Black Hat MEA

What Black Hat MEA does

Black Hat MEA is an annual cybersecurity conference and exhibition held at the Riyadh Exhibition & Convention Centre in Saudi Arabia, scheduled for 1-3 December 2026 in its next edition. It is operated as a co-organisation between Tahaluf (an Informa-affiliated events company), the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), and Tuwaiq Academy, and is produced in association with the global Black Hat brand. The event combines multi-stage conference content, technical briefings, cybersecurity training, live hacking demonstrations, competitions, exhibitions, and investment-focused programming, serving CISOs, security researchers, government entities, technology vendors, investors, startups, students, and media across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America.

The core product portfolio includes the main Conference & Exhibition, the Guinness World Record-holding Capture The Flag (CTF) hackathon (SAR 1,000,000 prize pool), the Bug Bounty Cup (SAR 300,000 prize pool), Black Hat Arsenal (open-source tools showcase in partnership with ToolsWatch), the Executive Summit for senior leaders, a training programme with 30+ Black Hat-approved trainers and partners including OffSec, CQURE, and Hackers Academy, an Activity Zone for hands-on challenges, the Women in Cybersecurity programme, and a Blacksite area. The underlying platform is an event-management stack combining in-person venue operations (53,000 sqm sold-out exhibition floor), online qualification infrastructure (CTF hosted on Flagyard), a mobile app for attendees, and an Insights Blog for year-round content distribution.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: tiered event passes (free Expo, Gold $599-$899, Black $2,499-$3,499, plus vetted Student/Investor/Press passes); exhibition and sponsorship sales structured across Strategic, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers plus stand space options; and paid cybersecurity training courses priced $1,000-$3,500. The 2025 edition attracted 40,000+ attendees from 100+ countries, 500+ exhibiting brands, 330+ CISOs, and $254.4B in attending investor AUM, with >50% exhibitor rebook rate and a planned 45,000+ attendees for 2026.

Name

Black Hat MEA

Legal name

Informa PLC

Website

https://blackhatmea.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Black Hat MEA is an annual cybersecurity conference and exhibition held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, serving CISOs, security researchers, technology vendors, investors, startups, and government entities. Co-organised by Tahaluf and SAFCSP under the global Black Hat brand, it combines training, briefings, competitions, and exhibitions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Conference and Exhibition

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

akta.pro primary industry

Functional Summits (HR, Finance, IT, Marketing, Procurement, Legal) (THAHAMAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Cybersecurity conferences
• Information security training
• Ethical hacking competitions
• Ciso executive summits
• Technology exhibitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Riyadh

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Event Tickets: Multi-tiered ticket sales including Expo (free), Gold ($599-$899), Black ($2499-$3499), Student (free/vetted), Investor (by application), and Press (by application) passes. Each tier offers different levels of access including exhibition floor, briefings, networking app, lounge access, Executive Summit seating, and training courses.
2. Exhibition and Sponsorship: Companies can exhibit at Black Hat MEA through stand space (Startup Pod, Shell Scheme, Space Only options) and sponsorship packages. Sponsorship tiers include Strategic, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze packages with varying brand visibility, speaking opportunities, and content placements. Sponsorship brochure available for download.
3. Training Courses: Cybersecurity training courses ranging from $1,000 to $3,500. Includes courses such as Advanced Pentesting, ISO/IEC 27001 Implementation, Blue Teaming Fundamentals, AI & Cybersecurity for Executives, and Wireless Penetration Testing. Duration varies from 1-day to 6-month access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Black Hat MEA operates an annual three-day cybersecurity conference and exhibition at the Riyadh Exhibition & Convention Centre in Saudi Arabia. The event combines technical briefings, paid cybersecurity training courses, live hacking demonstrations, Capture the Flag competitions, an Executive Summit for senior security leaders, an exhibition floor with 500+ brands, and investor and startup programmes, drawing 40,000+ attendees from 100+ countries.

