Cyberattacks Surge Across UAE and Gulf Region Following Regional Conflict, Daily Attempts Reaches 600,000: Report

Cyber warfare has intensified across the United Arab Emirates and the wider Gulf region following the onset of regional conflict on February 28. The UAE Cyber Security Council reports that daily cyberattack attempts have trebled, rising to nearly 600,000 per day from a pre-conflict average of 200,000. These breaches, attributed to Iran-aligned independent actors, have targeted critical sectors including financial services, government platforms, ports and utilities, leading to temporary but widespread business disruptions.

Critical Infrastructure and Legal Systems Impacted

The wave of attacks has affected high-profile government entities such as the Dubai Land Department (DLD), Dubai Courts Department (DCD) and the Road and Transport Authority (RTA). More recently, attempted breaches have targeted the Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority, as well as the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. Gujarat Cyber Fraud Busted: CID Arrests 6 in INR 210-Crore Network Connected to 273 Nationwide Cases.

The legal sector has been particularly vulnerable due to its high level of digitisation. Experts estimate that short-term outages at Dubai courts, which handle tens of thousands of cases annually, could delay 15 to 25% of active digital filings and hearings during peak periods. Business executives have reported port systems remaining offline for days and significant bottlenecks in accessing essential payment systems and public records.

Erosion of Digital Confidence

Beyond technical failures, cybersecurity specialists warn of a growing erosion of confidence in the UAE’s digital-first public infrastructure. Because the private sector is deeply integrated with government systems through shared portals and APIs, a disruption at a single point can create uncertainty across the entire economic chain.

While many financial institutions have robust defences, the nature of the attacks is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Attackers are now employing a converged strategy, simultaneously using technical intrusions alongside AI-generated phishing, business email compromise and coordinated financial fraud.

Shifting Data Strategies and Talent Demand

The persistent threat environment is reshaping how companies manage data. Following damage to Amazon Web Services data centres in the UAE and Bahrain in March, several firms have accelerated plans to migrate data to centres in India and Europe. While the UAE Central Bank previously restricted data movement outside the country, it is now granting approvals on a case-by-case basis as local reliance becomes less feasible for some businesses.

In response to these risks, there is a sharp increase in demand for cybersecurity professionals. Organisations in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia are aggressively hiring security operation centre analysts, digital forensics specialists and threat hunters to combat the constant influx of malware and identity theft. GPT-5.5-Cyber Announced: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Rolls Out Specialised Frontier Model for Critical Infrastructure Defense.

Evolution of the Threat Landscape

Recent threat monitoring indicates the regional risk has evolved from small-volume, actor-led hacktivist campaigns into a larger, more diffuse threat environment. While initial attacks were claimed by specific Iran-aligned groups targeting government portals and telecoms, the current phase involves a broader range of targets, including e-commerce, construction, oil and gas and luxury goods. The UAE Cyber Security Council has issued an advisory noting that one in three individuals may now be exposed to digital identity theft following a 32% increase in attacks recorded so far in 2026.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 30, 2026 11:16 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).