About Black Hat MEA
Who we are?
Black Hat Middle East and Africa, commonly known as Black Hat MEA, is a global cybersecurity event held annually in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Co-organised by Tahaluf and the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones, and produced in association with Black Hat, it brings the international information security and cybersecurity community together at scale.
Launched in Riyadh in 2021 under the name @HACK, Black Hat MEA has grown into a B2B cybersecurity platform focused on information security, ethical hacking, cyber defence, enterprise resilience, and security innovation.
Black Hat MEA is where the global cybersecurity community gathers in Riyadh.
It combines multi-stage conference content with cybersecurity training, live hacking demonstrations, competitions, exhibitions, and investment-focused programming. Across the event, attendees explore keynote sessions, technical briefings, Capture the Flag competitions, startup participation, investor programmes, and live demonstrations focused on the real issues shaping cybersecurity today.
Black Hat MEA brings together cybersecurity professionals, ethical hackers, CISOs and enterprise security leaders, government organisations, technology companies, investors, researchers, academics, startups, founders, media, and analysts. Attendees travel from across the Middle East, Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa.
Black Hat MEA 2026 returns to the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center in Malham from 1 to 3 December 2026. Over three days, the event will bring together conference content, cybersecurity training, competitions, exhibitions, and investment-focused programming in one place, giving the global cybersecurity community a space to learn, connect, and do business in Riyadh.
Key Event Stats
40,000+ visitors
500+ INDUSTRY-SHAPING BRANDS
50+ blackhat trainers
500+ ciso’s
150+ briefings
50+ breakthrough startups
A mission-critical, must-attend event
Hyper-focused on delivering real impact for the cybersecurity community, Black Hat MEA 2026 will bring together the people pushing the industry forward. World-class trainers, leading solution providers, security researchers, ethical specialists, senior decision-makers and startups redefining defence will gather in Riyadh to share ideas, test new thinking and tackle the challenges ahead. Saudi Arabia’s growing role as a cybersecurity powerhouse sets the backdrop for a year that will shape the region’s future.
