World’s third largest cybersecurity event enters a new era at Dubai Exhibition Centre with expanded global footprint, flagship leadership summit and new quantum security agenda
Artificial intelligence is transforming the global cybersecurity landscape, strengthening cyber defences while simultaneously enabling faster, more sophisticated attacks. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026, 94% of organisations expect AI to be the biggest driver of cybersecurity change over the coming year, while 87% identify AI-related vulnerabilities as the fastest-growing cyber risk.
Against this backdrop, GISEC Global 2026, organised by inD, a joint venture between the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and Informa, enters a new chapter at Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai, from 16–18 September 2026 under the theme ‘Cyber First: The New Digital Order.’
GISEC Global, the world’s third largest cybersecurity event and the Middle East & Africa’s most influential cybersecurity platform, will open its 15th edition this month having expanded 20 percent year-on-year, reflecting increasing international demand for cybersecurity innovation, collaboration and investment.
Hosted and endorsed by the UAE Cyber Security Council, Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC), Ministry of Interior and Dubai Police, GISEC Global 2026 will bring together more than 25,000 cybersecurity professionals, 750+ exhibiting brands, 350+ expert speakers and participants from 180+ countries to address the defining cybersecurity challenges shaping the future of the global digital economy.
H.E. Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of the UAE Cyber Security Council, said:
“Artificial intelligence, geopolitical instability and the rapid evolution of digital technologies are fundamentally reshaping the cybersecurity landscape. As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated and interconnected, no single nation or organisation can address these challenges alone.
The UAE is committed to fostering international collaboration, advancing cyber resilience and building trusted digital ecosystems that enable innovation and sustainable economic growth. GISEC Global 2026 will bring together governments, industry and the global cybersecurity community to develop practical solutions that help safeguard our shared digital future.”
H.E. Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, Chief Executive of the Dubai Electronic Security Center said:
“GISEC Global has consistently been an important platform for DESC to engage with the cybersecurity community, exchange expertise and advance Dubai’s cyber resilience. This year, we are building on that momentum with the second editions of two of our flagship competitions, the Dubai Cyber Challenge – Government Edition, and the School of Cyber Defense, giving university students across the UAE an opportunity to demonstrate and develop their skills. Together, they reflect our continued investment in strengthening cyber capabilities at every level, from developing the next generation of talent to advancing the skills of professionals safeguarding our government entities.
Our participation this year will also go beyond the competitions, with new initiatives and developments that reflect DESC’s continued focus on anticipating emerging challenges and strengthening Dubai’s cybersecurity ecosystem. We look forward to unveiling more at GISEC Global 2026.”
Trixie LohMirmand, Executive Vice President, inD, said:
“The digital economy can only thrive if it is built on trust, resilience and secure innovation. Today, cybersecurity is no longer solely a technology issue. It is fundamental to economic growth, national resilience and international competitiveness.
“At a time when cyber threats are no longer isolated IT issues but direct challenges to economies, sovereignty and public trust, GISEC Global becomes a critical platform that helps nations strengthen resilience, accelerate capability, and connect with the world’s foremost cybersecurity leaders.”
Cyber First: A new era of cybersecurity leadership
Reflecting cybersecurity’s growing role in national resilience, economic competitiveness and digital trust, GISEC Global 2026 introduces Cyber First as its overarching strategic theme and thought leadership platform, recognising that cybersecurity has evolved beyond a technical discipline to become a boardroom, government and national priority.
At the heart of Cyber First is the new Cyber First Leadership Summit, which will bring together ministers, national cyber authorities, global CISOs and technology leaders to examine the geopolitical impact of artificial intelligence, digital sovereignty, nation-state cyber threats and the resilience of tomorrow’s digital economies.
Confirmed speakers include H.E. Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of the UAE Cyber Security Council; Subra Kumaraswamy, SVP & CISO, VISA, USA, Alex Attumalil, Global CISO, Under Armour (USA); and Roeland Delrue, Co-founder & COO, Aikido Security (Belgium), with additional international government leaders.
The expanded conference programme reflects a rapidly evolving cyber landscape, where artificial intelligence, quantum computing, dual-use technologies, geopolitical instability and critical infrastructure resilience are reshaping the global security agenda.
What’s coming up at GISEC Global 2026
Building on the Cyber First agenda, this year’s edition’s expanded conference programme reflects the changing nature of cyber risk and the growing importance of cybersecurity in national resilience, economic competitiveness and digital trust.
Alongside the Cyber First Leadership Summit, the new National Defence & Sovereign Cyber Track will explore cyber resilience through a national security lens, while the Quantum Security Summit, which is hosted by UAE Cyber Security Council and Technology Innovation Institute will prepare governments and organisations for the transition to the post-quantum era.
The programme also introduces the Global Quantum Drill, evolving the former Global Cyber Drill into what is planned to be the world’s largest quantum readiness exercise, alongside an expanded Government Programme hosted by DESC and the UAE Cyber Security Council. Dedicated conference stages will explore operational technology (OT) security, critical infrastructure protection, cyber diplomacy, ethical hacking, AI-powered cyber defence, cloud security and workforce development.
The exhibition will feature global technology leaders, cloud hyperscalers and cybersecurity innovators including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, Huawei, EDGE, CPX Holding, CyberKnight and Spire Solutions, alongside hundreds of international companies showcasing the latest advances in cyber resilience, AI-enabled defence and secure digital transformation.
Corey Deng, Chief Security Officer of Huawei Middle East & Central Asia, said: “The new digital order is fundamentally changing what cybersecurity means. 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. GISEC GLOBAL is an important platform for bringing together the leaders shaping this future, and Huawei is proud to contribute to this dialogue through our vision of ‘Embedded Intelligence, Built-in Resilience’ and our experience in building secure, resilient, and intelligent infrastructure.”
Strengthening global cyber resilience
As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated and artificial intelligence accelerates both opportunity and risk, international collaboration has never been more important.
GISEC Global provides a platform where governments, industry and academia come together to exchange knowledge, strengthen partnerships and develop practical solutions to protect critical infrastructure, secure digital transformation and build more resilient economies.
The event also supports the ambitions of the Dubai Cyber Security Strategy, the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, the Digital Economy Strategy and We the UAE 2031, reinforcing the UAE’s commitment to secure digital transformation and international cyber cooperation.
