Egypt reaffirmed its leadership in regional cybersecurity at the fourth edition of the Cyber and Information Security Exhibition and Conference (CAISEC’25), held in Cairo on May 25-26. The event brought together high-level officials including nine Egyptian ministers, six heads of Arab cybersecurity authorities, more than 180 international experts and more than 5,000 participants.
CAISEC’25 served as an important forum to address cybersecurity challenges facing Egypt and the wider Arab region. In his opening speech, Minister of Telecommunications Dr. Amr Talaat emphasized that cybersecurity should be addressed as a national and regional strategic priority, reflecting Egypt’s broader digital development goals. These include upgrading digital infrastructure, developing local talent and promoting regional cooperation.
The event also drew delegations from several Arab countries, including Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, highlighting the regional scope of cybersecurity concerns. AICTO Director General Mohamed Ben Amor highlighted the rising economic cost of cyberattacks in the region, which he said will cost an average of $8.75 million per incident by 2024.
The two-day event covered a wide range of topics, including protecting critical infrastructure, cybersecurity in medical devices, enterprise innovation and third-party risk management. One of the keynote sessions featured former U.S. Department of Defense and FBI expert Greg Van Der Gaast, who called on organizations to adopt a trust-based, adaptive approach to cybersecurity with his talk titled “Security Without Fear: Rebuilding Trust in an Age of Digital Chaos.”
The conference also featured an awards ceremony. CAISEC’25, organized in partnership with the League of Arab States, honored outstanding research in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Additionally, Egypt, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Jordan were awarded the AICTO Cybersecurity Shield for their progress in national cyber defense.
Mercury Communications CEO Osama Kamal, who organized the event, reported a staggering 214% increase in cyberattacks in the region over the past 18 months, with sectors such as healthcare, energy and finance being the most affected. He emphasized the urgent need to address the cybersecurity skills gap and integrate cybersecurity into broader digital transformation strategies.
CAISEC’25 highlighted Egypt’s rising profile in digital security, while highlighting shared challenges across the Arab region and the need for collective action.