Cybersecurity Awareness Worldwide
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CSAW

MENA
Cybersecurity Games & ConferenceMiddle East & North Africa

CSAW'26 marks the 13th anniversary of CSAW MENA, organized by Center for Cyber Security, NYUAD. Five cybersecurity competitions, in-person finals, and students from across the region — all at NYUAD.

13Year anniversary
5Competitions
8+Countries represented
40+Universities represented
csaw-ctf — bash
csaw info --edition 2026
✓ CSAW MENA'26 — 13th edition
✓ NYU Abu Dhabi, UAE
✓ Dates to be announced
csaw list --competitions
● Capture the Flag (CTF)
● Applied Research Competition
● Hack My Robot (HMR)
● BioHack 3D
● LLM CTF Attack
csaw register
● Registration opens soon
CSAW MENA'26 · Dates TBA
NYU Abu Dhabi · United Arab Emirates
5 MENA Competitions
Center for Cyber Security, NYUAD

A decade of cyber excellence in MENA

CSAW MENA is the regional arm of CSAW (Cybersecurity Awareness Worldwide), organized by Center for Cyber Security, NYUAD. CSAW'26 marks the 13th anniversary of CSAW MENA — a flagship cybersecurity competition for students across the Middle East and North Africa.

From capture-the-flag and applied research to hardware hacking and LLM attack challenges, MENA finalists represent universities across Tunisia, Algeria, Jordan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Egypt, and Qatar.

The 2025 edition drew 120 finalists across 5 competitions, with finals held in person at NYU Abu Dhabi.

13
Years in MENA
5
Competitions
120
2025 finalists
8+
Countries represented

Center for Cyber Security, NYUAD — the faculty, researchers, and students behind CSAW MENA.

Sandra Siby
Sandra Siby
Conference Director
Michail Maniatakos
Michail Maniatakos
CTF Faculty Lead
Muhammad Shafique
Muhammad Shafique
LLMAC Faculty Lead
Christina Popper
Christina Pöpper
ARC Faculty Lead
Borja Garcia de Soto
Borja García de Soto
HMR Faculty Lead
Rafael Song
Rafael Song
BioHack3D Faculty Lead
Hari Ramasubbu
Hari Ramasubbu
Coordinator
Hithem Lamri
Hithem Lamri
CTF Student Lead
Minghao Shao
Minghao Shao
LLMAC Student Lead
Abdul Basit
Abdul Basit
LLMAC Student Lead
Ala' Darabseh
Ala' Darabseh
ARC Student Lead
Semih Sonkor
Semih Sonkor
HMR Student Lead
Navajit Singh Baban
Navajit Singh Baban
BioHack3D Student Lead
Salim Chouaki
Salim Chouaki
Post-Doctoral Associate

CSAW MENA'26 Timeline

Qualifiers run online; finals are held in person at NYU Abu Dhabi.

Aug 2026
Phase 1 · Open
Registration Opens
All five MENA competitions open for registration. Teams form across universities in the region and ARC abstracts begin accepting submissions.
Sep 2026
Phase 2 · Qualifying
MENA Online Qualifiers
CTF jeopardy qualifier runs online. LLM CTF, BioHack 3D, HMR, and ARC competitions launch their qualification rounds across the region.
Oct 2026
Phase 3 · Selection
MENA Finalists Announced
Top teams across MENA invited to in-person finals at NYU Abu Dhabi. Travel support details shared with qualifying teams.
Nov 2026
Phase 4 · Finals
CSAW MENA'26 Finals
Three days of in-person competitions, keynotes, and awards at NYU Abu Dhabi — the 13th anniversary edition of CSAW MENA.

CSAW MENA Partners

Supported by organizations advancing cybersecurity research and talent across the region.

CSAW MENA in Action

12 years of MENA competitors, breakthroughs, and community at NYU Abu Dhabi — captured.

CSAW MENA'17 · NYU Abu Dhabi
Regional finalists at the 4th edition
CSAW MENA'19 · Finals
Teams competing across the region
CTF Floor · CSAW MENA'22
Competitors racing through challenges
Organizers & students from across MENA
CSAW MENA'23 · NYU Abu Dhabi
Organizers & students from across MENA
The jeopardy CTF competition floor
CTF Competition · CSAW MENA'23
The jeopardy CTF competition floor
118 finalists across six competitions
CSAW MENA'24 · NYU Abu Dhabi
118 finalists across six competitions
Biosecurity meets 3D bioprinting
BioHack 3D · CSAW MENA'24
Biosecurity meets 3D bioprinting
CSAW MENA'25 · 12th edition
A full house at NYU Abu Dhabi
Keynote · CSAW MENA'25
H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, UAE Cyber Security
Panel · CSAW MENA'25
Cyber-careers panel discussion

Join CSAW MENA'26

Status
Registration Opens Soon
Registration for CSAW MENA'26 will open closer to the event. Check back for dates, qualifier info, team requirements, and travel grant details.
NYU Abu Dhabi · Dates to be announced
Questions? Contact nyuad.csaw@nyu.edu

Previous Competitions

A decade of CSAW MENA editions at NYU Abu Dhabi — photos, recaps, and regional champions.

