Axidian returned to Black Hat MEA 2025 — one of the region’s most important gatherings for security professionals and technology leaders.
For us, the event was a chance to listen — to the market, to the community, and to our customers. Face-to-face conversations and new connections helped us better understand what’s top of mind in Saudi Arabia and what the market really needs today.
Every year highlights something different. This time, what stood out most was the level of interest in NCA ECC and SAMA compliance. It’s clearly a priority for many organizations, and we see it as an area where we can continue supporting our customers in a practical way.
Three days of active engagement and full booth sessions
The three-day exhibition gave our team the opportunity to speak with hundreds of cybersecurity specialists across government, finance, telecom, and enterprise sectors. Many came with concrete questions, which shaped the conversations around real implementation scenarios.
A major highlight was the series of booth talks that consistently drew audiences:
- Kirill Bondarenko, Regional Sales Director — “What if PAM fails”
A session focused on the risks organisations face when privileged access controls break down and how Axidian Privilege addresses these challenges. - Olesya Druzhinina, Head of Business Development — “5 tips for better access management”
A practical look at strengthening authentication and streamlining access workflows. - Georgiy Ovanesyan, CEO of Axidian — “How to comply with NCA ECC in 2026”
A detailed walkthrough of upcoming requirements and the steps organisations can begin taking today.
These talks shaped much of the booth activity, with many attendees returning later to continue the conversation or discuss specific use cases.
Another sign of strong interest: our printed materials on NCA ECC and SAMA compliance ran out quickly during the event — a clear indication that the market is actively preparing for regulatory updates. You can also get a digital copy of our NCA ECC or SAMA compliance materials by visiting our articles on these frameworks.
A space for partners, customers, and the community
Black Hat has become one of those events where we naturally meet our partners and long-time collaborators from the region. Having long-time collaborators at the booth helped create a relaxed and friendly atmosphere that visitors felt right away.
We couldn’t have predicted how popular the AI photo booth would become. It was rarely quiet, and the energy around it was impossible to miss. It was great to see how much people enjoyed it and even nicer to spot Axidian photos making their way around the exhibition.
Aligning with Saudi Arabia’s shifting cybersecurity priorities for 2025 – 2026
Saudi Arabia’s cybersecurity direction is becoming very clear: identity, access control, and governance are now at the center. One thing that stood out at Black Hat was how much compliance now drives technical choices — from how authentication is set up to how privileged access is managed in practice.
Axidian’s portfolio — Axidian Access, Axidian Privilege, Axidian Shield, and Axidian CertiFlow — aligns directly with these priorities, supporting authentication, privileged access, identity-centric threat detection, and smart-card/PKI management.
Our team will continue expanding its work in Saudi Arabia, supporting partners and customers as they enhance access controls, improve PAM resilience, and prepare for upcoming requirements.
If you’d like to discuss how Axidian can support your security program or regulatory roadmap, our team is ready to connect.
