From cloud security to threat intelligence, the company is bringing eight expert-led courses designed to equip the Kingdom’s defenders with practical tools to tackle today’s most urgent threats
April 16 2025: SANS Institute, the global leader in cybersecurity training and certification, is returning to Saudi Arabia with SANS Riyadh May 2025 (May 10 – May 22) at the Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya. Designed to empower cybersecurity professionals across the Kingdom and beyond, the event will offer eight fundamental and globally recognized courses focused on practical, hands-on skills to counter today’s most pressing threats and organizational needs.
The Kingdom’s growing economy and swift adoption of advanced technologies under Vision 2030 have made it a prime target for cyber threats. Sectors such as energy, finance, and healthcare, which heavily depend on data and network systems, have experienced significant breaches, highlighting the critical need for skilled cybersecurity professionals to protect against digital vulnerabilities.
“As Saudi Arabia continues to rise as a regional cybersecurity powerhouse. SANS is proud to play a role in developing the Kingdom’s cyber workforce by equipping professionals with actionable skills and real-world capabilities,” said Ned Baltagi, Managing Director, Middle East, Africa, and Turkey at SANS Institute. “With the right training and strategic focus, the Kingdom can build teams that are technically strong and deeply aligned with its national security objectives.”
The following courses are available at SANS Riyadh May, both virtually and in-person.
SEC401: Security Essentials – Network, Endpoint, and Cloud
SEC504: Hacker Tools, Techniques, and Incident Handling
FOR508: Advanced Incident Response, Threat Hunting, and Digital Forensics
FOR578: Cyber Threat Intelligence
SEC560: Enterprise Penetration Testing
SEC488: Cloud Security Essentials
SEC530: Defensible Security Architecture and Engineering: Implementing Zero Trust for the Hybrid Enterprise
SEC511: Cybersecurity Engineering: Advanced Threat Detection and Monitoring
To further address the Kingdom’s needs, SANS will host a Cyber-Workforce Masterclass on May 15 from 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM at the Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya. The session, ‘Unlock the Future of Cybersecurity Talent Development’, will guide cybersecurity leaders on building sustainable talent pipelines, enhancing staff retention, and aligning workforce development with global frameworks like SCyWF and the NCA’s Essential Cybersecurity Controls (ECC-2).
Attendees will gain practical experience through real-world tabletop exercises, strategies to attract, develop, and retain talent, and global insights from the latest SANS GIAC Workforce Report. Participants will receive a certificate of attendance and actionable takeaways for implementing sustainable security frameworks.
Open to all cybersecurity enthusiasts, two SANS Community Night Sessions will also be held. On May 12 – AI & Cybercrime: How Criminals Are Weaponizing AI – this talk will look at how attackers are leveraging artificial intelligence to target organizations through social engineering attacks, and what organizations can do to combat these threats. May 19 – Detection Through Monitoring: Leveraging the Home Field Advantage – will dig into specific tactics that leverage that home field advantage and make it easier for security teams to effectively detect and respond. Both sessions will run from 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM AST.