12th edition
CSAW MENA'25
Nov 2025 · 120 finalists
120 finalists gathered at NYU Abu Dhabi for the 12th edition, opened by a keynote from H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government, and a national cyber-careers panel.
CTF champions — [RE]TIRED, Ecole Polytechnique Sousse (Tunisia)
11th edition
CSAW MENA'24
Dec 2024 · 118 participants
118 participants across six competitions — a 34% surge — with a keynote by Luca Di Bartolomeo (EPFL), “The CTF Player Pipeline.”
CTF champions — 0x1a4, TEK-UP University (Tunisia)
10th edition
CSAW MENA'23
Dec 2023 · 88 finalists
88 finalists — a 90% surge in participation — with two new competitions added to mark the 10th anniversary of CSAW MENA.
CTF champions — TEAM_7EVEN, ESTIN (Algeria)
9th edition
CSAW MENA'22
2022 · NYU Abu Dhabi
Regional finals spanning Capture the Flag, Applied Research, and Hack My Robot, hosted in person at NYU Abu Dhabi.
CTF champions — ShellSec, ESI Algiers (Algeria)
8th edition
CSAW'21
CSAW MENA'21
2021 · archive
The results made it through — the photo set didn't. Competition images were quarantined, but the winners are safe in the Hall of Fame.
CTF champions — Fword, INSAT (Tunisia)
7th edition
CSAW'20
CSAW MENA'20
2020 · archive
No images survived decontamination from this edition. The roster, however, is fully recovered below.
CTF champions — DeadSec, Applied Science Private University (Jordan)
6th edition
CSAW MENA'19
2019 · 48 participants
48 participants competed across Capture the Flag, the Red Team Competition, and Applied Research at NYU Abu Dhabi.
CTF champions — Pwnium, University of Carthage (Tunisia)
4th edition
CSAW MENA'17
2017 · NYU Abu Dhabi
Five tracks including Capture the Flag, High-School Forensics, Applied Research, and the Security Quiz Bowl.
CTF champions — Team 337$, ESPRIT (Tunisia)

Past Winners

CSAW MENA region champions across all competitions, 2016–2025.

