Gulf News Cybersecurity Forum 2025 gets under way today

The Gulf News Cybersecurity Forum 2025 opens today bringing together regional leaders and experts for an in-depth exploration of the technologies, threats, and strategies shaping the future of digital security.

As organisations across the UAE accelerate digital transformation, the forum arrives at a crucial moment, offering insights into how businesses can strengthen resilience in an increasingly complex cyber landscape.

The event at the Taj Exotica Resort & Spa on Palm Jumeirah will tackle some of the industry’s most urgent questions: How is AI transforming both attack and defence? What governance frameworks can enable organisations to stay ahead of regulatory demands? And what tools and strategies are needed to secure data, infrastructure, and communication systems in real time?

The first panel of the afternoon will examine how organisations can translate AI-driven initiatives into measurable business outcomes. The discussion will explore frameworks for setting objectives, evaluating performance, and presenting AI-related investments in a way that supports strategic decision-making at the executive level.

A dedicated focus session will look at the emerging risks and opportunities that accompany rapid advancements in AI.  The forum then continues with “New Cyber Era: Challenges and Opportunities,” a panel centred on the shifting cyber landscape. With factors such as geopolitical tension, evolving regulations, and the proliferation of new technologies shaping the threat environment, the discussion will address how organisations and nations can build robust defences and leverage innovation to stay ahead.

Another focus session, “Phishing in the Age of AI,” will examine how cybercriminals are using AI to launch more sophisticated social-engineering campaigns, and what countermeasures businesses can adopt to protect users and critical systems.

Later in the programme, the panel “Resilience and Trust That Ignites Cyber Confidence” will explore how AI is reshaping organisational resilience. The session will consider how automation, threat intelligence, and human-centric strategies can come together to strengthen trust, enhance detection capabilities, and support long-term protection.

This will be followed by “Future of Email Systems and Security,” a panel looking at one of the most persistent entry points for cyberattacks. Despite the evolution of security tools, email remains a primary route for breaches. The panel will discuss emerging threats, adaptive strategies, and best practices that organisations can implement to safeguard communication channels.

The event concludes with a fireside chat titled “The Quantum Leap in Defense,” which will delve into the next stage of cyber innovation, including the role of quantum-enabled technologies and AI-driven security architectures.

The Gulf News Cyber Forum is supported by its Gold Sponsors, Mindfire Technologies and Check Point, and its Support Sponsors, Finesse, Norton Rose Fulbright, Redington, and SimuPhish.

Speaker lineup

• James Wiles, Head of Cyber Security, Middle East & Africa, Cigna Group

• Philip Westgarth, Group CISO, Network International

• Sreedhar Suragouni, Group Chief Operations & Technology Officer, Sukoon Insurance

• Sayantan Dev, Global Head, Software Solutions Group, Redington Group

• Lambotharan Sellavel, Group Financial Planning Analyst, Triliv Holdings

• Vasily Dyagilev, Regional Director, GCC, Saudi & RCIS, Checkpoint

• Sagar Sethi, SVP & Head of Information Security Risk Governance & International Security, First Abu Dhabi Bank

• Vijay Velayutham, Principal Information Security Officer, Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure, UAE

• Hussain Al Khalsan, Chief Information Security Officer, Zand

• Shabnam Karim, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright

• Ashwani Kumar, Key Account Manager, Sales & Strategic Accounts, SimuPhish

• Andrew Holliday, Group Chief Information Security Officer, Petrofac

• Pradeep Krishnan Nair, Vice President IT Security, Finesse

• Lou Bouchet, Head of Cybersecurity, JETEX

• Rejeesh Kumar, CTO, Mindfire Technologies

• Abhinav Kumar Shrivastava, Associate Vice President, Information Security, NMC Healthcare

• Parthasarathy Muthukrishnan, Head of Information Security & Cybersecurity, Deem Finance

• Sukesh Govindan. CEO, TENX Properties LLC

• Binoy Balakrishnan, Head of Information Security, AW Rostamani Group

Moderators: Peter Ling; Anoop Kumar, Head of Information Security & GRC, Gulf News; Aditya Kaushik, CIO, ZMI Holdings; Faisal Khan, Associate Director, Information Security & Compliance, Dubai World Trade Centre