Speakers

H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al-Kuwaiti is the Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government and President of the UAE Cyber Security Council, leading national efforts to safeguard digital infrastructure and promote global cyber resilience.

H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al-Kuwaiti was appointed by the UAE Cabinet in 2020 as the Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government, a role that grants him legal authority over all aspects of national cyberspace security. He also serves as President of the UAE Cyber Security Council and Managing Director of the National Data Center under the Supreme Council for National Security.

Dr. Al-Kuwaiti’s mandate includes:
• Developing and executing the UAE’s national cybersecurity strategy
• Overseeing digital transformation and smart government initiatives
• Enhancing data privacy, governance, and interconnectivity across federal systems
• Leading international collaborations on cyber policy and threat intelligence

He is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Homeland Security at Rabdan Academy, and has been elected Vice Chair of the ITU Study Group 17 Regional Group for the Arab Region, reflecting his influence in shaping global cybersecurity standards.

Under his leadership, the UAE has risen to 5th globally in the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index, marking a significant leap in national cyber readiness.

Dr. Najwa Aaraj is the CEO of the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), where she leads cutting-edge research across fields such as quantum computing, AI, autonomous robotics, and cybersecurity. Prior to her appointment as CEO in 2024, she served as Chief Researcher at both the Cryptography Research Center and the Autonomous Robotics Research Center at TII.

She holds a Ph.D. in Applied Cryptography and Embedded Systems Security from Princeton University, awarded with Highest Distinction. Her expertise spans trusted platforms, security architecture for embedded systems, biometrics, and software exploit prevention. Dr. Aaraj has also held roles at IBM, Intel, and DarkMatter, and led global tech strategy projects as a consultant with Booz & Company.

Under her leadership, TII continues to drive transformative technology outcomes for the UAE and beyond.

Prof. John Martinis is a distinguished physicist and quantum computing expert at Qolab, where he focuses on building scalable quantum systems. He previously led the hardware team at Google Quantum AI, achieving the landmark quantum supremacy experiment in 2019 using the Sycamore processor. His research centers on superconducting qubits, high-fidelity quantum processors, and quantum error correction. Prof. Martinis was awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to quantum computing and continues to mentor the next generation of quantum engineers.

Dr. Abed Benaichouche is the Co-founder and CEO of Open Innovation AI, a UAE-based sovereign AI platform company driving national-scale innovation in artificial intelligence and GPU orchestration.

Dr. Abed Benaichouche is the Co-founder and CEO of Open Innovation AI, the UAE’s leading sovereign AI platform provider. With a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Mathematics, he has dedicated his career to advancing AI infrastructure and innovation across the Middle East. Under his leadership, Open Innovation AI delivers end-to-end orchestration and generative AI solutions for enterprise and government clients, powering some of the region’s largest AI workloads.

Dr. Benaichouche has forged strategic partnerships with global tech leaders including AMD, Intel, HPE, Vast Data, and Pure Storage, positioning the UAE as a global AI powerhouse. He previously co-founded AIQ, a joint venture with ADNOC, and continues to champion sovereign AI adoption, GPU acceleration, and strategic autonomy in digital transformation.

His work reflects a commitment to building resilient, future-ready AI ecosystems that align with the UAE’s vision for technological leadership by 2031.

Amritpal leads the FSRA’s efforts in technology-related regulatory and supervisory activities over regulated entities, including virtual asset intermediaries. Prior to the FSRA, Amritpal was in the Monetary Authority of Singapore contributing to work in enforcement, IT risk supervision, and fintech domains. Amritpal also conducted IT audits for companies across multiple industries and performed system testing during his time in PwC Singapore.

Armando Faz Hernandez is a Research Engineer at Cloudflare, Inc., where his work since 2018 has focused on the Internet-wide deployment of cryptographic solutions and secure communication protocols.

He specializes in the optimization and secure development of critical cryptographic software, with particular expertise in elliptic curve cryptography and post-quantum cryptography. He co-authored CIRCL, Cloudflare’s first Go library dedicated to Post-Quantum Cryptography.

