Origins — Palestine

My story begins in Palestine, where an early and unrelenting curiosity about technology took root. Growing up in an environment where resourcefulness was not optional but essential, I developed a hacker's instinct long before I ever touched a terminal — the drive to understand how systems work, where they fail, and how to make them better.

Foundation — Palestine Technical University

That instinct found its formal channel at Palestine Technical University – Kadoorie, where I pursued a B.Sc. in Applied Computing and graduated with distinction. The program provided a rigorous foundation in software engineering, data structures, and information systems — but it was the security-oriented electives and self-directed research that set my trajectory. By graduation, the question was not whether I would work in cybersecurity, but where and how.

Specialization — UAE

The answer came in the United Arab Emirates, where I transitioned into a dedicated Identity and Access Management (IAM) Specialist role. Working with SailPoint IdentityIQ, I engineered access review campaigns, automated compliance workflows, and hardened identity governance frameworks across enterprise environments. It was here that the intersection of security engineering and organizational risk management became my professional center of gravity.

Advanced Research — Turkey

Seeking to formalize and deepen my expertise, I relocated to Istanbul, Turkey, to pursue an M.Sc. in Cybersecurity at Istinye University. My research focuses on the convergence of database security, artificial intelligence, and blockchain — exploring how emerging technologies can be weaponized for defense rather than exploitation.

Current Assignments

Today, I serve as a Database Design & Integration Specialist on a TÜBİTAK-funded research project, where I architect data pipelines and integration layers for large-scale scientific computing infrastructure. The work sits at the nexus of high-performance databases, secure data handling, and research-grade engineering.

In parallel, I'm working as an AI/Automation Intern at Ember Lifestyle LLC, an Abu Dhabi-based luxury travel company. There, I drive AI workflow automation, systems diagnostics, and internal tool development — from RAG-powered search and summarization to integration blueprints across the company's tech stack. It's a role that blends security thinking with practical AI deployment in a fast-moving business environment.