Product overview

Black Hat MEA is a cybersecurity conference and exhibition event that operates as a multi-faceted platform rather than a traditional software product. The core offering is the annual three-day event held at the Riyadh Exhibition & Convention Centre, combining conference content with cybersecurity training, live hacking demonstrations, competitions, exhibitions, and investment-focused programming. The product portfolio includes the main Conference & Exhibition, Black Hat Arsenal (open-source tools showcase), Training Courses (in partnership with OffSec and others), Capture the Flag Hackathon (Guinness World Record holder), Executive Summit (for CISOs), Bug Bounty Cup, Briefings (technical sessions), Activity Zone (hands-on challenges), tiered Event Passes (Expo/Gold/Black/Investor/Student/Press), Blacksite, and Women in Cybersecurity program. No SaaS platform, API, or downloadable software product is offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Black Hat Arsenal: Open-source tools presentation track where developers share latest security tools and engage with attendees.
• Executive Summit
• Capture The Flag (CTF)
• Bug Bounty Cup

Products and services

• Black Hat MEA Conference & Exhibition A three-day cybersecurity conference and exhibition held annually in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, bringing together cybersecurity professionals, ethical hackers, CISOs, government organisations, technology companies, investors, researchers, academics, and startups. Features conference content, briefings, training, competitions, exhibitions, and investment-focused programming.
• Black Hat MEA Training Courses Paid cybersecurity training courses delivered in-person during the event and through an online academy, priced from $1,000 to $3,500. Course topics include Advanced Pentesting, ISO/IEC 27001 Implementation, Blue Teaming Fundamentals, AI & Cybersecurity for Executives, Wireless Penetration Testing, and AI-Powered Security Operations. Course durations range from 1-day to 6-month access.
• Capture The Flag (CTF) Hackathon The world's largest CTF hackathon, officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the largest ethical hacking competition. Features jeopardy-style competition with categories including Web Exploitation, PWN, Digital Forensics, Reverse Engineering, Cryptography, and AI Hacking. Includes online qualification rounds and a live final with a SAR 1,000,000 prize pool.
• Executive Summit A three-day high-level executive development programme designed for CISOs and senior leaders in cybersecurity, privacy, and technology. Delivers practical insight into technologies, skills, and approaches needed to strengthen resilience, featuring executive-level coaching, strategic perspectives, and in-depth analysis of emerging trends. Brings together more than 330 global experts and innovators.
• Bug Bounty Cup A live three-day competition bringing together elite bug hunters to conduct bug hunts on real-world companies on the BugBounty.sa platform. Competitors must be among the Top 100 researchers on the bugbounty.sa leaderboard, with a SAR 300,000 prize pool.
• Briefings (Technical Conference Sessions) Technical conference sessions where experts present original research, launch new tools, expose vulnerabilities, and share developments. Four dedicated rooms host 120+ technical sessions across three days, covering critical infrastructure, IoT, network defence, mobile security, and applied security.
• Black Hat Arsenal A programme where information security developers share their latest open-source security tools and have direct, practical conversations with attendees. Run in partnership with ToolsWatch, featuring a Review Board that prioritises submissions for 50-minute Arsenal sessions focused on new research, tools, and vulnerabilities.
• Activity Zone Hands-on interactive cybersecurity challenges including drone spoofing, device forensics, game cracking, medical device compromise, and ship spoofing demonstrations. Features live hacking stations and combined prize pools exceeding SAR 1,000,000.
• Exhibition and Sponsorship Packages Enterprise sponsorship and exhibition offerings allowing companies to purchase physical stand space and brand visibility packages. Includes Startup Pod, Shell Scheme, and Space Only stand options; sponsorship tiers span Strategic, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze with varying brand visibility, speaking slots, and content placement.
• Women in Cybersecurity (WiCSME) A dedicated programme and community partner supporting women in the cybersecurity field, providing networking opportunities and focused sessions included as part of the event.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000+ attendees from 100+ countries converge in 3 days
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered primary, core and supporting.

• TahalufprimaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerTahaluf is the organiser of Black Hat MEA. They are responsible for event management, sales, marketing, and overall operations of the conference and exhibition. Contact: [email protected]. Key team members include Michael Champion (CEO), Annabelle Mander (Executive Vice President), Richard McKeon (VP Marketing & Communications), Steve Durning (Associate Vice President), and Clement Edward (Associate Vice President Commercial).
• Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP)primaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAFCSP is a co-organiser and host of Black Hat MEA. It is Saudi Arabia's leading non-governmental organisation dedicated to advancing information security, operating under the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee. Their mission is to build national capabilities in cybersecurity and programming. SAFCSP is behind some of the Kingdom's most significant technology events including the record-breaking Hajj Hackathon. Chairman: Faisal Al Khamisi. Key contact: Khalid Alsulaim (Vice President).
• Black Hat (Global Brand)primaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlack Hat MEA is produced in association with Black Hat, the global cybersecurity event brand with over 25 years of heritage defining the global standard for cybersecurity events and training. The MEA edition builds on this legacy.
• Tuwaiq AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTuwaiq Academy is a host of Black Hat MEA, partnering with Tahaluf and SAFCSP to deliver the event. They also host the CTF qualification platform at bh.tuwaiq.edu.sa.
• OffSeccoreTechnology or IntegrationBlack Hat MEA is the official partner and distributor of OffSec in the Middle East. OffSec provides certified, industry-leading cybersecurity courses. If looking to organise or attend any of their certified courses, Black Hat MEA is the first point of contact in the region.
• FlagyardcoreTechnology or IntegrationFlagyard is the platform powering the Capture The Flag hackathon at Black Hat MEA. They host the qualification rounds and provide the competition infrastructure. Contact: [email protected]
• ToolsWatchcoreTechnology or IntegrationToolsWatch partners with Black Hat MEA for the Arsenal programme. They lead the Review Board that prioritises submissions for 50-minute Arsenal sessions, focusing on new research, tools, and vulnerabilities.
• Saudi Vision 2030coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlack Hat MEA is in support of Saudi Vision 2030, which is reshaping the Kingdom's economy beyond hydrocarbons. The event plays a key role in capacity building for cybersecurity to protect the digital infrastructure underpinning national transformation projects like NEOM.
• CQUREsupportingTechnology or IntegrationOfficial training partner of Black Hat MEA, providing cybersecurity courses as part of the training programme.
• Hackers AcademysupportingTechnology or IntegrationOfficial training partner of Black Hat MEA, providing cybersecurity courses including Blue Teaming Fundamentals for university students.
• InformasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInforma PLC is mentioned in the copyright notice as the parent company of Black Hat MEA. Tahaluf is part of the Informa network. Website terms and conditions reference Informamarkets.
• HotelMapsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial hotel booking partner for Black Hat MEA, offering attendees access to special rates and exclusive group booking options.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Black Hat Asia: The Asian edition of the Black Hat brand; identical content and format (briefings, trainings, Arsenal), serving the Asian cybersecurity market and competing for the same regional sponsorship and speaker pools.
• Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit: Major enterprise-focused cybersecurity conference targeting CISOs and security leadership; overlapping high-level decision-maker audience and analyst-driven content that competes for the same senior buyer segments as Black Hat MEA's Executive Summit.
• RSA Conference: Long-standing enterprise cybersecurity conference held annually in San Francisco with comparable scale, CISO audience, briefings/trainings/exhibition format, and sponsorship-tier model. The most established direct competitor for cybersecurity decision-maker mindshare.
• Infosecurity Europe: Informa's flagship European cybersecurity exhibition and conference; sister event within the same parent company with parallel exhibition/speaker/training format, offering a benchmark for Informa's regional cyber event model.
• Black Hat USA: The original Black Hat event in Las Vegas; same brand family, overlapping content format (briefings, trainings, Arsenal, Business Hall), and global cybersecurity community. Closest sister event and direct benchmark for MEA edition performance.
• DEF CON: The world's largest hacker convention held annually in Las Vegas; directly overlapping audience of security researchers, ethical hackers, and CTF competitors with similar competition-driven culture and research disclosure model.
• Infosec World: Established US-based cybersecurity conference with parallel training, briefings, and exhibition format targeting cybersecurity professionals; comparable mid-tier scale and practitioner audience competing for the same training and certification market.

Regional players

• CYBERUK: UK government's flagship cybersecurity event run by NCSC; similar government-backed positioning and conference format but smaller scale and UK-focused, serving as a model for state-aligned cyber event models.
• GITEX Global: The largest technology event in the Middle East held in Dubai; broader technology scope but overlapping Middle East enterprise and government buyer audience competing for the same regional sponsorship wallets as Black Hat MEA.
• LEAP: Major Saudi technology event also held in Riyadh; same city, overlapping government and enterprise buyer audiences, with broader technology scope but competing for the same domestic cybersecurity sponsorship share.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Blackhatmea
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnBep_DEHvsk1HbyVwBz7xA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Blackhatmea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blackhatmea
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackhatmea

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Black Hat MEA