Capture the Flag Jeopardy
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1[RE]TIREDDahmani Toumi, Chebbi Jasser, Badreddine Chamkhi, Mehdi Bel Haj AmorEcole Polytechnique SousseTunisia
2DEADSECBadi Abualganam, Jameel AbdallaApplied Science Private UniversityJordan
3FL1TZMalek Tababi, Salah Chafai, Mohamed Aziz Rahmouni, Mohamed Hadi GrabaNational Institute of Applied Science and Technology (INSAT)Tunisia
Hack My Robot Robotics
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1ROS-ted PotatoesHashem Alsalhi, Yazan Alrousan, Khalid Amoura, Qutibah AnanzehJordan University of Science & Technology (JUST)Jordan
2Smooth OperatorsHiba Anwar, Minteena Prajith, Lujain Almomani, Sruti Aditi PillutlaUniversity of WollongongUAE
3PHOENIXAdil Seidazymov, Steven Strobert, Yahya LiaqatNYU Abu DhabiUAE
Applied Research Competition Research Paper
#ResearcherInstitutionCountry
1Hamza MouhcineLLMxCPG: Context-Aware Vulnerability Detection Through Code Property Graph-Guided Large Language ModelsQatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI)Qatar
2Andrea CiccotelliNoBU: An effective and viable cyber-physical solution to thwart BadUSB attacksKing Abdullah University of Science and TechnologySaudi Arabia
BioHack 3D Biosecurity
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1Team CapstoneAirin Haque, Maulen Mukhatbek, Youssef Ben ArabNYU Abu DhabiUAE
LLM CTF Attack LLM Attack
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1Team MADAhamed Fasial, Asif Tauhid, Meher Md SaadNYU Abu DhabiUAE
2Team JemappleMariam Al-Omari, Dana El Samad, Aarya SangeethNYU Abu Dhabi
Capture the Flag Jeopardy
#TeamInstitutionCountry
10x1a4Knani Alaaeddine, Chebbi Jasser, Badreddine Chamkhi, Knani Mohamed AzizTEK-UP UniversityTunisia
2GaridiAbderaouf Louggani, Abdelkhalek Beraoud, Abderahmane Oubahi, Abderraouf DandaniHigher National School of Computer ScienceAlgeria
3DEADSECJaleel Bolbol Abdalla, Hamza AbderrahimApplied Science Private UniversityJordan
Hack My Robot Robotics
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1Mr. RobotBadi AbuAlGhanam, Mohammad AlSarabiPrincess Sumaya University for TechnologyJordan
2BoticsIchrak Eddor Mnijli, Foued SaidiHigher Institute of Computer Science Tunis ElmanarTunisia
3MakerSpaceHassan Abouelela, Malik Hader, Abdulla Bin Saifudheen, Yousef IrshaidAmerican University of SharjahUAE
Applied Research Competition Research Paper
#ResearcherInstitutionCountry
1Marouene BoubakriArchitectural Security and Trust Foundation for RISC-VUniversity of Carthage TunisTunisia
2Robert MergetWith Great Power Come Great Side Channels: Statistical Timing Side-Channel Analyses with Bounded Type-1 ErrorsTechnology Innovation Institute (TII)UAE
BioHack 3D Biosecurity
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1Team AltF4Hadiyya Mattummathodi Mariah, Khalifa Riaz Mohammed, Muhammad AnsariUniversity of Wollongong in DubaiUAE
LLM CTF Attack LLM Attack
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1Team PBDPearl Rwauya, Simon Grange, Safa Al AlmeriUAE
2Team 原神 (Genshin Impact)Qi Sun, Pavel Nikolaitchev, Yiyi ChenNYU ShanghaiChina
3Team Pokémon MasterJoonha Yu, Jun Lee, Yumi OmoriNYU Abu DhabiUAE
Capture the Flag Jeopardy
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1TEAM_7EVENMohammed Reda Sbaihi, Chiheb Chahine Yaici, Yahia Hachemi, Mohamed El Amine BoukerfaESTINAlgeria
2SHELLSECAllouche Imene, Abderahmane Oualili, Mohamed Amokrane Abdelmalek, Smail DjerraiEcole Nationale Supérieure d'InformatiqueAlgeria
3DEADSECMahmoud Seif, Ghaidaa Alassaf, Jameel Abdalla, Hamza AbderrahimApplied Science Private UniversityJordan
Hack My Robot Robotics
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1BOTRAIDERS TEAMDavid Felipe Alvear Goyes, Nouf Farhoud, Luis Alberto Vazquez Limon, Erick Rodrigues e SilvaKing Abdullah University of Science and TechnologySaudi Arabia
2BIT SHIFTERS TEAMShahed Obaid, Ansah Siddiqui, Mahmoud Darwish, Muhammed NoshinAmerican University of SharjahUAE
3BIN10 TEAMAhmad Al-Remawi, Ahmed Elsayed, Nayef Abusharia, Abdelrahman TameemAbu Dhabi UniversityUAE
Applied Research Competition Research Paper
#ResearcherInstitutionCountry
1Priyanka DodiaExposing the Rat in the Tunnel: Using Traffic Analysis for Tor-based Malware DetectionQatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI)Qatar
