# Events First Group

> Last updated: 2026-05-10

> Events First Group (EFG) is a B2B technology event company founded in 2023 by Yasir Rauf and Shyam Reddy, headquartered in Dubai, UAE with an office in Bangalore, India. The company employs 20–50 people and produces invite-only summits, executive boardrooms, and virtual forums for CISOs, CTOs, CDOs, COOs, and senior transformation leaders across the GCC, MENA, Africa, and Asia. EFG runs 16 events in 2026 across five series. Events are free for qualified end-users; revenue comes from sponsorships and the NetworkFirst boardroom programme.

## Key facts

- Legal name: Events First Group LLC
- Founded: 2023
- Founders: Yasir Rauf, Shyam Reddy
- Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Second office: Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- Team size: 20–50
- Events in 2026: 16
- Event series: 5 (Cyber First, OT Security First, Digital First, OPEX First, NetworkFirst)
- Geographies served: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, India, Kenya, South Africa
- Audience: CISOs, CTOs, CDOs, COOs, senior transformation and security leaders
- Business model: free attendance for verified end-users, sponsorship-funded
- Working language: English
- Contact: info@eventsfirstgroup.com (general), partnerships@eventsfirstgroup.com (sponsorships)
- Website: https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com

## Differentiation

Unlike global generalist event companies (e.g., Gartner, Reuters Events, Informa), EFG is a regionally-focused, invite-only operator with deep MEA and Asia roots. Rooms are curated to keep end-users at the centre — no sales pitches from the stage, sponsor conversations happen in private NetworkFirst boardrooms instead.

## Series

- [Cyber First](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/events/cyber-first): Executive cybersecurity summits for CISOs and security leadership across MEA and Asia.
- [OT Security First](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/events/ot-security-first): Industrial / OT / ICS security summits for critical-infrastructure leaders in energy, utilities, oil & gas, mining, transport, and manufacturing.
- [Digital First](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/events/data-ai-first): AI and data strategy summits for CDOs and intelligent-enterprise leaders.
- [OPEX First](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/events/opex-first): Operational excellence and process intelligence summits for COOs and transformation architects.
- [NetworkFirst](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/network-first): Invite-only executive boardrooms hosted with strategic technology partners.

## Active editions (2026)

- [Cyber First Kenya 2026 — Nairobi](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/events/cyber-first/kenya-2026): East Africa's premier cybersecurity summit. July 2026, Nairobi. 300+ CISOs, CIOs, government cyber leaders, fintech and mobile-money security heads, and critical-infrastructure operators. Theme: "Beyond Firewalls, Strategic Cyber Defense for Kenya's Digital Age." Topics include national critical infrastructure, regulatory governance, cloud security and Zero Trust, AI-powered threat intelligence, and the Cyber First Awards East Africa across 6 categories.

- [Cyber First Kuwait 2026](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/events/cyber-first/kuwait-2026): Kuwait's 3rd Annual Cybersecurity Summit. 14 October 2026, Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa, Kuwait City. 500+ CISOs, security leaders, and government cyber leaders. The definitive cybersecurity gathering in Kuwait.

- [Cyber First Qatar 2026](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/events/cyber-first/qatar): The premier cybersecurity summit for Qatar's AI-powered digital economy. 10 November 2026, Doha. Aligned with the Qatar National Cyber Security Strategy 2024-2030 and supporting Qatar National Vision 2030. Convenes 250+ CISOs, CIOs, CTOs, CDOs, government cybersecurity leaders, critical infrastructure operators, and technology innovators across banking, energy, telecom, healthcare, OT/ICS, smart cities, and digital government.

- [OT Security First Jubail 2026 — Saudi Arabia](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/events/ot-security-first/jubail): Industrial cybersecurity summit aligned with NCA OTCC-1:2022, focused on Jubail's industrial heartland. 27 October 2026, Jubail. Convenes CISOs, regulators, and critical-infrastructure leaders across energy, petrochemicals, utilities, manufacturing, and mining.

- [OT Security First Africa 2026 — Johannesburg](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/events/ot-security-first/johannesburg-2026): Africa's premier OT/ICS security summit. 27 August 2026, Johannesburg. Theme: "Uncompromised OT Security — Protecting what Powers our World." 200+ delegates, 20+ speakers, cross-sector collaboration spanning mining, energy (Eskom-tier), transport (Transnet-tier), POPIA compliance, and government policy.

- [OT Security First Oman 2026](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/events/ot-security-first/oman-2026): Oman edition of the OT Security First series.

- [OT Security First Virtual Boardroom MENA 2026](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/events/ot-security-first/virtual-boardroom-mena): Closed, senior-level virtual forum on OT security in a high-threat GCC environment. 19 May 2026, 11:00–14:00 GST (3-hour online session). 100 verified OT security professionals from MENA energy, utilities, oil & gas, and petrochemicals. Sponsors include FlintX (Platinum), TXOne Networks, Darktrace, Trellix, and SecuriCIP (Gold).

