The United Arab Emirates has reported successfully blocking a wave of complex cyberattacks that officials say relied on artificial intelligence to enhance offensive capabilities against the country’s critical infrastructure and essential sectors.
In a statement carried by the state-run WAM news agency, the UAE Cybersecurity Council warned that unspecified actors have begun using AI to develop sophisticated tools for both ransomware operations and phishing campaigns. The Council described this development as a substantial evolution in the digital threat environment confronting the country.
Officials confirmed that, since the beginning of 2026, there have been 128 confirmed cyber threat incidents aimed at the UAE. The catalogue of incidents includes reported government breaches, data leaks and aggressive ransomware attempts directed at a range of targets across the economy.
Market observers and security specialists are closely watching how these developments affect the banking and financial services sectors. According to the Council’s alert, those sectors were identified as the primary targets of the systematic digital actions the country has been experiencing.
AI-driven tactics represent, in the Council’s words, a "qualitative shift" in the regional threat landscape. By leveraging machine learning and automation, attackers can accelerate malware development and deploy highly scalable phishing operations. That technical shift is prompting heightened scrutiny of defensive postures across industries that store or process financial data.
While authorities did not offer details on the precise timing of individual intrusions or the origin of the malicious activity, the advisory has already stimulated a marked increase in demand for cybersecurity services. Security professionals quoted in the advisory warned that traditional perimeter defenses such as standard firewalls may no longer be adequate on their own.
Financial institutions operating in the UAE and the wider Gulf region are expected to move more quickly to adopt AI-enabled "active defense" solutions, according to analysts and the Council’s assessment. These systems aim to detect, respond to and mitigate automated attacks in real time, offering a more dynamic approach than legacy security architectures.
Despite the reported success in defending networks, the high number of incidents underscores ongoing vulnerability. The UAE is averaging more than two major incidents per day so far this year, a frequency that the Cybersecurity Council says contributes to a persistent risk premium for the region’s digital economy. That elevated risk profile may affect valuations and investor assessments of firms operating in sensitive digital sectors.
The government has reiterated its commitment to strengthening the nation’s digital borders and protecting data integrity. Nonetheless, the evolving capabilities afforded by AI mean that authorities describe the challenge as ongoing rather than resolved. Investors and market participants are being urged to monitor updates from the Cybersecurity Council, given that any successful intrusion into the banking sector could have material consequences for regional capital flows.
Summary
UAE officials said they have foiled a series of AI-assisted cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure and vital sectors. The Cybersecurity Council reported 128 confirmed incidents since early 2026, highlighting a shift in threat sophistication and naming banking and financial services as primary targets. Authorities cautioned that AI tools enable automation and scale in ransomware and phishing, prompting increased demand for advanced cybersecurity defenses.