2Saleh Hamad Al-DaajehThe Role of National Cyber-security Strategies on the Improvement of Cybersecurity EducationUnited Arab Emirates UniversityUAE
BioHack 3D Biosecurity
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1Team KoreaSunghyeon Kim, Seung-Jean Kang, Haram JeongNYU Abu DhabiUAE
LLM CTF Attack LLM Attack
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1Ahmad Fraij, Omar El HerraouiNYU Abu DhabiUAE
2Ulan KundizbayNYU Abu DhabiUAE
Capture the Flag Jeopardy
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1ShellSecOussama Abdallah Merouan, Hithem Lamri, Mohamed Laid Malik Mabrouki, Mohamed Amokrane AbdelmalekESI AlgiersAlgeria
2SOter14Anas Cherni, Adem Lahbib, Mohamed Mongi SaidaneINSATTunisia
3MISCBoukerfa Muhammad El AminESTIN BejaiaAlgeria
Applied Research Competition Research Paper
#ResearcherInstitutionCountry
1Naif MehannaDRAWNAPART: A Device Identification Technique based on Remote GPU FingerprintingUniversity of Lille, CNRS, InriaFrance
2Lilas AlrahisMuxLink: Circumventing Learning-Resilient MUX-Locking Using Graph Neural Network-based Link PredictionNew York University Abu DhabiUAE
3Mahnoor ZaheerLure for Money: A First Look into YouTube Videos Promoting Money-Making AppsLahore University of Management SciencesPakistan
Hack My Robot Robotics
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1Team SENTRYIoannis Zografopoulos, Alyah Alfageh, Li Zhou, Shijie PanKing Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Saudi Arabia
2Team YASTAAbdullah Alhasni, Salman Elgamal, Youssab William, Omar MostafaNew York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD)United Arab Emirates
Capture the Flag Jeopardy
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1FwordMohamed Arfaoui, Sameh BenAli, Oussema MajbriINSATTunisia
2DeadSecHamza Abderrahim, Mohammad Al Handoush, Raneem HmaidApplied Science Private UniversityJordan
3Heaven's_BirdsMeliani Abdelghani, Malik MabroukiNational School of Computer Science (ESI)Algeria
Applied Research Competition Research Paper
#ResearcherInstitutionCountry
1Ofek KirznerAn Analysis of Speculative Type Confusion Vulnerabilities in the WildTel Aviv UniversityIsrael
2Marouene BoubakriOpen Portable Trusted Execution Environment framework for RISC-VUniversity of CarthageTunisia
3Lilas AlrahisUNSAIL: Thwarting Oracle-Less Machine Learning Attacks on Logic LockingNYU Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi
Embedded Security Challenge Hardware
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1SENTRYIoannis Zografopoulos, Panagiotis KaramichailidisKing Abdullah University of Science and TechnologySaudi Arabia
Capture the Flag Jeopardy
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1DeadSecHamza Abderrahim, Ayoub AbuAsbehApplied Science Private UniversityJordan
2FwordAhmed Baha Eddine Belkahla, Semah BenAli, Aymen KooliNational Institute Of Applied Sciences And TechnologyTunisia
3team_7evenBoutouchent Akram, Abderrahim Tasfaout, Abdelwahed Madani YousfiEcole Nationale Superieure d'Informatique, ESI SBAAlgeria
Embedded Security Challenge Hardware
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1Team ZeroAshith FarhanAmerican University of SharjahUnited Arab Emirates
Applied Research Competition Research Paper
#ResearcherInstitutionCountry
1Naif AlmakhdhubµRAI: Securing Embedded Systems with Return Address IntegrityPurdue University & King Saud UniversitySaudi Arabia
2Esha SarkarI came, I saw, I hacked: Automated Generation of Process-independent Attacks for Industrial Control SystemsNYU Abu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
3Nimisha LimayeThwarting All Logic Locking Attacks: Dishonest Oracle with Truly Random Logic LockingNYU Abu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
Capture the Flag Jeopardy
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1PwniumMarouene Boubakri, Oussama KerroUniversity of CarthageTunisia
2Sudo_rootRedouane Niboucha, Ayoub Benaissa, Bilal Retiat, Yassine CheriefEcole Nationale Supérieure d'InformatiqueAlgeria
3DeadSecHamza Abderrahim, Ayoub Aref Abu Asbeh, Mahmoud Abdelhadi, Mohammed BalbisiApplied Science Private UniversityJordan
Red Team Competition Red Team
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1Hertz2600Adrash Gadala, Viswas Vadakkedath, Prayag JoyLeaders Private SchoolUAE
