-      SANS Abu Dhabi May 2025 and Dubai May 2025 to bring in-person and virtual events with hands-on courses and exclusive Community Night sessions

By : Wael Magdy

SANS Institute, the global leader in cybersecurity training and certifications, has announced two major training events in the United Arab Emirates this May: SANS Abu Dhabi May 2025 (May 18-23) and SANS Dubai May 2025 (May 25-30). The events offer a selection of world-class courses tailored to help cybersecurity professionals across the Middle East sharpen their skills and stay ahead of today’s most advanced threats.

The UAE’s cybersecurity landscape is under growing pressure, with over 223,800 exposed assets and half of all critical vulnerabilities left unpatched for more than five years. According to the 2025 State of the UAE Cybersecurity Report, misconfigurations and improper usage are driving most incidents, while AI-powered threats like phishing and deepfakes are becoming more common. As government, finance, and energy sectors remain key targets, strengthening cyber resilience is now a national priority.

"The UAE's rapid digital growth has positioned the country as a prime target for increasingly sophisticated cyber threats,” said Ned Baltagi, Managing Director for the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, SANS Institute. “By offering practical, mission-focused training in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, we’re enabling teams to level up their capabilities, from ICS and forensics to red teaming and auditing – and build a stronger defense posture that meets the needs of 2025 and beyond.”

SANS Abu Dhabi May 2025

Taking place at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Abu Dhabi, from May 18-23, SANS Abu Dhabi May 2025 offers the following courses:

•      ICS410: ICS/SCADA Security Essentials

•      FOR572: Advanced Network Forensics: Threat Hunting, Analysis, and Incident Response

•      SEC670: Red Teaming Tools - Developing Windows Implants, Shellcode, Command and Control

In addition to training courses, SANS will host a Community Night session on ‘Tales from the Cryptography’ on May 19 (5:30pm–6:30pm GST). This free evening talk, open to all cybersecurity enthusiasts, will highlight real-world cryptographic failures from 2024 – from open-source libraries to Fortune 500 codebases –  and offer practical insights into why cryptography remains a critical, yet misunderstood, area of cybersecurity.

For more information and to register for SANS Abu Dhabi May 2025, visit: https://www.sans.org/cyber-security-training-events/abu-dhabi-may-2025/

To attend the SANS Abu Dhabi May 2025 Community Night, visit: https://www.sans.org/mlp/community-night-abu-dhabi-may-2025/

SANS Dubai May 2025

SANS Dubai May 2025 will take place from May 25-30 at the Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah, where participants can register for the following courses:

•      SEC565: Red Team Operations and Adversary Emulation

•      SEC566: Implementing and Auditing CIS Controls

•      SEC511: Cybersecurity Engineering: Advanced Threat Detection and Monitoring

SANS Dubai will also feature a Community Night session on Monday, May 26 (5:30pm–6:30pm GST): ‘Same Findings, Different Organization’. The talk will shed light on recurring vulnerabilities across companies and industries, raising tough questions about whether organizations are truly improving their security posture.

For more information and to register for SANS Dubai May 2025, visit: https://www.sans.org/cyber-security-training-events/dubai-may-2025/

To attend the SANS Dubai May 2025 Community Night, visit: https://www.sans.org/mlp/community-night-dubai-may-2025/

Both events will be led by SANS-certified instructors with years of real-world experience, offering participants globally respected GIAC certifications, practical labs, and case studies. Whether attending virtually or in person, professionals will leave with actionable skills that can be immediately applied in their roles.