A major cloud service disruption has affected parts of the Middle East after facilities linked to Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the United Arab Emirates were damaged by unidentified objects.
According to officials, the incident happened late Sunday when the objects struck infrastructure connected to Amazon AWS data center operations. The impact reportedly caused a fire and a widespread power failure.
AWS said the damage forced authorities to shut down electricity to several data center clusters. This precaution was taken to prevent further damage and ensure safety.
The disruption has affected cloud services in the UAE and neighboring Bahrain. Several companies that rely on Amazon cloud systems reported technical difficulties.
AWS confirmed that restoration work began immediately after the outage. However, the company warned that full recovery could take several hours.
Financial institutions appear to be among the most affected organizations. Some banks that depend on Amazon cloud infrastructure faced operational disruptions.
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank confirmed that its mobile banking application and digital services were temporarily unavailable. The bank said the issue was linked to a broader technical outage.
Technology experts say cloud outages can impact many online services at once. This includes banking platforms, digital payments, websites, and mobile applications.
AWS has advised its customers to back up critical information during the disruption. Businesses were also encouraged to move operations to other regions if possible.
The timing of the incident has raised concerns because of rising tensions in the Middle East. Reports on the same day said Iran launched drones and missiles toward several Gulf states.
Authorities have not confirmed whether the Amazon facility was directly targeted. However, analysts say the event highlights the risks facing digital infrastructure in conflict areas.
Recent studies have warned that data centers and communication networks may become targets during modern conflicts. Experts believe cyber and infrastructure attacks could increase during geopolitical tensions.
The UAE has been expanding its role as a regional center for technology and cloud computing. Major global companies, including Microsoft, Google, and Oracle, have invested heavily in data centers in the country.
Microsoft alone has committed billions of dollars to expand its regional infrastructure.
Industry experts say the outage may lead companies to review security measures for critical digital systems.
Meanwhile, Amazon AWS teams continue working to restore normal services. Officials say systems will gradually return to normal as repairs and power restoration continue.
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The exact cause of the objects that hit the facility remains under investigation.
