Several leading banks and financial service providers in the United Arab Emirates reported temporary service disruptions this week following a wider regional technology outage.
In a statement issued on Monday, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) said its mobile banking application and contact centre were briefly impacted due to a region-wide IT disruption. The Abu Dhabi-based lender assured customers that alternative channels remained operational, including internet banking, branches, UBank ATMs and WhatsApp Banking services.
The bank clarified that both international and domestic fund transfers continue to function normally through its internet banking platform. Domestic transfers are also accessible via the Aani app operated by Al Etihad Payments. However, ADCB did not specify the exact cause of the disruption. The lender said it is working to restore full services at the earliest.
Separately, First Abu Dhabi Bank, the UAE’s largest bank by assets, also confirmed late Monday that it was facing technical issues affecting its internet and mobile banking platforms, according to Reuters.
The developments come after Amazon Web Services (AWS) reported a service disruption at its UAE data centre on Sunday night. The company said the issue occurred after objects struck the facility, leading to sparks and a fire. As a result, some AWS customers experienced errors while calling EC2 APIs, particularly those related to networking functions.
Meanwhile, Al Fardan Exchange said certain services were temporarily unavailable. The exchange house informed customers that specific Travelex support services were facing interruptions and that teams were working on priority to restore operations.
Services affected at Al Fardan Exchange branches include card issuance, reload, unload (encashment) and balance enquiry facilities. Balance enquiry services through its contact centre were also impacted. The company said customers would be informed once all services are fully restored.
Authorities and institutions have not yet indicated how long the broader technical issues may persist.
