9th September, 2025 | Address Sky View Dubai, UAE
AI-Powered Cybersecurity: Precision, Prediction, Protection

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Supporting Partners
The Groundbreaking Cyber AI Summit Returns for a Power-Packed Second Edition
Following the resounding success of its inaugural edition, the Cyber AI Summit & Awards 2025 returns for its second chapter as the Middle East’s premier cybersecurity conference focused exclusively on the transformative power of AI in combating AI-driven cyber threats. As a flagship event of QNA’s renowned Security Conclave Series, this highly anticipated edition continues to set new benchmarks in cyber innovation, resilience, and strategic foresight. This landmark gathering will once again bring together over 200 senior Cybersecurity and IT leaders from across the UAE. Meticulously curated, the summit is designed to deliver practical insights and strategic frameworks that empower participants to build robust AI-enabled offensive and defensive cybersecurity capabilities in an increasingly complex digital threat landscape.
The Region’s Definitive AI & Cybersecurity Platform
Now in its second edition, the Cyber AI Summit & Awards 2025 has firmly established itself as the region’s definitive platform for advancing cutting-edge strategies to fortify enterprise cyber defences amid rising AI-enabled threats. This exclusive B2B event fosters high-impact engagement between top-tier Cyber AI solution providers and key decision-makers. Through expert-led sessions, real-world case studies, and immersive networking opportunities, attendees will gain critical knowledge on leveraging AI to stay ahead of rapidly evolving cyber adversaries.
speakers

H.E DR. MOHAMED
AL KUWAITI

Head of Cybersecurity,
Government of UAE

Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti is the Head of Cybersecurity for the UAE Government and Chairman of the UAE Cybersecurity Council. A global cybersecurity leader, he drives national strategy, AI integration, and international collaboration. Under his leadership, the UAE rose to 5th in the ITU Cybersecurity Index. He lectures at leading universities and speaks at major global cyber forums.

Dr. Nader Ghazal

Chairman,
African-Asian Council for AI & Cybersecurity,
CAAAIC

Dr. Nader Ghazal is Chairman of the African-Asian Council for AI & Cybersecurity and a member of the Global AI Forum Advisory Board. With a Ph.D. in AI (1991) and 30+ years in academia, consulting, and government advisory, he lectures at Khalifa University and serves global organizations in AI strategy, digital transformation, and public policy.

Dr. Najwa Aaraj

CEO,
Technology Innovation Institute (TII)

Dr. Najwa Aaraj is CEO of the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), leading advanced research in cryptography, robotics, and AI. With a PhD from Princeton, she brings 18+ years of global experience in cybersecurity and embedded systems. Previously with DarkMatter and IBM, she serves on advisory boards and has earned awards for research excellence and leadership in tech innovation. 

Dr. Abrar Abdulnabi

Director of Artificial Intelligence,
Saal.ai a Subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Capital Group

Dr. Abrar Abdulnabi is Director of Artificial Intelligence at Saal.ai, where she leads the development of advanced AI solutions across sectors including education, healthcare, and law enforcement. She holds a PhD in AI from NTU Singapore and has deep expertise in NLP, computer vision, and generative models. She also advises UAE universities and contributes to AI-powered public sector innovation.

Lt. Colonel.
DR. ESSA AL MUTAWA

Assistant Commander for Smart Services,
Dubai Civil Defence H.Q.

Lt. Colonel Dr. Essa Almutawa is Assistant Commander for Smart Services at Dubai Civil Defense, where he leads AI integration, inspection governance, and strategic innovation. As Chief AI Officer, he champions digital transformation in public safety, driving advancements in crisis management and fire prevention. His leadership has positioned DCD as a regional benchmark in AI-powered emergency response.

