HE Dr. Hessa Al-Jaber, Minister of ICT to Participate in Qatar Energy R&D Forum on April 28th

Dubai, April 14, 2015 (Gulf Intelligence) - The 3rd Gulf Intelligence Qatar Energy R&D Forum will be hosted by the Qatar University New Research Complex on April 28th with the objective to better align the research priorities of the national energy industry with academia and government around the country's three Grand Challenges -- energy security, water security and in particular this year the forum will have a focus on cyber security.

Following the 2012 cyber attacks on Qatar's RasGas and Saudi Arabia's state oil company Saudi Aramco, Qatar's leadership have stepped up to the challenges of cyber security with a national-level committee focused on fostering cooperation amongst both the public and private sectors, coordinating a national level cyber security strategy, developing national policies and regulations,  and conducting information security assessments. 

HE Dr. Hessa Al-Jaber, Minister of Information and Communications Technology, will provide an update on the government's strategic plans for predicting, overcoming and preventing the next generation of critical infrastructure cyber attacks to the forum audience of some 200 research professionals tasked with the responsibility of building Qatar's energy R&D ecosystem.

"As a result of the large number of high-profile cyber attacks in 2014, cyber security has been pushed to the very top of global policy agendas," said Sean Evers, Managing Director, Gulf Intelligence. "Last year's incidents allude to a worrying trend: the world's critical infrastructure, including energy systems that serve as the lifelines of global economies are under constant threat and attack, while attacks have also become more sophisticated and complex."

Following the recent approval of a draft cyber law in early March, Qatar continues to push ahead with research and development activities into bespoke cyber security solutions, which are recognized to be of critical importance given the increased reliance on computing and networking technologies by the global energy industry. As a highly connected country, Qatar has additional vulnerabilities and thus has focused its efforts on preparing for, protecting against, and recovering from cyber attacks.

The Qatar Energy R&D Forum will shed light on cyber security as a research priority in Qatar, and the progress in developing experts and expertise in detecting, blocking and responding to cyber threats before they impact national infrastructure, economy or population. To be successful in its endeavor, Qatar will have to pursue innovation on a much greater scale than seen in the past, with a combination of cultural shift and institutional developments such as introducing robust educational programs in cyber security.

The Gulf Intelligence Qatar Energy R&D Forum will take place at The New Research Complex - Qatar University on April28th 2015, and Speakers will include:

  • HE Dr. Hessa Al-Jaber, Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Qatar
  • Professor Sheikha Abdulla Al-Misnad, President, Qatar University
  • Eng. Khalid N. Sadiq Al-Hashmi, Under Secretary Cyber Security Sector, Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, Qatar
  • Erhama Nasser Al-Kaabi, Chief Employee Development & Welfare Officer, RasGas Company Limited
  • Dr. Hassan Al Derham, VP for Research, Qatar University
  • Dr. Mohammad Khaleel, Executive Director, QEERI
  • Hani Kanaan, Network Security Expert, Ministry of Interior, Qatar

Forum Producer - TheGulfIntelligence.Com

Gulf Intelligence facilitates knowledge exchange between stakeholders. The strategic communications and public affairs consultancy produces boutique industry forums and roundtable discussion series globally with an architecture that ensures all participants engage in a dynamic and competitive exchange of knowledge towards a shared goal. The Dubai-based firm assists Middle East companies and government entities to tap dormant intelligence and create knowledge reservoirs that can be utilized to bolster their profiles, to communicate with stakeholders and to overwhelm competitors. 

For further details, please contact:
Kathryn Stetz
PR Associate
Gulf Intelligence FZ LLC
Tel: +971 4 4508980
Mob: +971 55 7020034
Email:kathrynstetz@gulfintelligence.com

© Press Release 2015