Wednesday 17th June 2026
Bab Samhan, A Luxury Hotel Collection Diriyah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
We are pleased to invite you to The Exclusive Palo Alto Networks Innovation Day, taking place on Wednesday 17 June 2026 at Bab Samhan, Diriyah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Join your peers, our leading experts, and our local partners to explore a new security strategy — one that empowers you to confidently embrace revolutionary technologies and unleash your organization’s full potential.
With progress come new and evolving cyberthreats, forcing business and IT leaders to ensure security does not become a barrier to expansion. We’re excited to share that the time has come to reframe cybersecurity as the key enabler of your business — and a powerful engine for growth.
Our vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before, and Palo Alto Networks is trusted by more than 70,000 customers in over 150 countries. We define what’s next in cybersecurity through our best-of-breed platforms, world-class threat intelligence and unparalleled expert services.
Innovation Day Riyadh, brought to you by Palo Alto Networks will guide you through your evolving security journey. During this day, you’ll learn to stop simply reacting to threats – and to start building a proactive, resilient defense suited to the specific needs of your organization.
09:45am – 10:00am: Welcome by Master of Ceremony
10:00am – 10:15am: Welcome to Innovation Day Riyadh
Abdallah Altaifi, VP, Saudi/LBS, Palo Alto Networks
Jordi Botifoll, VP EMEA South, Palo Alto Networks
10:15am – 10:45am: Frontier AI
Haider Pasha, VP Chief Security Officer, Palo Alto Networks
10:40am – 10:50am: Fireside Chat
Haider Pasha, VP Chief Security Officer, Palo Alto Networks
10:50am – 11:10am: What’s next in Cybersecurity
Tarek Abbas, Senior Director Technical Solutions, Palo Alto Networks
11:20am – 11:45am: Customer Experts Panel: Delivering Outcomes from Platformization
Mohammed Hamdan, Technical Solutions Manager, Palo Alto Networks
3 x Customers TBC
11:50am – 12:15pm: COFFEE BREAK
12:15pm – 12:40pm: Threat Intelligence Briefing – KSA
Unit 42 Consultant, Palo Alto Networks
12:40pm – 1:10pm: Customer Experts Panel: The AI Advantage to Solving the Unsolvable in CyberSecurity
Ehab Al Dubbeh, Solutions Consulting Manager, Palo Alto Networks
1:10pm – 2:15pm: LUNCH BREAK
2:15pm – 2:45pm: Securing your Quantum Future
2:45pm – 3:15pm: Identity Security
3:15pm – 4:00pm: AI Observability
4:00pm: Closing
VP & Chief Security Officer, EMEA- Palo Alto Networks
Mr. Haider Pasha is Sr. Director and Chief Security Officer for Emerging Markets at Palo Alto Networks. Prior to this role, Mr. Pasha spent 5 years at Symantec working as CTO and Systems Engineering Director for the same region. He has been partnering with CISOs across the industry, executing together on a multi-year architecture strategy across the geography including Cloud, A.I., and Blockchain. He is a trusted advisor to Palo Alto’s strategic customers and partners, helping them become more competitive and innovative while enhancing their Cyber Resilience Strategy. A key area of specialty for Mr. Pasha is around architecting Security Operations Centers, designing Threat Intelligence Platforms, and helping customers adhere to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Prior to joining Symantec, Mr. Pasha spent 14 years at Cisco Systems covering various senior positions in Silicon Valley and most recently as CTO for Cisco Africa.
Mr. Pasha completed his MBA from Manchester Business School, UK and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Purdue University, USA. Over the course of his 20 year IT career, Mr. Pasha has held various certifications, including CCNP, CCSP, CISSP. CCIE (Security) and CEH. Mr. Pasha’s successes come from being able to bind advanced technical concepts to commercial, people and process requirements, while maintaining a balanced perspective with the business objective in mind. He is also Palo Alto Networks go-to public Security spokesperson in the region.
Vice President for EMEA South and Emerging Markets at Palo Alto Networks
Regional Vice President - Palo Alto Networks
Abdullah Altaif is a Regional Vice President at Palo Alto Networks, leading business strategy and growth across Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Bahrain. He focuses on driving digital transformation and strengthening cybersecurity outcomes for organisations across the region. [tahawultech.com]. [linkedin. com] A results-driven sales leader, he brings a strong track record of building high-performing teams and delivering consistent growth, with extensive experience across enterprise and public sector markets.
Prior to his current role, he progressed through multiple senior positions within Palo Alto Networks and earlier held roles at Symantec, Huawei, and GE, developing deep expertise in sales leadership, account management, and business development.
Mr. Altaifi holds academic qualifications from Washington State University and other institutions, alongside certifications in leadership, finance, and customer experience.

Regional Vice President - Palo Alto Networks

VP & Chief Security Officer, EMEA- Palo Alto Networks

Vice President for EMEA South and Emerging Markets at Palo Alto Networks
Samer El Kodsi
Regional Vice President of Sales – Gulf & North Africa
Samer El Kodsi is the Regional Vice President of Sales – Gulf & North Africa at Palo Alto Networks. He is responsible for leading sales strategy and growth, driving cybersecurity innovation and partnerships.
With about 25 years of experience, El Kodsi is skilled in leading sales strategies and in supervising diverse teams across multiple positions and geographies. Starting his career in the software industry, El Kodsi co-founded Exceed IT Services – a leading Microsoft service and consulting partner – following which he joined Juniper Networks as a General Manager for the Gulf and Levant region. Since 2018, El Kodsi has been at Palo Alto Networks, where he has grown professionally within the cybersecurity industry.
El Kodsi holds a master’s degree in Computer Systems Engineering from Boston University, United States, and a bachelor’s degree in Computer and Communications Engineering from American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
Tarek Abbas
Senior Systems Engineering Director – Emerging and South Europe
Tarek Abbas is the Senior Systems Engineering Director at Palo Alto Networks, Emerging Markets. In his leadership capacity, he oversees the Company’s PreSales Team and manages the technical field engagement with key clients and partners across the region.
He joined the organisation in 2015 and has 25 years of experience within the information and cyber security sector. He has worked with leading organisations such as Juniper Networks , Cisco Systems and Siemens AG, where he gained experience in leading both technical and sales teams. His engagement focuses on understanding of every customer’s business needs and security requirements and addressing them accordingly. In different capacities, he covered markets across the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer and Communication Engineering from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
EMEA
United Kingdom
META
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
United States
Dallas, Texas
APAC
India
Singapore
Opening Soon
EMEA | META | United States | APAC | Singapore