Enrique Hernandez

Cybercrime Operations Assistant Director,
INTERPOL

Enrique Hernandez is an official of the Spanish National Police, currently serving as the Assistant Director of Cybercrime Operations at INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate. Before joining INTERPOL, he worked in the Central Cybercrime Unit of the Spanish National Police for 10 years, specializing in most types of cybercrime, such as cyberattacks, Business Email compromise or online scams, while leading major investigations, at both national and international level against organized crime groups. He was also the point of contact in international working groups leaded by major organizations, such as INTERPOL or Europol, and took part in several international trainings organized by the Spanish Police as an expert in cybercrime. Before joining the Central Cybercrime Unit, he also worked for the Regional Anti-Drugs Trafficking Unit, in Barcelona, and in the Central Economic Crimes Units, in Madrid. He joined INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate in December 2021, as the Head of the Cybercrime Operations Unit, leading and coordinating task forces and major joint investigations involving INTERPOL’s 196 countries, with the objective of preventing, detecting, investigating and disrupting cybercrime. In March 2024 he was promoted to Assistant Director Cybercrime Operations.

Dr Victor Mateu

Chief Researcher of the Cryptography Research Center,
Technology Innovation Institute (TII)

Dr. Ebrahim Al Alkeem Al Zaabi

National Risk and Policy Director,
UAE (NAMLCFTC)

Dr. Ebrahim Al Alkeem is National Risk & Policy Director for AML/CTF and a leading expert in AI and cybersecurity with 19+ years of experience. A Ph.D. holder and published scholar, he’s an influential speaker at global forums and serves on multiple advisory boards. His work bridges policy, technology, and innovation across international AI and financial crime prevention communities.

Faiz Shuja

CEO & Co-founder,
SIRP

Faiz is the co-founder and CEO of SIRP, an AI-native cybersecurity platform redefining how organizations respond to threats. With more than two decades of hands-on experience building and scaling SOCs across the Middle East and beyond, he has led innovations in security automation, incident response, and most recently AI SecOps — a new category where autonomous agents reason, learn, and act to secure enterprises at machine speed. Faiz brings a practitioner’s perspective: having scaled a 300-person MSSP, worked closely with enterprise CISOs, and now pioneering the shift from automation to autonomy in security operations.

Amna Alblooki

Acting Gov Information Security Executive Director,
Department of Government Enablement

Amna Alblooki is the Acting Executive Director of Government Information Security, leading Abu Dhabi’s cybersecurity strategy, compliance, and risk management. She has driven maturity across government entities through unified frameworks, awareness campaigns, and federal alignment. Known for her strategic leadership, Amna actively collaborates with local and federal stakeholders to enhance resilience, governance, and preparedness against emerging cyber threats.

Prof. Elizabeth Churchill

Department Chair and Professor of Human Computer Interaction (HCI),
Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence

Professor Elizabeth Churchill is a leading expert in Human-Computer Interaction with over 30 years of experience across academia and industry, including roles at Google, Yahoo, and PARC. Now at MBZUAI, her work focuses on human-centered AI. An ACM Fellow and award-winning leader, she combines psychology, AI, and UX to explore technology’s social and ethical impacts.

Dr. Federico Castanedo

Director,
Applied AI, G42

Dr. Federico Castanedo is an experienced AI leader, formerly Director of Applied AI at Inception (G42). He has held key roles at DataRobot, Vodafone, and co-founded WiseAthena. A PhD in AI and Computer Science, he’s also a visiting researcher at Stanford and adjunct professor at IE University, with deep expertise in applied machine learning and data science.

Prof. Boulbaba Ben Amor

Director of AI for Good,
Inception a G42 company

Prof. Boulbaba Ben Amor is Director of AI for Good at Inception (G42) and Full Professor (on sabbatical) at IMT Nord Europe, France. A Fulbright Scholar and senior IEEE member, he holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science and has led pioneering work in AI and cybersecurity, including founding France’s top-ranked “Cybersecurity Engineering” postgraduate program.

