sanger, Alissa Abdullah, Magda Lilia Chelly,[30] Caleb Sima, Chris Roberts, Kim Albarella,[31] Cynthia Kaiser, Camille Vasquez, Dr. Pascal Andrei, Gary Sorrentino, Jeff Scheaffer, Chris Meenan,[26][32] CISOs of major tech companies and local government entities such as Netflix, Uber, Snap Inc, Thales Group and Ministry of Justice (KSA).[16]

Black Hat's sponsors and partners include venture capitalists, Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, education institutes and start-ups. These included IBM, Cisco, Honeywell, Fortinet, Kaspersky, Cisco, IBM, Spire and Infoblox, Haboob, Trend Micro, FlagYard, Group IB and Cipher.[28][29][27]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Saudi Arabia showcases its tech ambitions as @Hack named 'largest cybersecurity event of 2021'". December 2021.
  2. ^ "SAFCSP Partners With Black Hat Organizers To Launch @Hack Conference In Riyadh To Highlight The Global InfoSec Industry". 8 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Largest cybersecurity conference in the world kicks off in Riyadh". 29 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Israel's cyber industry quietly prospects in Riyadh". 17 December 2021.
  5. ^ "Cover Story: How Informa Markets is putting the Middle East region on the global map". 11 March 2022.
  6. ^ "Spire Solutions to support Saudi's @Hack, underpin kingdom's cybersecurity endeavour". 17 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Blackhat organizers rope in Spire Solutions as a Strategic Sponsor for @Hack in KSA". 16 November 2021.
  8. ^ "New Security Event @Hack to Take Place in Saudi Arabia". 10 June 2021.
  9. ^ "Saudi's @HACK redefines the cybersecurity landscape of the region". 2 December 2021.
  10. ^ "@HACK cybersecurity event, makes Saudi Arabia the centre of ICT security".
  11. ^ "Riyadh Season hosts @Hack as biggest cybersecurity event in region".
  12. ^ "Black Hat, region's biggest cybersecurity event, comes to Riyadh mid-November". Arab News. 2022-11-03. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  13. ^ "Riyadh hosts Mideast's first Black Hat tech event". Arab News. 2022-11-16. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  14. ^ "Google Cloud, Haboob Partner to Strengthen Saudi Arabia's Nationwide Cyber Defense with Chronicle CyberShield". spa.gov.sa. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  15. ^ a b "Black Hat Middle East & Africa 2024".
  16. ^ a b "Riyadh gears up for ultimate hack fest: Black Hat MEA 2022". www.tradearabia.com. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  17. ^ "نماذج مشرفة.. الطالب سيف الإسلام حسام يحقق المركز الثالث عالميا في مسابقة "بلاك هات" بالسعودية.. ويؤكد: 200 فريق من 35 دولة شاركوا بالتصفيات.. المنافسة كانت صعبة.. ووالدى أول من وجهنى لاستغلال طاقتى". اليوم السابع (in Arabic). 2023-01-17. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  18. ^ a b c "Black Hat MEA 2023: Riyadh gears up for global cybersecurity convergence". Arab News. 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  19. ^ "Launch of The Second Edition of The World's Fastest Growing Cybersecurity Event "Black Hat"". spa.gov.sa. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  20. ^ "Cybersecurity leader Fortinet showcases OT solutions at Black Hat MEA in Riyadh". Arab News. 2023-11-14. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  21. ^ Release, Press. "Black Hat MEA prepares for upscaled programme of activities as show witnesses huge international participation growth". www.zawya.com. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  22. ^ "How a Teenage Saudi Hacker Went From Lockpicking to Ransomware". www.darkreading.com. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  23. ^ "Award-winning Black Hat MEA Exhibition Set for Largest Edition to Date in Riyadh This November". Black Hat Middle East and Africa. 2023-10-26. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  24. ^ a b "Black Hat Concludes its 2023 Edition with Awards Worth SAR 1,000,000". www.alriyadhdaily.com. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  25. ^ "Black Hat Concludes its Second Edition with Awards Worth SAR 1,000,000". spa.gov.sa. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  26. ^ a b "Cybersecurity Event 'Black Hat' Starts Tomorrow in Riyadh". spa.gov.sa. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  27. ^ a b "Launch of the First MENA Edition of Black Hat in Riyadh – General Entertainment Authority". www.gea.gov.sa. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  28. ^ a b "Inaugural edition of Saudi's @Hack to tackle challenges of securing the digital world". 18 November 2021.
  29. ^ a b "'@Hack' conference kicks off in Saudi Arabia as cyber security experts attend". 30 November 2021.
  30. ^ "Black Hat Middle East and Africa". www.cantonfair.net. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  31. ^ "Black Hat MEA: Join the World of CyberSecurity | MAGNiTT". magnitt.com. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  32. ^ "Hollywood star Johnny Depp's defamation case litigator Camille Vasquez to speak at Riyadh event". Arab News. 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
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