The SANS Institute will host two major cybersecurity training events in the United Arab Emirates this May. These events aim to equip professionals across the Middle East with practical skills to defend against rising cyber threats.

SANS Abu Dhabi May 2025 will take place from May 18 to 23 at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr. Just a few days later, SANS Dubai May 2025 will be held from May 25 to 30 at Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah.

Both events offer hands-on courses led by SANS-certified instructors. Each course prepares attendees for GIAC certifications and focuses on real-world applications, labs, and case studies.

The UAE continues to face mounting cybersecurity challenges. According to the 2025 State of the UAE Cybersecurity Report:

• Over 223,800 assets remain exposed online.
• 50% of critical vulnerabilities have not been patched in over five years.
• Most incidents are caused by misconfigurations or incorrect usage.
• AI-powered threats like phishing and deepfakes are becoming more common.

These risks place key industries such as government, energy, and finance at high risk. Cyber resilience is now a national priority.

Ned Baltagi, Managing Director for the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey at SANS Institute, said the UAE’s rapid digital growth has made it a top target for attackers. He emphasized the value of SANS’s mission-focused training in helping security teams improve readiness in areas like ICS, forensics, red teaming, and auditing.

SANS Abu Dhabi May 2025

Dates: May 18–23
Location: Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Abu Dhabi
Courses offered:

• ICS410: ICS/SCADA Security Essentials
• FOR572: Advanced Network Forensics
• SEC670: Red Teaming Tools

A free Community Night will be held on May 19 (5:30pm–6:30pm GST). Titled Tales from the Cryptography, this session explores major cryptographic failures in 2024 and what can be learned from them. It is open to all cybersecurity enthusiasts.

Register for SANS Abu Dhabi
Join the Community Night

SANS Dubai May 2025

Dates: May 25–30
Location: Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah
Courses offered:

• SEC565: Red Team Operations and Adversary Emulation
• SEC566: Implementing and Auditing CIS Controls
• SEC511: Cybersecurity Engineering

A Community Night will take place on May 26 (5:30pm–6:30pm GST). The session, Same Findings, Different Organization, highlights recurring vulnerabilities across industries and discusses their root causes.

Register for SANS Dubai
Join the Community Night

Attendees can join in person or virtually. All sessions are delivered by instructors with real-world experience. Participants will leave with skills that can be applied immediately in their roles.

This dual-city training initiative reflects SANS Institute’s commitment to advancing cybersecurity capabilities in the region.

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