His technical impact extends to standardization, where he has contributed to efforts at the IETF, notably providing technical guidance on the specification of Hashing to Curve functions (RFC-9380) and Verifiable Oblivious Pseudorandom functions (RFC-9497). Currently, his primary focus is on adapting infrastructure for the post-quantum era, ensuring long-term cryptographic agility.

Armando earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Campinas, Brazil. His research has been published in several leading cryptographic conferences. Beyond his technical achievements, he actively promotes the diversity of ideas within his circles and is committed to supporting emerging talented people in the field.

Dr. Axel Y. Poschmann is the Vice President of Product at PQShield, a UK-based cybersecurity firm specializing in post-quantum cryptography. With more than 15 years of international experience across Asia, Europe, the U.S., and the Middle East, Dr. Poschmann is recognized for his deep technical expertise and strategic leadership in cryptographic hardware and secure product development. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and an Executive MBA from INSEAD, and has previously led advanced security labs at NXP Semiconductors and xen1thLabs. His work focuses on transitioning cryptographic systems to quantum-safe standards and driving innovation in secure hardware solution.

Brian LaMacchia is an applied cryptographer. He is the President of Farcaster Consulting Group, LLC, and most recently served as the first Executive Director of the MPC Alliance, a consortium of over 50 companies and academic institutions formed to accelerate awareness, acceptance, and adoption of multi-party computation (MPC) technology. Brian retired from Microsoft Corporation in December 2022 after a 25+-year career with the company where he was Microsoft’s Distinguished Engineer for Cryptography, head of the Security and Cryptography team within Microsoft Research, and co-founder and chair of the Microsoft Cryptography Review Board. He is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering at Indiana University-Bloomington and an Affiliate Faculty member of the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington. Brian is also currently Treasurer of the International Association for Cryptologic Research (IACR), a member of the National Academies Forum on Cyber Resilience, and a Vice President of the Board of Directors of Seattle Opera. Brian received S.B., S.M., and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT in 1990, 1991, and 1996, respectively.

Christian Schmitz is the Managing Director at evolutionQ, where he leads strategic initiatives in quantum-safe cybersecurity. With more than 20 years of experience in applied cryptography, Christian has played a pivotal role in developing and deploying secure digital solutions across industries such as finance, healthcare, government, and IoT.

His career includes early work in qualified electronic signatures (QES) and large-scale public key infrastructures (PKI), as well as leadership roles at Utimaco and exceet Secure Solutions GmbH. At evolutionQ, Christian focuses on helping organizations transition to cryptographic resilience in the post-quantum era, guiding clients through compliance, trust, and secure integration of advanced cryptographic frameworks.

Eibrahym Sultan joined QuantumGate just before its launch in 2024, bringing a strong background in engineering and a passion for scaling innovative technologies. Raised in the UK, he began his career as an engineer but quickly transitioned into customer-facing roles, where he helped startups find product-market fit and expand globally. At QuantumGate, he channels this experience into building strategic partnerships and driving growth for one of the region’s most promising ventures in quantum-safe cybersecurity.

QuantumGate, powered by VentureOne, offers solutions like QSphere (a quantum-resistant VPN and encryption suite) and Salina (a password-less identity and access management platform), helping organizations transition securely into the post-quantum era.

Dr. Emanuele Bellini is a Technical Director at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi. He previously served as Lead Cryptographer at DarkMatter and Cryptographer at Telsy S.p.A. (TIM Group). He holds a Ph.D. in Coding Theory and Cryptography from the University of Trento and a Master’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Turin, Italy.

Dr. Bellini is an experienced and versatile cryptographer overseeing the design, analysis, and implementation of cryptographic algorithms and protocols, their integration into products, national cryptographic migration strategies, and research collaborations with leading universities. He manages large technical teams and multi-year research programs.

