ISLAMABAD: Pakistani cybersecurity firms, which attended the Black Hat Middle East and Africa (MEA) cybersecurity conference and exhibition in Riyadh this week, have expressed their hopes of attracting foreign direct investment after they signed multiple memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with companies in Saudi Arabia.
The Black Hat MEA, a three-day annual cybersecurity conference and exhibition launched in 2021, was held in Riyadh this year from Nov 14 to Nov 16. The event was organized by Tahaluf, a digital services and academic knowledge group, in collaboration with the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones (SAFCSP) under the theme, ‘Infosec on the Edge.’
The global event attracted more than 40,000 information security professionals, featured over 300 exhibitors, and hosted 300-plus world-renowned speakers from 120 countries. Four Pakistani cybersecurity firms also participated in the three-day exhibition, where they interacted with companies and enterprising customers from around the world, particularly in the Kingdom.
Hassan Khan Lodhi, chief commercial officer of Pakistan’s Inbox Business Technologies Limited that participated in the event, said they had an “amazing” experience at Black Hats MEA, which is one of the leading cybersecurity events in the world.
“We were there at the Pakistan Pavilion and signed some MoUs with local Saudi companies to work in partnership and that might help bring some of foreign direct investment to Pakistan,” he told Arab News.
“We have met some very large companies, enterprising customers here and there are good opportunities for the youth to come and work here because there is a lot of human resource requirement in cybersecurity.”
Khurram Shahzad, director at the Riyadh-based RASIKH multi-service communication and information technology consultancy firm, said his company was creating awareness about cybersecurity education.
“The purpose of participating in Black Hat is to create awareness about cybersecurity and to say that this education is available for all, including Pakistanis,” he told Arab News.
Shahzad said his company had started short courses on information management and cybersecurity for the Pakistani community in the Kingdom and back home.
“We have signed an MoU with Pakistan’s Rifah University and are providing these cybersecurity courses and will also offer degree programs in the future,” he said.
The RASIKH director noted that technological advancement in Saudi Arabia had increased the scope for cybersecurity professionals in the Kingdom.
“Futuristic cities like NEOM will create a lot of jobs in cybersecurity as smart cities would need a lot of such professionals,” he added.
Pakistan’s top diplomat to Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Ahmad Farooq, lauded the Saudi initiative and said Black Hat MEA played a crucial role in enhancing capabilities and promoting collaboration between nations in the field of cybersecurity, amidst a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
“The conference, now the largest in the region, serves as a platform for fostering collaboration and sharing expertise,” Ambassador Farooq told Arab News. “In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, such initiatives play a crucial role in enhancing capabilities and promoting collaboration between nations in the fields of cybersecurity.”
He expressed satisfaction over the participation of Pakistani firms in the event and stressed the significance of cybersecurity in today’s world, saying that these exhibitions create vital linkages and offer opportunities for expert training, technical workshops and strategic business development.
“I commend the efforts of the participating Pakistani companies, contributing to the broader dialogue on cybersecurity and reinforcing Pakistan’s commitment to excellence in the field,” Farooq said.
Lodhi said the “overwhelming response” at the event suggested that the acceptability for Pakistani companies was very much there in the Kingdom.
“Saudis, they actually admire Pakistan in terms of talent and in terms of human resource skill development and we have got a lot of young graduates coming out of the universities who have that skillset and potential to come and work here,” he said.