Noura Al Sulaimani

Director of Digital and Technology Services at Masdar,
Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company

Noura Al Sulaimani is Director of Digital and Technology Services at Masdar, leading digital transformation, IT strategy, and cybersecurity. With 19+ years of cross-sector tech leadership, she has driven innovation through emerging technologies and governance frameworks. Noura holds a Master’s in Security and Cryptology from Université de Grenoble and has earned multiple awards for excellence in cybersecurity and digital innovation.

Mohamed Bin Thani

Manager of Information Technology Security,
DESC

Colonel Dr. HAMAD KHALIFA AL NUAIMI

Head of Telecommunication, Infrastructure Department,
ICT Center,
Abu Dhabi Police GHQ

Colonel. Hamad Khalifa Al Nuaimi is Head of the Telecommunication Infrastructure Department at Abu Dhabi Police GHQ. A leading expert in secure communications, he drives innovation in ICT infrastructure to enhance law enforcement capabilities. With a focus on smart policing, digital resilience, and public safety, he plays a vital role in advancing the UAE’s security ecosystem.

Vijay Velayutham

Principal Information Security Officer,
Cyber Security Unit,
Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure

Vijay Velayutham is a strategic cybersecurity leader with 25 years of IT experience, including 18 in cybersecurity, governance, and risk. As Principal Information Security Officer at the UAE Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure, he drives enterprise-wide cyber resilience. A trusted advisor to boards and C-suites, he is CISSP, CISA, CRISC, CISM, CCSP, and CCSK certified, and a frequent industry speaker.

Bader Al Zyoud

Head of IS Governance & Risk,
Abu Dhabi Media

Bader Zyoud is a visionary cybersecurity leader with expertise in threat intelligence, SOC management, AI-driven security, and risk governance. With a career spanning government, finance, and media, he has led major cyber resilience programs. Currently driving security operations and digital transformation, he’s known for integrating AI and compliance into future-ready frameworks. A frequent speaker and trusted industry voice.

Shafiullah Ismail

Senior Vice President ,
Information Security,
Mubadala Capital

Shafiullah Ismail is a senior cybersecurity leader with 16+ years of experience driving digital security transformation. He has led mission-critical projects and shaped key strategies across sectors. A certified CISSP, CISA, CISM, and CGEIT, he is an award-winning CISO recognized by IDC and GEC for advancing cybersecurity as a business enabler and protecting critical information assets.

Hussain Al Khalsan

Chief Information Security Officer (CISO),
Zand

Hussain Al Khalsan joined Zand as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) in June 2019. In his role, he oversees and manages the Cyber Security Programme of Zand. He is a seasoned professional with 18 years of experience in IT Security, Information Security and Cyber Security within the banking and financial services industry.

Amit Roy

VP & Global Sales Head,
Cybersecurity Services,
Atos

Amit Roy heads Atos’s Cybersecurity Practice for Middle-East,Turkey and Africa (META) regions. In this capacity, he is responsible for driving the Cybersecurity business strategy, growth and revenue for the region and is committed to provide value delivery towards customer’s unique cybersecurity challenges. Amit is engaged with several Cyber Security forums in the region, providing latest insights in Cyber Security and related topics. Amit also leads the Atos growth strategy to drive Cybersecurity Services across the globe. In his 20 years of leadership roles in Senior Management, Sales, Growth and business operations, Amit has gained strong competencies in business strategy, sales & marketing, business alliances and building strong customer led teams that achieve business goals and meeting customer requirements.