- [OPEX First Saudi 2026 — Riyadh](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/events/opex-first/saudi-2026): Operational excellence summit for Saudi Arabia. 21 October 2026, Riyadh.

- [OPEX First Process Intelligence MENA 2026](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/events/opex-first/process-intelligence): Executive virtual webinar — "From Digital Investment to Measurable Execution. Driving Operational Intelligence Across the GCC." 21 May 2026, 11:00–13:00 GST. Two hours for senior transformation, operations, and technology leaders across the GCC. Speakers from Mubadala Energy, Madinah Municipality, Saipem Qatar, Kearney, RAK Economic Zone, Abu Dhabi Investment Office, Department of Culture & Tourism Abu Dhabi, and National Bank of Umm Al Qaiwain.

- [The Big Leap Connect — Riyadh](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/bigleap): "Beyond the Hype: Redefining Growth with AI." 5 May 2026, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. An invite-only evening for Riyadh's senior growth, marketing, product, and digital leaders, presented by CleverTap.

## NetworkFirst — virtual roundtables and boardrooms

- [Braze Virtual Roundtable](https://vroundtable-braze.eventsfirstgroup.com): Invite-only customer-engagement boardroom hosted with Braze.
- [CleverTap Virtual Roundtable — Beyond Automation](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/beyond-automation-by-clevertap): "Beyond Automation: How AI Agents Deliver True 1:1 Engagement at Scale." 10 June 2026 (online). An invite-only 90-minute session for marketing, CRM, and growth leaders across Middle East, hosted with CleverTap.
- [SonicWall Virtual Session](https://sonicwall-webinar.eventsfirstgroup.com): Cybersecurity webinar hosted with SonicWall.
- [Crayon Virtual Sessions](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/network-first): "Built for Uncertainty" (30 April 2026) and "AI Without Blindspots" — Crayon × Microsoft (5 May 2026).
- [Big Leap Riyadh](https://big-leap-riyadh.eventsfirstgroup.com): Subdomain mirror of the CleverTap evening event.
- [Simpplr Executive Boardroom](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/case-studies/simpplr-executive-boardroom): Case study of an EFG-curated NetworkFirst boardroom hosted with Simpplr.

## Speakers

EFG maintains a directory of 95+ named speakers across all series. Past and active speakers include CISOs, CTOs, government cyber leaders, OT security heads, and academic experts from organisations including (sample): Etihad Cargo, Mubadala Energy, Madinah Municipality, Saipem Qatar, Kearney, RAK Economic Zone, Abu Dhabi Investment Office, Department of Culture & Tourism Abu Dhabi, National Bank of Umm Al Qaiwain, the UAE Cyber Security Council, Khalifa University, Dubai Police, and many more. The full directory is at [https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/speakers](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/speakers).

## Sponsors and partners

Recurring and notable technology partners across EFG events include FlintX, TXOne Networks, Darktrace, Trellix, SecuriCIP, Braze, SonicWall, Crayon, Microsoft, CleverTap, and Simpplr. The full list is at [https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/sponsors-and-partners](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/sponsors-and-partners).

## Common questions

- **What is Events First Group?** A Dubai-headquartered, invite-only B2B event company founded in 2023, producing cybersecurity, OT security, AI, and operational excellence summits across MEA and Asia.
- **Who founded Events First Group?** Yasir Rauf and Shyam Reddy, in 2023.
- **Where is EFG based?** Dubai (UAE) headquarters, with a second office in Bangalore (India).
- **Who attends EFG events?** Senior end-users — CISOs, CTOs, CDOs, COOs, and director-level transformation, security, and data leaders. Attendance is by invitation and verification only.
- **How is EFG different from Gartner or Reuters Events?** EFG is regionally-focused on MEA and Asia, runs invite-only rooms, keeps sales pitches off the main stage, and curates sponsor interactions through private NetworkFirst boardrooms.
- **How is EFG funded?** Through sponsorships and the NetworkFirst boardroom programme. Verified end-users attend free.
- **How many events does EFG run?** 16 events in 2026 across five series.
- **What event series does EFG produce?** Cyber First (cybersecurity), OT Security First (industrial/OT security), Digital First (data and AI), OPEX First (operational excellence), and NetworkFirst (executive boardrooms).

## About and navigation

- [About EFG](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/about): Company overview, mission, leadership, and how we curate invite-only rooms.
- [All events](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/events): Annual calendar across all five series.
- [Speakers](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/speakers): Cross-series speaker directory.
- [Sponsors and partners](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/sponsors-and-partners): Technology partners across EFG events.
- [Insights](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/insights): Editorial, post-event reports, and industry briefings.
- [Contact](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/contact): General enquiries, partnership requests, and delegate registrations.

## Optional

- [Sitemap (XML)](https://www.eventsfirstgroup.com/sitemap.xml)
- Partnerships and sponsorship: partnerships@eventsfirstgroup.com
- General enquiries: info@eventsfirstgroup.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/events-first-group
- X / Twitter: https://x.com/eventsfirstgrp