Under the patronage of Lt. General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, the International Exhibition for National Security and Resilience (ISNR Abu Dhabi 2024), organised by ADNEC Group in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior and in strategic partnership with Abu Dhabi Police General Command and academic partnership with Rabdan Academy, concluded after seeing the largest participation of exhibitors since the events inception in 2008.
At the ISNR 2024 conference accompanying the exhibition, which was organised by the Ministry of Interior and Rabdan Academy in cooperation with ADNEC Group, Lt. General His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, launched the Rabdan Security and Defense Institute (RSDI), a specialised research center dedicated to advanced security and defence studies with the aim of deepening understanding of regional security dynamics and identify potential threats, opportunities and challenges.
Within the ‘ISNR Dialogues’ platform, a series of presentations and fruitful dialogue sessions were held that discussed a broad spectrum of topics related to cybersecurity challenges and solutions for protecting critical infrastructure.
The third and final day of the Dialogues was held under the theme ‘Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection’, which commenced with a presentation entitled ‘Using Strategic Intelligence to Understand and Confront Physical and Cybersecurity Threats.’
During the three days of the exhibition, 25,128 visitors attended, an increase of 30% compared to the previous edition of 19,493, to witness and acquire knowledge about the latest developments, innovations and technologies in the fields of cybersecurity, national security, policing and law enforcement.
The exhibition hosted 210 exhibitors from 35 countries, representing a 14% increase since the last edition. The surface area of the exhibition covered over 24,000 square metres of the ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi an increase of 57% compared to 2022s edition.
Capital Events, ADNEC Group’s events management subsidiary, launched six new features were launched at this years edition: the Cyber Security Hub, Innovation Zone, Interpol Policing Hub, Emerging Enterprises, Tech Talks and the ISNR Conference organised by Ministry of Interior and Rabdan Academy in collaboration with ADNEC Group.
The opening day also witnessed a breath-taking display organised by the Ministry of the Interior that was repeated throughout the duration of the exhibition. The display scenario illustrated the role of constructive international cooperation between law enforcement agencies as a decisive factor in combating organised crime. It also highlighted the efforts in this field made by the UAE, which attaches the utmost importance to strengthening global cooperation to tackle all forms of organised crime through the exchange of information and expertise. The display illustrated how international operations aided by positive and effective communication channels could eliminate a criminal organisation active in the field of human and drug trafficking. The scenario involved a joint security operation between the UAE and a global country in coordination with Interpol to carry out a precise operation to isolate criminals and decisively terminate their activities.
Over the two days of the ISNR Conference, pivotal discussions on critical security, policing and crisis management issues started on day one with a forum on ‘Policing and Crisis Management in the Era of Innovation’, featuring intensive discussion of a broad spectrum of topics including strategic alliances in global stability, national security trends, the adoption of future strategies, evidence-based policing and police strategies and measures to ensure sustainability in homeland security. Day two of the conference focused on ‘Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Security Technology’ with the agenda covering national security systems, international cooperation, AI and cyber security and intelligence-based preparedness among other topics.
During the ISNR technical talks, leading experts in various fields gathered to hold discussions, dialogue and interactive sessions to review many topics related to all aspects of security.
Throughout the course of ISNR, the ISNR Talks brought together leading experts in various fields for discussions, sessions and panels to discuss several topics. A series of presentations and rich panel discussions were held within the ISNR Talks platform, which discussed a variety of topics related to cybersecurity challenges and solutions to protect critical infrastructure. The third and final day of the ‘ISNR Dialogues’ within the ‘Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection’ forum began with a presentation entitled ‘Using Strategic Intelligence to Understand and Counter Physical and Cybersecurity Threats.’
The Ministry of Interior stand at ISNR 2024 saw several activities take place, including the MOI Talks, featuring 22 Emirati and distinguished speakers covering a range of critically important issues. In addition, two ceremonies were held for Ministry of Interior employees graduating from pioneering programs designed to enhance security and protection.
During a series of dialogue sessions for the Ministry of Interior on the second day of ISNR Abu Dhabi 2024, participants addressed several important topics that included child protection in cyberspace, institutional partnerships to improve child protection in cyberspace in the UAE, and the protection of women in cyberspace.
The sessions featured experts and specialists at the local and global levels discussing the importance of protecting society from cybercrime through governance enhancements, improvements in the quality of digital life, and cooperation between national institutions. International cooperation to raise awareness of cross-border cybersecurity challenges, and healthy and sound practices for dealing with them, were also addressed.
Additionally, two graduation ceremonies took place for the Ministry of Interior. A graduation ceremony of 54 members from the Ministry and the Abu Dhabi Police GHQ took place. These graduates consisted of members of police stations who successfully completed a specialised program in child protection, qualifying them as specialists in this important field.
A second graduation on the final day consisted of the ninth batch of the Future Services Diploma, that aims to develop the capabilities of national cadres, qualify them towards pioneering future services, enhance the process of government work and facilitate the lives of community members with distinguished services. In all, 225 employees graduated from this pioneering programme, with 49 federal and local entities along with companies and institutions being represented.
The Cyber Security Hub, launched by the UAE Cyber Security Council, held a daily competition for cyber security practitioners. Titled ‘Capture the Flag’ this unique and competitive feature aimed to evaluate the cybersecurity skills and knowledge of participants. Participants tested their skills on 10 different cyber activities, including hacking Artificial Intelligence, cryptography and various other coding challenges. On the final day, Mohammed Aloraimi, was awarded as the winner, an outcome that emphasised the importance of growing cyber security capabilities within the UAE.
The Interpol Policing Hub served as a focal point for collaboration, knowledge exchange and innovation in global law enforcement. Attendees took part in engaging sessions, interactive demonstrations and networking opportunities with leading law enforcement professionals from around the world.
