Daily UAE Cyber Attacks Exceed 800,000 Amid Rising AI Threats
Daily cyberattack attempts targeting organisations in the United Arab Emirates have surged from a baseline of 200,000 to 300,000 daily to over 800,000 during recent regional conflict, driving 70 percent of local firms to implement artificial intelligence defences. Financial institutions, government entities, utilities, and enterprises managing large volumes of customer data face heightened risks as malicious actors deploy advanced digital operations.
Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, head of the UAE Cyber Security Council, stated during a keynote address at the 3rd Government Cybersecurity Summit in Abu Dhabi that threat actors are expanding beyond traditional phishing and email attacks into data exfiltration, data wiping, and sophisticated cyber operations. Speaking on June 9, Al Kuwaiti warned that artificial intelligence tools are also enabling deepfakes, misinformation, and disinformation campaigns designed to create panic within communities.
Cybersecurity specialists note that distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks continue to threaten organisations across multiple sectors, with attacks increasingly targeting operational technology systems, supply chains, and individuals. To counter the rising volume of digital assaults, 58 percent of regional businesses expect improved threat detection through automated systems. This technological shift coincides with a global cybersecurity workforce shortage estimated at 4.8 million professionals, leaving traditional security teams struggling to maintain pace with expanding digital workloads, cloud migrations, and connected critical infrastructure.
Industry responses include the deployment of new investigative platforms, such as an artificial intelligence-powered investigation assistant introduced by UAE cybersecurity firm Paramount Assure at Gisec Global 2026, designed to accelerate response times against escalating intrusions.