His expertise extends to the interplay between cryptography, cryptanalysis, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence.

Falco Christow is Senior Product Manager at QuantumGate, specializing in encryption, key management, and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). He leads the product-market development of next-generation post-quantum cryptographic solutions that secure digital ecosystems for enterprises and governments.

With over 20 years of product management experience in encryption and key management, Falco has driven groundbreaking innovations at Thales, Gemalto, and SafeNet, designing and launching industry-first solutions. He pioneered the world’s first cloud-based marketplace for encryption products and successfully commercialized Encryption-as-a-Service (EaaS).

His collaboration with Google on confidential computing resulted in the rapid launch of Ubiquitous Data Encryption, providing cloud service tenants with enhanced data confidentiality. Falco has played a pivotal role in hardware security modules (HSMs), digital signatures, and financial transaction encryption. As a product leader, he spearheaded the launch of a secure collaboration platform that processes over $5 billion annually for financial and government institutions in Canada.

Earlier in his career, he managed an orphanage in East Africa, overseeing educational and operational initiatives for underprivileged children. Falco holds an MBA from Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business.

Francisco Rodríguez-Henríquez received his PhD in electrical and computer engineering from Oregon State University in June 2000. From July 2000 to May 2002, Prof. Rodríguez-Henríquez was collaborating as a security architect for IT companies in Germany and the U.S. From May 2002 to May 2022, he was a professor in the Computer Science Department of the Advanced Research Center at Mexico City. Since May 2021, Prof. Rodríguez-Henríquez is Technical Director in the Cryptography Research Centre of the Technology Innovation Institute at Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Prof. Rodríguez-Henríquez has co-authored over 60 technical papers and several book chapters. He is also the first author of the book Cryptographic Algorithms on Reconfigurable Hardware, published by Springer in November 2006. Additionally, Dr. Rodríguez-Henríquez has served in a number of program committees of information security and cryptographic international conferences. He was TCHES 2024 co-Editor-in-Chief and CRYPTO 2025 General Chair and Director of the International Association for Cryptologic Research (IACR) Board of Directors for the period of 2024-2026. He is co-founder of the International Conference on Cryptology and Information Security in Latin America (Latincrypt) and the Advanced School on Cryptology and Information Security in Latin America (ASCrypto), which are considered the leading cryptographic periodical meetings in the Latin America region. His research interests lie in applied cryptography and computer arithmetic.

Dr. Hakim Hacid is the Chief Researcher of the Artificial Intelligence and Digital Science Research Center in Technology Innovation Institute (TII), a cutting-edge UAE-based scientific research center, leading the diverse efforts around LLM’s and Machine Learning. Prior to joining TII, he was an Associate Professor at Zayed University, a customer analytics head at Zain telecom, and a research department head at Bell Labs Research. He is a published author of many research articles in top journals conferences and holds several industrial patents to his credit. His research specialization includes machine learning, databases, natural language processing, security. He obtained his PhD in Data Mining/Databases and also a double master’s in Computer Sc (Master by Research & Professional Master) from University of Lyon, France.

Before joining TII, Dr Grieve spent seven years at Singapore’s Center for Quantum Technologies, where he remains a Visiting Research Associate Professor. At CQT, he led a team developing polymer waveguide platforms for quantum photonic applications. Dr Grieve’s previous research topics have included entangled photon sources, single photon detector systems and a stint working on fiber-based quantum key distribution systems as part of a collaboration with Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (Singtel). Dr Grieve completed his PhD at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom in 2012, with research focused on optically trapped nanotools. Dr Grieve is broadly interested in the behaviour of light, weak or strong, and especially in nano- and micro-scale systems.

Janne Hirvimies brings over 20 years of experience in secure platform development, mobile security, and hardware-assisted security solutions. As CTO of QuantumGate, he leads the technical vision for quantum-safe cybersecurity products, including quantum-resistant VPNs, identity management, and crypto discovery tools.

