01
Showcase Your Innovation
Present your technology project at Black Hat 2026 if selected for the final stage.
25 days left until registration closes
Unlock Your Potential,Build the Future.
An initiative by Innovative Solutions (IS) empowering promising tech projects by university students, recent graduates and innovators, with selected projects presented at Black Hat 2026.
- Registration
- 18 Oct – 10 Nov 2026
- Final stage
- 1–3 Dec 2026 at Black Hat
- City
- Riyadh
01About
A platform for promising tech innovation
IS CyberNext is an initiative by Innovative Solutions (IS), supporting promising technical projects and innovations by university students, recent graduates and innovators across cybersecurity, cloud computing and systems integration, and data and artificial intelligence.
Selected projects will have the opportunity to present their innovations to industry leaders and specialists at Black Hat 2026.
Why participate?
- 02
Connect with Industry Leaders
Meet specialists, industry leaders and relevant organizations during the final stage.
- 03
Compete for Prizes
A total prize pool of SAR 100,000 across the top three places.
02Fields
Target Innovation Fields
Cybersecurity
Innovations that secure digital systems, data, identities and infrastructure, and help detect and respond to cyber threats.
- Threat and anomaly detection
- Software vulnerability discovery
- Identity and access management
- Incident analysis and response
- Data loss prevention and sensitive-data discovery
- Cyber recovery and data restoration
Cloud Computing & Systems Integration
Solutions that connect systems and services securely across cloud environments, infrastructure and platforms.
- Cloud and application integration
- Cloud migration tooling
- Cloud operations and resource automation
- Performance and cost optimization
- Cloud misconfiguration and excessive-permission detection
Data & Artificial Intelligence
Data- and AI-powered products and services for analytics, prediction, process automation and better decision-making.
- Decision-support analytics
- Predictive models for risk, demand and patterns
- Workflow and document automation
- AI bias and output-quality evaluation
- Prompt-injection detection
03Timeline
Key milestones
All dates are in 2026, Riyadh time.
18October
Up nextRegistration Opens
Applications open.
10November
Registration Closes
Published registration closing date.
23–24November
Finalists Announced
Selected projects are announced for the final stage.
1–3December
Final Stage at Black Hat
Final presentations and winner announcements during the event.
Calendar
Legend
- Registration
- Finalists announced
- Final stage
- Registration window
- Today
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 — Today |
18 — Registration Opens | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
- 18Registration Opens
04Prizes
Cash prizes for the top three places
Total Prize Pool
SAR 100,000
- 1
First Place
SAR 50,000
- 2
Second Place
SAR 30,000
- 3
Third Place
SAR 20,000
Partners
06FAQ
Quick answers
IS CyberNext welcomes university students, recent graduates and innovators developing promising technology projects, products or innovations within the initiative's focus areas. Eligible submissions may range from concepts under development and early prototypes to projects at earlier or more advanced stages.
The initiative focuses on three fields: Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing & Systems Integration, and Data & Artificial Intelligence. Projects, products and technology solutions within these fields are welcome.
Yes. The published examples are illustrative, not exhaustive. You may submit any project or product that falls within one of the three targeted innovation fields.
Yes. You may apply on your own or as part of a team of the project's or product's actual founders. A team may include up to four members, including the primary applicant. For team submissions, one principal representative must be able to explain and present the project during the final stage.
Yes. Non-Saudi applicants, including those based outside the Kingdom, may apply if their projects fall within the targeted fields and have potential relevance to the Saudi market. Finalists must be able to attend the final stage in person.
Yes. Previously developed or submitted projects may be entered, provided they meet IS CyberNext's participation requirements.
Submissions are assessed against criteria including innovation and technical value, clarity of the proposed idea or solution, relevance to industry needs, and the potential for future implementation and development.
The shortlisted projects are scheduled to be announced on 23–24 November 2026. Their representatives will be contacted using the details provided during registration, with information about the final stage.
In-person attendance is required only for projects selected for the final stage. Finalists will showcase their projects at Black Hat 2026 in Riyadh on 1–3 December 2026, where the judging committee will conduct the final evaluation. There are no preceding in-person camps, workshops or other on-site stages.
IS CyberNext gives shortlisted projects an opportunity to showcase their solutions to specialists, investors, companies and industry leaders at Black Hat 2026, taking place on 1–3 December 2026.
No. The initiative is designed around showcasing promising technology projects and products to industry stakeholders, rather than running workshops or development bootcamps.
Project presentation materials and introductory content must be prepared in English. The language of the live presentation to the judging committee—Arabic, English or both—will be confirmed later.
Intellectual property rights remain with their original rights holders, whether the submission is individual or team-based, subject to the initiative's Terms & Conditions.
Participants are responsible for ensuring that the materials they submit are lawful and that they hold the necessary rights or permissions. The initiative provider is not responsible for claims or disputes arising from a participant's infringement of third-party rights, to the extent permitted by applicable law.
Contact the Initiative team at info@iscybernext.com. Any additional official contact channels will be announced on the website when available.
IS CyberNext Community
Have a Question?Welcome, We're Here to Help.
Join the IS CyberNext WhatsApp community to follow initiative updates and stages, and ask questions about registration or participation.
info@iscybernext.com