A major IT outage caused a global disruption in various cross-sectors, including aviation, hospitals and railways, broadcasting, banking and so on. But how did this outage affect the UAE's vital sectors?

Several authorities responded to the major glitch, urging the public to take specific measurements to ensure cybersecurity and avoid unpleasant incidents.

Emirates not impacted

An Emirates spokesperson confirmed that there has been no impact on Emirates’ flight operations. In a statement on Friday, the spokesperson said, “We are aware of the global IT disruption and are monitoring the situation closely. At this time, there has been no impact on Emirates’ flight operations.”

He noted, “There could be delays to some flight timings later today due to potential knock-on effects from earlier delays at some airports around our network.”

He advised customers to check the website and app for the latest flight information and update their contact details on their bookings.

Dubai airport 'operating normally'

Dubai International Airport was "operating normally" following an IT outage that affected global travel hubs, according to an official statement released by WAM.

"Dubai Airports confirms that Dubai International (DXB) is operating normally following a global system outage that affected the check-in process for some airlines in Terminals 1 and 2 this morning.

"The affected airlines promptly switched to an alternate system, allowing normal check-in operations to resume swiftly."

MoF affected

While the aviation industry was not affected, the Ministry of foreign affairs faced some challenges due to the outage. It released a statement on X advising the public to avoid doing any online transactions until the issue is solved.

No reports of cyber attacks

The UAE Cybersecurity Council said that there were no indications of cyber attacks or breaches following the global technical outage with CrowdStrike software that affected electronic systems across various strategic sectors worldwide.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Cybersecurity Council advised caution to avoid potential exploitation of the technical glitch by cyber criminals. The council emphasized that efforts are underway to address the global technical issue in collaboration with official and international partners.

The council urged the public to seek information from official sources and avoid spreading rumours.

What exactly happened?

Microsoft users worldwide, including banks and airlines, experienced widespread outages on Friday. This occurred hours after the company announced it was gradually resolving an issue affecting Microsoft 365 apps and services.

The exact cause and scale of the outage remain unclear, although Microsoft suggested that the situation was improving.

DownDetector, a website that tracks user-reported internet outages, recorded increasing service disruptions at Visa, ADT security, Amazon, and airlines like American Airlines and Delta.

News outlets in Australia and the UK reported disruptions across airlines, telecommunications providers, banks, and media broadcasters, with some New Zealand banks also affected.

Microsoft 365 stated on X that they were rerouting impacted traffic to alternate systems to expedite recovery and observed a positive trend in service availability.

Australian banks such as NAB, Commonwealth, and Bendigo, along with airlines Virgin Australia and Qantas, and internet and phone providers like Telstra, were all affected.

Media outlets in Australia experienced sudden shutdowns of Windows-based computers, hindering their ability to broadcast on TV and radio channels.