Egypt has once again demonstrated its leadership in the cybersecurity domain by successfully hosting the fourth edition of the Cyber and Information Security Exhibition and Conference (CAISEC’25) on May 25–26. Held under the high patronage of H.E. Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt, the two-day forum brought together an unprecedented 5000 participants, 180 expert speakers, 9 Egyptian ministers, and 6 heads of Arab cybersecurity agencies, underscoring the event’s critical role in shaping the region’s digital future.
Inaugurated by H.E. Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, on behalf of the Prime Minister, CAISEC’25 served as a high-level platform for collaborative dialogue around securing critical infrastructure, building digital sovereignty, and enhancing regional cybersecurity integration.
“Cybersecurity is no longer a technical function—it is a national priority. Egypt is committed to strengthening its frameworks, developing local talent, and leading regional cooperation to ensure a secure and sustainable digital future,” said Dr. Talaat during the opening keynote.
Unprecedented Governmental and Institutional Engagement
CAISEC’25 witnessed wide-ranging participation from Egyptian government leaders and institutional stakeholders. Nine ministers attended the event, emphasising the importance of cybersecurity to Egypt’s Vision 2030 across key sectors. Attending ministers and officials included:
- H.E. Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar – Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health and Population
- H.E. Dr. Ayman Ashour – Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- H.E. Dr. Sherif Farouk – Minister of Supply and Internal Trade
- H.E. Mohamed Abdel Latif – Minister of Education
- H.E. Mohamed Gebran – Minister of Labor
- H.E. Ahmed Kouchouk – Minister of Finance
- H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat – Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation
- H.E. Dr. Ahmed Hanno – Minister of Culture
- Mohamed Farid, –Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA)
- Eng. Mohamed Shamroukh –Executive President of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Egypt (NTRA)
- Walid Zakareya – Director General, EG-CERT
Their presence reflected a unified national commitment to fortify Egypt’s digital infrastructure and ensure sector-wide cybersecurity readiness.
Regional leadership and arab cyber solidarity
The conference also drew six heads of national cybersecurity authorities from across the Arab world, including:
- Supreme Cybersecurity Council – Egypt
- National Cybersecurity Agency – Qatar
- National Cybersecurity Center – Bahrain
- Computer Emergency Response Center – Egypt
- National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA)
- Arab Organisation for Industrialisation (AOI)
These leaders, alongside 180 distinguished speakers, shared insights on regional integration, cyber resilience, and policy innovation. Notably:
- Dr. Mohamed Hamad Al-Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity, United Arab Emirates, emphasised cross-border digital defence.
- Noura Al-Fotais, Founding Secretary General of the Arab Cybersecurity Association, called for a unified Arab cybersecurity pact.
- Mohamed Ben Amor, Director General of the Arab ICT Organisation (AICTO), highlighted the regional urgency, noting that the average cost of a cyber incident in the Arab region reached $8.75 million in 2024 more than double the global average.
Recognising excellence and driving innovation
CAISEC’25 also spotlighted innovation and achievement, awarding the Arab Award for Best Academic Research in Cybersecurity and AI, in collaboration with the League of Arab States. The AICTO Cybersecurity Shield was presented to top-performing Arab nations, including Egypt, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Jordan.
Strategic roundtables and industry engagement
The event hosted exclusive closed-door roundtables on key themes including:
- Critical Infrastructure Under Cyber Siege
- HealthTech Innovation & Security
- Empowering Cybersecurity Startups in Egypt
- AI in Banking Security – led by Cisco
- Vendor Security Assessments – led by Cyshield
As part of its ongoing commitment to fostering strategic dialogue on cybersecurity, Orange Business Talk returned to CAISEC for its second exclusive edition, hosting a powerful session featuring Greg Van Der Gaast — a globally recognised cybersecurity strategist, former hacker, and operative for the U.S. Department of Defense and FBI. Known for his unconventional, results-driven approach to cyber defence, Van Der Gaast delivered a provocative talk titled “Security Without Fear: Rebuilding Trust in the Age of Digital Chaos.”
Opening remarks by Ossama Kamal
In his opening remarks, Osama Kamal, Chairman & CEO of Mercury Communications- the organising company behind CAISEC’25- highlighted the urgency of cybersecurity acceleration. He pointed to recent cyberattacks on healthcare, energy, and financial institutions globally and regionally, underscoring a 214% increase in cyberattack targets over the past 18 months.
He warned of significant gaps in cyber readiness and emphasised Egypt’s need to protect over 150 digital government services. Kamal called for investing in human capital, closing the cybersecurity skills gap, and placing security at the heart of the digital transformation strategy.
He urged for a unified regional approach to cyber risk, fostering innovation to secure critical digital assets, and empowering executive leadership to build resilient economies through robust cybersecurity frameworks.
Key recommendations from CAISEC’25
The event concluded with four strategic recommendations:
1. Combating AI-powered threats
- Launch deepfake and phishing detection tools using AI
- Enforce biometric multi-factor authentication
- Establish a national phishing threat intelligence centre
2. Developing future cybersecurity leaders
- Integrate cyber education into school curricula
- Align higher education with industry needs
- Empower women in cybersecurity through inclusive policies
3. Strengthening national policies and regional cooperation
- Enforce breach disclosure laws
- Create public-private cyber intelligence alliances
- Support local cybersecurity R&D
4. Enhancing public awareness and digital literacy
- Launch national awareness campaigns and youth programmes
- Develop cybersecurity content for children and universities
- Establish a National Cybersecurity Innovation Award
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