Manama: His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Prime Minister, delegated Lieutenant General His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, National Security Advisor, Royal Guard Commander, and Secretary-General of the Supreme Defence Council, to inaugurate the third edition of the Arab International Cybersecurity Conference and Exhibition (AICS 2025). This year, the event is being held in strategic partnership with DEF CON for the first time in the region and will continue until November 6th, 2025, at Exhibition World Bahrain.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the opening ceremony was attended by His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Southern Governor, Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa, Deputy National Security Advisor and Deputy Secretary-General of the Supreme Defence Council, Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Chief Executive Officer of the National Cyber Security Centre, and several ministers and senior officials.
On the occasion, His Highness emphasised that the Kingdom of Bahrain's hosting of this year's conference and its strategic partnership with DEF CON, a prominent conference specialising in cybersecurity, represent a significant step that reflects international confidence in Bahrain's position as a leading centre in this vital sector at the regional and international levels.
His Highness stated that the conference serves as a strategic platform that gathers experts and decision-makers from around the world to exchange knowledge and experiences and review the latest technologies in cybersecurity. This exchange aims to strengthen regional and international cooperation, support Bahrain's digital development, and consolidate its position as a leading destination in building an advanced cyber system that enhances global digital security and stability.
His Highness added that the conference provides an important opportunity to support the efforts of the National Cyber Security Centre in building a secure digital and cyber environment, empowering national talent, and raising cyber readiness. This is achieved through technical workshops and specialised training programmes organised in collaboration with select international institutions and companies.
The conference will also witness the signing of several agreements and memoranda of cooperation between participating entities. This step aims to enhance regional and international cooperation in the development of cyber policies and programmes, in addition to launching new initiatives to build national capacities and empower young talents in cybersecurity.