Originally from Finland, Janne began his career in electronics and microelectronics, later pivoting to software security during his time at Nokia, where he worked on platform security for mobile devices. His career includes leadership roles at INTEL, HUAWEI, and KATIM, where he served as VP of the Phones Business Unit.

Now based in Abu Dhabi, Janne is helping shape the UAE’s cybersecurity landscape through QuantumGate’s affiliation with the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) and its commercialization arm, VentureOne.

Ren Jigang, associate professor in Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, selected Youth Innovation Promotion Association，CAS at 2014. In July 2001, he get bachelor’s degree in science from Tsinghua University and Ph.D in science from Tsinghua University in July 2007. From 2007 to 2010, he was a postdoctoral researcher of University of Science and Technology of China(USTC). Since 2010, he has been an associate professor of USTC. His main research areas is free space quantum communication. In recent years published more than 10 research papers including one paper in Nature and one paper in Nature Photonics.

Juma Alshamsi is a cybersecurity advocate and community leader associated with Exploi3trs, a UAE-based initiative that promotes ethical hacking, digital forensics, and cyber awareness among youth and professionals. Exploi3trs is known for organizing hands-on workshops, CTF (Capture the Flag) competitions, and cybersecurity training events across the region, often in collaboration with government and academic institutions.

Juma plays a key role in mentoring emerging talent, fostering a culture of responsible hacking, and building a community of cybersecurity enthusiasts in the UAE. His work supports national efforts to strengthen digital resilience and cultivate the next generation of cyber defenders.

Mr. Salah Khaled has been serving as the Director of UNESCO Doha Office for Gulf States and Yemen, as well as UNESCO Representative to the Gulf States and Yemen, since May 2022. He began his career with the United Nations in 1993, initially working with the UNDP in Egypt and later at UNICEF. His journey with UNESCO started in 2001, where he held various key positions across the Middle East, Asia, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa, including in post-conflict and post-disaster regions.

Throughout his career, Mr. Khaled contributed to significant UNESCO projects, including coordinating operations in Iraq under the Oil for Food Programme and supporting education system restructuring and cultural heritage protection in Iraq. He also played a vital role in relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake and served in leadership roles in Pakistan, South Sudan, and the North Africa region, where he acted as Regional Director for the UNESCO office in Rabat, overseeing activities in Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, and Tunisia. Before his current role, Mr. Khaled was the Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Central Africa, overseeing operations in multiple countries.

Khalifa Alhammadi is a cybersecurity strategist and innovation advocate affiliated with CyberE71, the UAE’s flagship program for advancing cybersecurity entrepreneurship. CyberE71 serves as a launchpad for Emirati startups, offering mentorship, regulatory guidance, and access to global tech platforms. Khalifa plays a central role in mentoring emerging cyber talent, supporting the development of quantum-safe technologies, and promoting digital resilience across the region.

His work aligns with the UAE’s broader vision to become a global leader in cybersecurity innovation, and he frequently engages with academic institutions, government bodies, and private sector partners to drive collaborative growth.

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Maitha Alshaali is a Senior Research Engineer in the Artificial Intelligence and Digital Science Research Center (AIDRC) at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi, where she works at the intersection of AI and program analysis. She also pursues a PhD at Durham University, UK. Maitha obtained her MSc in Cyber Security and her BSc in IT Security from Zayed University, UAE. Her work and research focus on binary analysis and vulnerability detection, developing practical tools that improve software security relying on advanced generative AI. Before joining TII, Maitha was a cybersecurity analyst at aeCERT focused on incident response and digital forensics.

Mr. Michael Osborne is the CTO of IBM Quantum Safe at IBM Research – Zurich, where he leads global efforts in quantum-safe cryptography and secure data technologies.

Michael Osborne serves as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for IBM Quantum Safe at IBM Research – Zurich, Switzerland. He leads IBM’s global strategy for quantum-safe cryptography, focusing on developing and standardizing technologies that protect data against future quantum threats. His work ensures that IBM’s products and services are equipped with quantum-resistant encryption to safeguard sensitive information for decades to come.