Luqman Kondeth

Director,
Campus Technology Security Services, NYU Abu Dhabi

Azeem Aleem

Executive Director - Cyber Resilience Services,
CPX

Khalifa Mohamed Alhammadi

Manager,
CPX

Gregg Petersen

Senior Regional Director,
Cohesity

Yasir El kabbany

Senior Regional Director MiddleEast, N.Africa and Levant,
CompTIA

Sharwan Kumar    

Chief Executive Officer,
Cybersigma Cyber Security Consultancy L.L.C

Paul Mathew

Cybersecurity and AI Expert,
Partner,
QNA Consult

Manish Mimani

Founder & CEO,
Protectt Ai Labs

Laura Denkhaus

Chief Marketing Officer,
Just Experts

Daniel Stroh

MD,
Just Experts

AGENDA
11:00 – 12:00
Arrival, Welcome Refreshments & Networking
12:00 – 12:05
Welcome Note by MC and Conference Manager
12:05 – 12:20
Opening Remarks: AI as National Infrastructure – Securing Digital Sovereignty
Speaker: H.E Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity Council of UAE
12:20 – 12:35
Keynote 1: From Prediction to Prevention: How AI Is Rewriting Disaster Response
Speaker: Lt. Colonel. Dr. Essa Al Mutawa, Dubai Civil Defense H.Q.
12:35 – 13:10
Panel Discussion 1: The Deepfake Dilemma – Securing Identity in the Age of Synthetic Media
Panelists
  • Dr Victor Mateu – Chief Researcher of the Cryptography Research Center, Technology Innovation Institute (TII)
  • Amna Alblooki – Acting Gov Information Security Executive Director, DGE
  • Enrique Hernandez – Cybercrime Director, Interpol
  • Mohamed Bin Thani – Manager Information Security, DESC

Moderator:

  • Bader Al Zyoud – Head of IS Governance & Risk, Abu Dhabi Media
13:10 – 13:25
Keynote 2: CISO 2.0 – Securely Steering the Agentic AI Revolution
Speaker: Amit Roy, VP & Global Sales Head, Cybersecurity Services, Atos
13:25 – 13:40
Keynote 3: ROI of CyberAI – Measuring Value, Risk, and Enterprise Impact
Speaker: Khalifa Mohamed Alhammadi, Manager, CPX
13:40 – 13:55
Presentation: Bridging the Cybersecurity Skills Gap Al’s Dual Role in Defense and Threat
Speaker: Yasir El kabbany, Senior Regional Director MiddleEast, N.Africa and Levant, CompTIA
13:55 – 14:35
Panel Discussion 2: Building an AI-Driven SOC – From Detection to Autonomous Response
Panelists
  • Hussain Al Khalsan – CISO, Zand
  • Vijay Velayutham – Principal Information Security Officer,Cyber Security Unit, Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure
  • Luqman Kondeth – Director, Campus Technology Security Services, NYU Abu Dhabi
  • Faiz Shuja – CEO & Co-founder, SIRP
  • Azeem Aleem – Executive Director, Cyber Resilience Services, CPX
Moderator:
  • Paul Mathew – Cybersecurity and AI Expert, Partner, QNA Consult
14:35 – 14:50
Presentation: Redefining Cybersecurity with Generative AI: Threats and Opportunities
Speaker: Dr. Nader Ghazal, Chairman – CAAAIC
14:50 – 15:05
Presentation: From Automation to Autonomy: The Birth of AI SecOps
Speaker: Faiz Shuja, CEO & Co-founder, SIRP
15:05 – 15:25
Networking Coffee Break
15:25 – 15:40
Keynote 4: : AI-Powered Data Security
Speaker: Gregg Petersen, Senior Regional Director, Cohesity
15:40 – 15:55
Keynote 5: The New Paradigm of Digital Security in the Era of Mobile Apps & AI
Speaker: Manish Mimani, Founder & CEO, Protectt Ai Labs
15:55 – 16:05
QNA Consult Launch
  • Paul Mathew – Cyber Security, Quantum and AI Expert, Partner, QNA Consult
  • Ankit Shukla – Managing Director & Partner, QNA Consult
16:05 – 16:40
Startup Spotlight Pitches
  • Startup 1 – Plugnpl.ai
  • Startup 2 – Ai Security
  • Startup 3 – Pentix
16:40 – 17:15
Panel Discussion 3: Humans vs. Machines – Who Should Control Cyber Defense?
Panelists
  • Prof. Elizabeth Churchill – Department Chair and Professor of Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Mohamed Bin Zayed University for AI
  • Prof. Boulbaba Ben Amor – Director of AI for Good, Inception (G42)
  • Shafiullah Ismail – Senior Vice President, Information Security, Mubadala Capital
  • Noura Al Sulaimani –Director of Digital and Technology Services, Masdar
  • Yasir El kabbany – Senior Regional Director MiddleEast, N.Africa and Levant, CompTIA
Moderator:
  • Paul Mathew – Cybersecurity and AI Expert, Partner, QNA Consult
17:15 – 17:40
Panel Discussion 4: Global Cyber Deterrence with AI – Cooperation or Cold War?
Panelists
  • Colonel. Dr. Hamad Khalifa Al Nuaimi – Head of Telecommunication, Infrastructure Department, ICT Center Abu Dhabi Police GHQ
  • Dr. Abrar Abdulnabi – Director of Artificial Intelligence, Saal.ai (Abu Dhabi Capital Group)
  • Dr. Ebrahim Al Alkeem Al Zaabi – National Risk and Policy Director, UAE NAMLCFTC
  • Dr. Federico Castanedo – Director, Applied AI, G42
  • Sharwan Kumar – Chief Executive Officer, Cybersigma
Moderator:
  • Paul Mathew – Cybersecurity and AI Expert, Partner, QNA Consult
17:40 – 17:50
Slido Quiz
17:50 – 18:00
Closing remarks
18:00 – 19:00
Networking
19:00 – 21:00
Awards Ceremony
Why Sponsor?