2Enigma EnthusiastsUzair Hannure, Kaoushik Murugan, Vansh ShahDelhi Private SchoolUAE
3DeltaAbdel Rahman MagdyGems CambridgeUAE
Applied Research Competition Research Paper
#ResearcherInstitutionCountry
1Lilas AlrahisScanSAT: Unlocking Obfuscated Scan ChainsKhalifa UniversityUAE
2Umar FarooqQuantity vs. Quality: Evaluating User Interest Profiles Using Ad Preference ManagersLUMSPakistan
3Prashant RajputProcess-Aware Cyberattacks for Thermal Desalination PlantsNYU Abu DhabiUAE
Capture the Flag Jeopardy
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1Team 337$Mohamed Chamli, Choukri Ben Jemaa, Mohamed FoudhailiESPRIT (Ecole Sup Privée D'Ingénierie et de Technologies)Tunisia
2Team EgFr33ksAbdelrahman Sharshar, Aly Sayed, Mohamed GobashyAin Shams University; Cairo UniversityEgypt
3Team Sudo_rootAyoub Benaissa, Bilal RetiatÉcole Supérieure en InformatiqueAlgeria
PlusDohyeok Kim, Gunwoo Kim, Hongsik Kim, Seonpyo KimPOSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology)Republic of Korea
High School Forensics Forensics
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1TheSeCaTechAmey Deotale, Chaitenya Gupta, Kunal KhubchandaniDelhi Private SchoolUAE
2Sectonic23Ralph Vreman, Hugo Vreman, Eliot MansbridgeBrighton College Abu DhabiUAE
3RenegadeSatya Anirudh Pachipulusu, Ronit Pawar, Archit TiwariDelhi Private SchoolUAE
Applied Research Competition Research Paper
#ResearcherInstitutionCountry
1Satwik Patnaik, Johann KnechtelObfuscating the Interconnects: Low-Cost and Resilient Full-Chip Layout CamouflagingNew York University Abu DhabiUAE
2Ayesha M. TalhaDynamic Spatial Index for Efficient Query Processing on the CloudMasdar InstituteUAE
3Shahzad Muzaffar, Owais Talat WaheedSingle-clock-cycle, Multilayer Encryption Algorithm for Single-channel IoT CommunicationsUniversity of SharjahUAE
Promising Investigator Special Award
#TeamInstitutionCountry
Sectonic23Ralph VremanBrighton College Abu DhabiUAE
LumosSaloni MordekarDelhi Private SchoolUAE
RenegadeArchit TiwariDelhi Private SchoolUAE
Security Quiz Bowl Quiz Bowl
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1Egfr33ksMirazul Islam, Tahseen Bin Taj, Abdullah Riaz, Abdelrahman Sharshar, Aly Sayed, Mohamed GhobashyIslamiya English School; Ain Shams UniversityUAE; Egypt
2BiT$PlzAbderrahim Hamza, Subhi Al hassan, Mohamed Aiche, Youssef AwadPrincess Sumaya University For Technology; University Saad Dahlab Blida (Informatique); American University of SharjahJordan; Algeria; UAE
3Synergy2Mohammed Sohail, Abu Backer Sayeed, Waqas Bukhari, Devika Jaiswal, Purnapushkala Hariharan, Saloni MordekarIslamiya English School; Delhi Private School-DubaiUAE
Capture the Flag Jeopardy
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1dcua2Amine Cherrai, Bilal Kardadou, Ilyas Rahmani, Mohammed BelcaidMundiapolis UniversityMorocco
2MrAdminAnass Bouchnafa, Azzeddine Djekmani, Oualid Zaazaa, Yaakoub NajihENSIASMorocco
3DC21321Adel Merabet, Mohamed Zehraoui, Ramzi BourahliBordj Bou Arreridj UniversityAlgeria
Embedded Security Challenge Hardware
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1Breakfast Club()Pablo Pacareu, Pedro Zufiria, Martin Slosarik, Vasily RudchenkoNYU Abu DhabiU.A.E.
2LeopardsShams Eddeen Shapsough, Aly Elhakim, Mazim AlikararAmerican University of SharjahU.A.E.
3NullMohammed Ali Al Ghamdi, Majd Zaki Baik, Khalil Yahya AlmenqashKing Abdulaziz UniversitySaudi Arabia
High School Forensics Forensics
#TeamInstitutionCountry
1LeadersMulla Jaasim Mohammed Junaid, Jonathan Sumon, Pranav JoyLeaders Private SchoolU.A.E.
2The 404sYoussef Awad, Lutfil Hadi Bin Jumadi, Mohammad Ibrahim, Abdulla Sayed, Ahmad AlhashimiGreenwood International SchoolU.A.E.
3BohemianLee Gungyu, Kim Jung YunRaha International SchoolU.A.E.
Applied Research Competition Research Paper
#ResearcherInstitutionCountry
1Erdem ElkimPost-Quantum Key Exchange - A New HopeEge UniversityTurkey
2Sedat AkleylekSparse Polynomial Multiplication for Lattice-Based Cryptography with Small ComplexityOndokuz Mayis UniversityTurkey
3Aafaf OuaddahTowards a Novel Privacy-Preserving Access Control Model Based on Blockchain Technology in IoTCadi Ayyad UniversityMorocco
Security Quiz Bowl Quiz Bowl
#TeamMembers
1Youssef Awad, Hamza Khaled, Mohammed Ibrahim, Lutfil Hadi
2Archit Tiwar, Yaakoub Najih, Satya Anirudh P., Ronit Pawar
3Ismail Turk, Mohammed Ali Al Ghamdi, Majd Baik, Mohammed Sinan