- Luqman Kondeth, Director of Cybersecurity at NYU Abu Dhabi, will reimagine artificial intelligence governance through a village illustration, outlining how timeless leadership principles can guide responsible innovation and risk management
- The InCyber Briefing will explore AI, post-quantum readiness, data sovereignty, and crisis simulation in a bid to equip leaders with practical frameworks to strengthen cyber resilience
- Intersec 2026 to take place from 12-14 January 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre
Dubai, UAE: As the UAE’s cybersecurity market rapidly expands from US$620 million in 2024 to a projected US$1.29 billion by 2030, driven by AI security analytics, Zero Trust architecture, and robust government initiatives, Intersec 2026’s InCyber Briefing will outline critical insights into the evolving digital threat landscape and the governance of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).
According to ResearchAndMarkets, the UAE cybersecurity market is experiencing rapid growth, driven by a combination of digital transformation initiatives, rising cyber threats, and strong government support for digital infrastructure, including the formation of the UAE National Cybersecurity Strategy and the establishment of entities such as the Cybersecurity Council. These initiatives are seen as a major growth catalyst, with the research indicating the sector will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.8% until 2030.
Part of the 27th edition of Intersec, taking place from 12–14 January 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the InCyber Briefing is tailored for CISOs, cybersecurity strategists, and digital risk leaders navigating unprecedented technological acceleration with a focus on practical tools and real-world frameworks addressing AI governance, post-quantum readiness, supply chain resilience, and cyber risk reporting.
A highlight of the InCyber Briefing will be a keynote session by Luqman Kondeth, Director of Cybersecurity at New York University Abu Dhabi, titled “The Oracle in the System: A Village Parable for Governing AI.” As part of the session, Kondeth will translate the complexities of AI governance into practical lessons in trust, oversight and responsible innovation.
“In the story, the Village Head must keep his people alive through uncertainty, balancing resources, risk, and innovation. When he introduces an Oracle, a brilliant but unpredictable tool, he faces the same dilemma we face with AI: how to benefit from its intelligence without surrendering judgment. By watching how the Head sets rules, validates predictions, and keeps humans in the loop, audiences see governance not as compliance paperwork, but as collective wisdom made systematic,” said Kondeth.
Addressing the critical concern in AI deployment of accurate predictions versus hallucination, Kondeth emphasised that while governance frameworks can’t eliminate risk, they play a vital role in defining accountability and awareness. He said:
“We must build systems, or ‘three lines of defence’: operations teams who test AI in controlled conditions, risk and compliance teams who measure accuracy and bias, and internal auditors who verify the rules were followed.”
Outlining what the future of AI governance will look like in practice, Kondeth believes it will feel less like regulation and more like infrastructure, and embedded into design and decision pipelines in the same way cybersecurity and privacy are today.
“AI governance needs to be continuous, integrated, and human-centred. We’re moving toward AI control rooms that constantly monitor model behaviour, supported by ongoing risk assessments rather than periodic reviews. Because AI will operate as both a tool and a service across the enterprise, close alignment with Enterprise Architecture is essential. Ultimately, governance must remain adaptive – measuring not just performance, but trust, accountability, and societal impact,” concluded Kondeth.
In addition to the one-day InCyber Briefing, leading management consulting firm and Intersec Strategic Intelligence Partner, Kearney, will host a closed-door roundtable titled “Defending the Digital Backbone: Securing National Infrastructure in the Era of AI and Hybrid Threats.” Based on the discussion, Kearney will produce a white paper on the session that explores how governments can move beyond reactive defence toward proactive, intelligence-driven resilience, integrating policy, technology, and ecosystem collaboration to safeguard critical assets.
Dishan Isaac, Show Director of Intersec at Messe Frankfurt Middle East, said: “AI, automation, and digitisation are reshaping the cybersecurity landscape. The InCyber Briefing equips decision-makers with the foresight, frameworks, and leadership strategies needed to govern AI ethically and effectively while securing their organisations against emerging threats.”
With over 1,400 exhibitors from more than 60 countries and an expected 50,000 visitors, Intersec 2026 will be the largest edition in its 27-year history, spanning 67,000 sqm of exhibition space under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and supported by the General Command of Dubai Civil Defense (DCD) and Security Industry Regulatory Agency (SIRA).
About Intersec:
Intersec, in its 27th edition, is the world-leading business event for the global safety and security industry value chain. The event brings together suppliers, thought-leaders, innovators, manufacturers and buyers face-to-face to discuss leading-edge technology, see the very latest products and solutions across a wide range of industries and business sectors, and conduct business.
Intersec 2026 will be held from 12-14 January 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
About Messe Frankfurt:
The Messe Frankfurt Group is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. With a workforce of some 2,500 people at its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main and in 29 subsidiaries, it organises events around the world. Group sales in financial year 2024 were € 775 million. We serve our customers’ business interests efficiently within the framework of our Fairs & Events, Locations and Services business fields. One of Messe Frankfurt’s key strengths is its powerful and closely knit global sales network, which covers around 180 countries in all regions of the world. Our comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. We are using our digital expertise to develop new business models. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services.
Sustainability is a central pillar of our corporate strategy. Here, we strike a healthy balance between ecological and economic interests, social responsibility and diversity.
About Messe Frankfurt Middle East:
Messe Frankfurt Middle East’s portfolio of exhibitions includes: Automechanika Dubai, Automechanika Riyadh, Beautyworld Middle East, Beautyworld Saudi Arabia, Intersec, Intersec Saudi Arabia, Gifts & Lifestyle Middle East, Logimotion, Light + Intelligent Building Middle East and Paperworld Middle East. In the 2024/25 event season, Messe Frankfurt Middle East exhibitions combined featured 7,450 exhibitors from over 68 countries and attracted 249,500 visitors from 164 countries.