Sponsoring the Cyber AI Summit and Awards offers:

Unmatched visibility at the Middle East’s first AI-focused cybersecurity summit

Direct access to 200+ senior cyber and IT professionals from leading UAE organisations

An exceptional opportunity to showcase your solutions to a highly targeted, decision-making audience

A leadership position as a brand of choice in AI-powered cyber defence and innovation

Strategic networking and partnerships with top-tier cybersecurity
stakeholders

Opportunities to drive business growth in a fast-evolving, AI-driven threat landscape

A key role in shaping the future of cybersecurity by being part of a visionary platform

Strategic networking and partnerships with top-tier cybersecurity
stakeholders

sponsors

Gold Sponsor

Silver Sponsor

Certification Sponsor

Bronze Sponsor

Lanyard Sponsor

Startup Innovation
Partner

AI Startups

WHY ATTEND?
Connect with 200+ senior Cyber & IT leaders from across the UAE and the region

Discover cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions from top-tier technology providers

Engage in focused B2B meetings in dedicated meeting and network areas

Connect with 200+ senior Cyber & IT leaders from across the UAE and the region

Discover cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions from top-tier technology providers

Engage in focused B2B meetings at the dedicated networking and meeting area
Gain insights from 5+ hours of expert-led conference sessions and discussions
Participate in an Gala Dinner with industry decision-makers and thought leaders
Gain insights from 5+ hours of expert-led conference sessions and discussions
Participate in a gala dinner with industry decision-makers and thought leaders
Who You Will Meet?
Join an exclusive gathering of 200+ senior professionals from across the Middle East’s cybersecurity ecosystem. This high-impact summit brings together key decision-makers and influencers shaping the future of AI-powered cyber defence.
Attendees will include:
  • Ministers
  • Government Officials
  • Chief Information Security Officers
  • Chief Security Officers
  • Chief Information Officers
  • Chief Risk Officers
  • Chief Legal Officers
  • Chief Technology Officers
Directors / VPs / Heads of:
  • Information Security
  • Network Security
  • Cloud Security
  • Cyber Security
  • IT Governance
  • IT Risk
  • SCADA
  • Compliance, Assurance & Fraud
  • Security Enterprise
  • Data Governance / Security / Protection
  • Cyber Forensics
  • Identity and Access Management
  • OT / ICS
Using AI to quantify cyber risk and streamline GRC (Governance, Risk & Compliance).

Preparing cybersecurity teams with AI-readiness and next-gen skills

Reimagining Zero Trust Architecture in an AI-driven environment.

For more information please contact:

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