Egypt Accelerates Cybersecurity Talent Development at Cairo ICT
A high-profile session titled «Gems in the Making: Developing Future Security Leaders Amid a Talent Crisis,» held during the Cairo ICT conference, shed light on the challenges and opportunities shaping the cybersecurity landscape in Egypt and the wider region. Speakers stressed that sustained investment in training, innovation, and talent development is essential to securing the nation’s digital future.
Training and Innovation at the Core
Rama El-Safty, Global Technology Leader and session moderator, opened the discussion by emphasizing that cybersecurity has become the backbone of any secure digital infrastructure. She noted that preparing future leaders requires a mix of innovation, continuous learning, and comprehensive training frameworks that integrate both technical and leadership skills.
El-Safty highlighted that organizations embracing a culture of lifelong learning are significantly more resilient to cyberattacks. She called for stronger international cooperation, greater knowledge exchange, and the integration of cybersecurity into every stage of digital infrastructure development.
Building Talent and Skills
Ammar Adhamy, CEO of CyberTech, underscored that practical training forms the foundation of effective cybersecurity capacity-building. He explained that simulated cyberattack exercises equip employees with the rapid-response skills essential during real incidents.
Adhamy emphasized that talent retention starts with organizations understanding their teams and cultivating a culture that fosters loyalty and engagement. Without a supportive environment, he warned, organizations risk losing skilled talent, noting that statistics show up to 70% of cybersecurity professionals leave when better opportunities arise. “Investing in people is investing in the future of a nation’s cybersecurity,” he said, stressing that nurturing passion and purpose is as important as technical training.
Strengthening Protection Through Awareness
Ahmed Sayed, Chief Operating Officer at Cyber Force, noted that cybersecurity has become indispensable for safeguarding sensitive data, with unmanaged vulnerabilities capable of inflicting significant financial losses.
He highlighted that embedding cybersecurity into daily operations and raising security awareness among employees form the first line of defense. Sayed pointed to the strong capabilities of Egyptian engineers, describing them as a key pillar of the country’s growing cybersecurity industry. He added that continuous scenario-based training enables teams to make fast, effective decisions in high-pressure situations.
Legislation and Empowerment
Samah Emam, Director of Cybersecurity at Cisco Africa, noted that the world currently needs an additional two million cybersecurity professionals, adding that Egypt is well-positioned to help close part of this global gap through its growing talent pool.
He stressed that strong legislation is fundamental to building a cohesive security ecosystem, explaining that laws are not merely regulatory tools but integral to cultivating a data-protection culture within institutions. Emam added that Egyptian companies are increasingly capable of delivering world-class cybersecurity services to international markets, reinforcing Egypt’s status as a regional hub for digital security solutions.
Simulation and Applied Training
Mohamed Assem, Solutions Engineering Manager at Skill Soft – Global Knowledge, emphasized the importance of blended training models that combine hands-on practice with advanced digital simulations. This approach, he said, significantly enhances teams’ readiness to respond to sophisticated threats.
He added that collaboration and knowledge-sharing between different technical teams are essential to building an integrated national defense system.
Innovation for Future Leaders
Cybersecurity and innovation consultant at WE, Walaa Salah El-Din, stressed the need to integrate innovation into training curricula to develop leaders capable of anticipating and addressing emerging threats.
She explained that WE’s training programs include both technical and leadership components tailored to multiple job levels, helping embed a strong culture of security across teams. Salah El-Din also revealed that the company has launched EGP 5 million in training and support programs for startups, enabling them to develop local capabilities and build innovative cybersecurity solutions for the Egyptian market.
A Fast-Growing Market
Speakers agreed that while the global cybersecurity talent shortage remains a significant challenge, Egypt has made major progress over the past decade by expanding its cybersecurity sector, attracting investment, and creating new training and job opportunities. These achievements, they said, reflect the country’s ability to build a competitive regional cybersecurity industry.
Cairo ICT 2025, the 29th edition of the Middle East and Africa’s leading technology exhibition and conference, is being held from 16 to 19 November under the patronage of Minister of Communications and Information Technology Dr. Amr Talaat, at the Egypt International Exhibition Center in New Cairo. This year’s event, held under the theme «AI Everywhere», hosts more than 500 exhibitors alongside major government bodies and ministries.
The exhibition features five major sub-events:
PAFIX for digital payments and financial inclusion (under the patronage of the Central Bank of Egypt),
AIDC for AI and data centers (under the patronage of the Ministry of Emigration),
Connecta for youth and entertainment technologies,
Innovation Arena for entrepreneurship and creativity,
and Cyber Zone for cybersecurity – held for the first time across two dedicated zones within the exhibition.
Participating entities include the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Central Bank of Egypt, the Financial Regulatory Authority, the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA), ITIDA, Egypt Post, the Arab Organization for Industrialization, and Future of Egypt Authority as Guest of Honor.
The exhibition also presents interactive sessions and live demos covering AI, IoT, 5G, cybersecurity, smart cities, EdTech, cloud computing, fintech, green technologies, and digital identity (eKYC).
Cairo ICT 2025 is sponsored by Dell Technologies, eFinance Investment Group, WB Engineers+Consultants, CIB Egypt, Huawei, Orange Egypt, EgyptAir, Egypt Trust, Mastercard, Medar, and Fortinet. Additional sponsors include Salesforce, BTECH, Khazna, NBE, AAIB, Bank of Alexandria, Shaker Group, ICT Misr, IoT Misr, Network International, and Meinhardt.