In addition to his cryptographic leadership, Osborne has contributed to the development of pseudonymization technologies that enable secure data processing while maintaining privacy. He played a key role in IBM’s collaboration with Truata, a GDPR-compliant data trust that extracts insights from anonymized data.

Osborne is a frequent speaker at global cybersecurity and quantum technology forums, including the Aspen Cyber Summit, where he discusses the intersection of quantum innovation and data protection.

Mohammed Aboul-Magd is Vice President of Product for the SandboxAQ Cybersecurity Group, leading the full product portfolio to deliver advanced cybersecurity solutions for some of the world’s most critical organizations. SandboxAQ, spun out of Alphabet in 2022, has raised over $1 billion from leading investors including Eric Schmidt, Google, NVIDIA, Marc Benioff, and Ray Dalio.

Previously, Mohammed was Vice President of Product at Snyk, where he launched Snyk Code – an AI-powered security platform that scaled to $100 million in annual recurring revenue – partnering with some of the world’s largest enterprises to solve complex security challenges.

Earlier at Akamai Technologies, he founded and built the company’s Edge Compute business, bringing distributed computing to global customers.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Systems Engineering with Highest Distinction from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada

CEO at EXORDIUM, founder of bugloud the first bug bounty platform with AI in the middle east, co-author of AI powered development security blueprint, used to be the head of MOI-CERT.

Mohammed Khaled Al Shamsi is an Emirati entrepreneur and the Founder and CEO of CyberNet Platform, launched in 2022 to make cybersecurity education accessible and engaging for youth across the UAE and Arabic-speaking countries. With a background in computer engineering, software development, and vulnerability research, he has trained in Red Team operations, malware analysis, and kernel exploit development through programs like BEACON RED and internships with Abu Dhabi Police.

CyberNet has quickly gained recognition for its gamified learning approach, offering challenges, webinars, and certifications that promote digital safety and career readiness. The platform collaborates with universities, companies, and government entities, positioning itself as a national hub for cybersecurity talent development.

Dr. Rafael Misoczki is a cryptography researcher at Meta Platforms, Inc., specializing in post-quantum cryptography and secure cryptographic infrastructure. He has contributed to the development of quantum-resistant algorithms, including work on code-based cryptography such as BIKE (Bit Flipping Key Encapsulation). With a Ph.D. in computer science and a strong publication record, Dr. Misoczki plays a key role in Meta’s efforts to future-proof its security systems against emerging quantum threats.

Dr. Rene Peralta is a Computer Scientist in the Computer Security Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He is a leading contributor to the Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Standardization Project, which aims to develop cryptographic algorithms resistant to quantum computing threats. Dr. Peralta also serves as the technical lead of the Privacy Enhancing Cryptology project, focusing on cryptographic techniques that protect individual privacy in digital systems.

He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and has over two decades of academic experience in cryptology, algorithmics, and computational number theory before joining NIST in 2005.

Robert has 10 years of space instrument development experience and was previously a Senior Research Fellow and Satellite Team Lead at the Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT). He holds a PhD in Instrument Science (MEMS Plasma Analysers) from University College London (UCL) and a Master’s in Physics from the Durham University.

Dr. Sana Amairi-Pyka is the Lead Scientist for Quantum Communications at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi, where she leads the Abu Dhabi Quantum Optical Ground Station (ADQOGS) project to advance space-based quantum communication and secure global optical networks. She holds a Ph.D. in Quantum Optical Metrology from the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Germany and a certificate in Executive Leadership Development from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

In 2025, she was selected by Junior Chamber International as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) under 40 worldwide for her impact in science and technology. Her earlier career includes postdoctoral work on ESA’s LISA mission at Humboldt University of Berlin. In 2017, her scientific accomplishments were recognized with substantial funding from the Berlin Senate Administration BCP, and she was named an ambassadress for the “Brain City Berlin” campaign. She held leadership roles at the European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC). She has served as an external expert to the European Commission since 2017 and has contributed to research initiatives across Europe, the MENA region, and Australia.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanapyka/

Simon Reiniche is a cybersecurity executive and startup advisor currently involved with CyberE71, the UAE’s flagship program for advancing cybersecurity innovation and entrepreneurship. With a background in business development, threat intelligence, and startup ecosystems, Simon brings a global perspective to building and scaling cyber ventures.

