The discussion will broaden out to a global context on day two, with speakers from the US and Asia giving their perspectives ABU DHABI: Regional and global security issues will come under the spotlight for the next two days as delegates to the inaugural World Security Forum gather in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi. The event — under the theme “Thought Leadership and Solutions to Real and Present Security Risks” — will be attended by a high-powered delegation of policymakers, security experts and risk analysts from the region and beyond, hosted by the Abu Dhabi Global Market on Al-Maryah island where the event will take place. Dhaher Bin Dhaher, the chief executive of the ADGM Regulatory Authority, welcomed the Forum: “It will feature internationally recognized, renowned strategic and operational thinkers who are integral in managing security risk as a matter of political or commercial imperative as key speakers. The discussions will range from the political to the strategic, including physical security, emergency response, commercial risks, trade, maritime, legal and cybersecurity.” More than 200 elite delegates will participate in an agenda that includes keynote speeches, panel discussions and networking sessions for ideas exchange and experience sharing, with expert opinions, relationship building and finding solutions for maintaining global safety and security. The keynote address will be delivered by Michele Coninsx, executive director of the counter — terrorism executive directorate of the UN secretary general, while regional perspectives will be addressed by Maj. Gen. Omar Al-Bitar, adviser to the UAE minister of state for defense, UAE; and Mohamed Hamad Hareb Al-Kuwaiti, executive adviser to the UAE Supreme Council for National Security. It will feature internationally recognized, renowned strategic and operational thinkers who are integral in managing security risk as key speakers. Dhaher Bin Dhaher, ADGM official The discussion will broaden out to a global context on day two, with speakers from the US and Asia giving their perspectives. There will also be a special session on the need to protect critical infrastructure in the wake of the attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities in September. Arab News is strategic media partner for the forum. Editor-in-Chief Faisal Abbas said: “We are pleased to take part in the serious conversations that will be held at the inaugural WSF, which comes at a time of intense interest in the security challenges of the Middle East and an increasingly complex global context. It is good to shed some fresh light on some of the most complicated and important issues the world faces today.” Howard Leedham, managing partner of Consilium, the security advisory consultancy and knowledge partner of the Forum, said: “Our focus was to bring local and international speakers who might not commonly be heard in public to address regional, electronic, cyber and industrial concerns. We believe it will be one of the most informative security events ever held in the region.” The Forum is organized by Messe Frankfurt, the world’s leading conference group.