At Black Hat MEA in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s rapid digital transformation under Saudi Vision 2030 took centre stage, highlighting one of the world’s fastest-advancing cybersecurity ecosystems. As the Kingdom builds mega-projects at unprecedented scale, international security companies are racing to support national ambitions — but success hinges on trust, local engagement, and long-term partnership models.
According to Pete Harteveld, CEO of Exabeam, the company’s approach to community engagement sets it apart. Exabeam prioritises education for partners, graduates, and the broader cybersecurity workforce, focusing not just on product capabilities but on strengthening Saudi Arabia’s overall defensive skills.
As the Kingdom adopts new technologies at high speed, traditional adoption cycles are being surpassed. Harteveld emphasized the need for companies to act as “good stewards” of cybersecurity talent — ensuring local professionals can advance alongside national digital transformation efforts.
Exabeam’s strategy centres on augmenting existing SIEM infrastructures with AI-driven threat detection rather than replacing them. This flexibility has fueled strong regional momentum: the company posted 21% growth in Saudi Arabia between 2024 and 2025, with projections for continued double-digit expansion in 2026. With over 90% of its global business driven through partners, Exabeam’s heavy investment in local sales, engineering, support, and product teams remains key to its performance.
The company also launched a Customer Innovation Center in Riyadh, a dedicated hub designed to showcase AI-powered cybersecurity for IT, OT, and IoT environments. The centre serves as a regional venue for training, collaboration, and hands-on engagement with customers, partners, and students.
Looking across the Middle East, Harteveld noted that SOC teams are increasingly comfortable adopting AI as hybrid environments mature. With improved cloud readiness and AI integration, security operations are expected to achieve higher levels of speed, efficiency, and automation.
As Saudi Arabia continues to modernise its digital infrastructure, the Kingdom is emerging as a global model for cybersecurity maturity. The message from industry leaders at Black Hat MEA is clear: technology excellence must be paired with local partnerships, community investment, and talent development to secure the Kingdom’s digital future.