He has held leadership roles at companies such as Threatray, ISTARI, and Flashpoint, where he focused on client strategy, revenue growth, and public sector engagement across EMEA. Simon is also the Co-Founder of Innixus, a company focused on cyber threat intelligence and resilience.

At CyberE71, Simon contributes to mentoring and supporting emerging cybersecurity startups, helping them navigate product-market fit, investment readiness, and international expansion.

Ms. Sofia Grypari is a Product Management Principal at QuantumGate, where she drives innovation in post-quantum cybersecurity solutions.

Sofia Grypari is a Product Management Principal at QuantumGate, a UAE-based cybersecurity startup focused on post-quantum cryptography. Originally from Greece, Sofia’s career has spanned multiple industries and countries, driven by her deep curiosity and passion for tackling complex challenges. She thrives in fast-paced environments and is known for her ability to lead product strategy in emerging tech domains.

At QuantumGate, she is immersed in one of the most dynamic frontiers in cybersecurity, helping shape solutions that protect data against quantum-enabled threats. Her role involves translating technical innovation into scalable products that meet the evolving needs of enterprise and government clients.

Stefan Lespezeanu is the General Manager for Quantum Communications at Honeywell. He leads the strategic development and commercialization of Honeywell’s quantum communications portfolio, with a focus on space-based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). Stefan oversees the integration of advanced quantum-enabled payloads, secure ground infrastructure, and full mission architectures to deliver scalable Quantum-as-a-Service (QaaS) solutions. His work is instrumental in shaping Honeywell’s role in the future of secure global connectivity, driving innovation across satellite systems and quantum networking technologies. Stefan brings expertise in product strategy, systems engineering, and emerging quantum technologies, positioning Honeywell at the forefront of the quantum communications sector.

Dr. Toshinobu Yasuhira is currently on secondment from the National Police Agency of Japan, where he has had a distinguished career spanning over two decades since 2002. He presently serves as the Director of the INTERPOL Innovation Centre, a position he assumed in November 2023. Prior to this, he held the role of Digital Crime Officer in the INTERPOL Cybercrime Directorate from 2016 to 2018. Throughout his illustrious career, Dr Yasuhira has held various key positions in diverse departments, including International Investigative Operations, Cybercrime Investigation, and High-Tech Crime Technology. Notably, he served as Assistant Director in the Cyber-Intelligence Unit at the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, providing critical intelligence to inform the Cabinet’s decision-making processes. Immediately preceding his current role, he was the Deputy Head of the National Central Bureau (NCB) Tokyo. Dr. Yasuhira holds a PhD, Master’s, and Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Tokyo, JAPAN, with a specialization in Applied Physics and a research focus on Experimental Quantum Physics.

Tunç Ozgul is an experienced professional currently serving as the Head of Startup and VC Ecosystem for Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Turkey, the Middle East, and North Africa since August 2020. Concurrently, Tunç Ozgul acts as a mentor at Endeavor and is an angel investor with Keiretsu Forum, supporting various startups such as Vispera and Zaxe. Additionally, Tunç Ozgul has been a Board Member and Visiting Professor at Bahcesehir University since 2015, focusing on digital transformation and leadership development. Prior experience includes partnerships at IKAR Industries and significant roles at Intel Corporation, where responsibilities encompassed digital transformation consultancy and sales management in large enterprise environments. Earlier career milestones include positions at PepsiCo, Thomson Reuters, and Turkcell, following a BSc in Electronics Engineering from Middle East Technical University.