SANS Institute Brings Cybersecurity Leaders Forum to Riyadh

The SANS Institute is hosting its SANS Riyadh Cyber Leaders forum from August 24 to 28, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya. The five-day event will provide intensive leadership and technical training to empower security managers and SOC leaders with the skills necessary to handle the evolving threat landscape.

Saudi Arabia has been recognized as a global leader in cybersecurity, having secured the top spot in the 2025 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook’s cybersecurity indicator. According to the SANS Institute, this accomplishment is a result of the work of the National Cybersecurity Authority and the Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE), whose collaboration has enhanced the Kingdom’s cyber resilience, supported technology localization, and promoted international cooperation.

“Saudi Arabia’s position as a global cybersecurity leader is no coincidence, it’s the result of strategic vision and long term commitment,” said Ned Baltagi, Managing Director, Middle East, Africa, and Turkey, at SANS Institute. “At SANS, we’re proud to support this progress by bringing world-class training to Riyadh through our Cyber Leaders event, helping to develop the next generation of cybersecurity leadership in the Kingdom”.

The SANS Riyadh event will offer specialized courses for security leaders, including:

• LDR512: Security Leadership Essentials for Managers: This course is designed to help security professionals develop strategic planning and leadership skills.
• LDR514: Security Strategic Planning, Policy, and Leadership™: This course equips participants with tools to create a comprehensive cybersecurity strategic plan and IT security policy, and to lead teams through effective implementation.
• LDR551: Building and Leading Security Operations Centers™: This course covers the entire process of building and managing a SOC, with a focus on aligning operations with an organization’s risk profile and goals.

The courses feature 17 hands-on labs and Cyber42 interactive leadership simulations to reinforce practical learning. Participants can attend either in person in Riyadh or live online.

Additionally, a free Cyber Leaders Community Night Talk will be held on August 25, from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Led by instructor Jan D’Herdt, the session will concentrate on detecting cryptocurrency mining in corporate settings, highlighting the risks of unauthorized crypto mining and its effects on enterprise networks. The talk offers InfoSec professionals an opportunity to gain practical insights and strategies for identifying and mitigating this growing threat. The Niht Talk can also be joined virtually with a SANS Account.