The Security Middle East Conference Catch-up: The Keynote Speakers

The Security Middle East Conference Catch-up: The Keynote Speakers

We had our inaugural conference in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia on the 9th May 2023, featuring keynote speakers discussing important topics, panels exploring what matters to C-suite executives and sponsors networking with other security professionals on the day.

On the day, we had three keynote speakers that shared their insights into ways that businesses need to be prepared for the Saudi Vision 2030, the growth of the Cybersecurity Market and how to build a business without falling victim to common problems within Saudi Arabia.

The day begun with Abdulrahman Al Fadhel, formerly a manager of Saudi Aramco’s largest and most complex refineries, discussing the importance of working with Security Services to ensure the smooth running of such refineries. Abdulrahman discussed the inner workings of these businesses and the incredible cost that goes into maintaining them. Through recalling his experiences, he conveyed the importance of properly running these refineries to save lives and establish the backbone of the Saudi Arabian economy.

Our second keynote, was that of Steven Kenny, from Axis Communications. Steven Kenny discussed the importance of cybersecurity, and how any piece of technology which is part of a company’s wi-fi, if not protected, can cost that company hundreds of millions of dollars. Kenny explored a case study, in which a disgruntled seventeen year-old crippled global telecoms company TalkTalk by hacking them and costing them hundreds of millions, simply because he could.

The final keynote speaker of the day, was that of Salman Alghamdi, who discussed the journey of a business. Industrial Transformation and ‘Change Management’ were key concepts that Alghamdi explored, discussing how businesses need to be aware of the smallest details of their operations during a period of transformation, such as the one Saudi Arabia currently faces.

Find out more about the Conference speakers in our previous article written before the event, alternatively check out the Conference website for more.