TLDR
- Unidentified objects impacted AWS facilities in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, resulting in fires and sparks
- Local fire authorities disconnected electricity; a different UAE zone subsequently experienced independent power failures
- Bahrain-based AWS infrastructure is experiencing separate power and network connectivity challenges
- These events occurred simultaneously with Iranian missile strikes throughout the Gulf region, though AWS hasn’t confirmed any connection
- AWS has directed users toward alternative regional services, indicating restoration timelines of several hours
Cloud computing giant Amazon Web Services experienced significant operational disruptions following a Sunday incident in which unidentified projectiles impacted its United Arab Emirates data center, triggering a fire and subsequent power loss.
THE FIRST CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE CASUALTY OF WAR
An Amazon Web Services data center in the UAE just got hit.
AWS confirmed that at approximately 4:30 AM PST on March 1, “objects struck” the facility in availability zone mec1-az2, creating sparks and igniting a fire. The UAE fire… pic.twitter.com/lz9DiWi7fm
— Shanaka Anslem Perera ⚡ (@shanaka86) March 2, 2026
The strike took place approximately 4:30 p.m. local time in Dubai. Emergency responders from the fire department disabled electrical power to the affected structure as part of fire suppression operations.
According to AWS’s official status dashboard, the company acknowledged that “objects struck the data center, creating sparks and fire” at one of its UAE-based availability zones.
Shortly thereafter, a different UAE availability zone experienced what AWS characterized as a “localized power issue,” further amplifying service interruptions across the Emirates.
Additionally, the company’s Bahrain location reported electrical and network connectivity complications affecting one availability zone.
AWS advised its client base to transition operations to services hosted in alternative geographic regions during the restoration process. The technology firm projected that full recovery would require “multiple hours away.”
These infrastructure incidents coincided with Iranian military operations targeting the UAE, which formed part of an extensive retaliatory campaign throughout the Middle East following American and Israeli strikes that resulted in the deaths of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei alongside other high-ranking Iranian leadership.
Tehran’s military response encompassed multiple territories, with projectile and unmanned aerial vehicle operations documented against American military installations and regional partners including the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.
AWS representatives have neither acknowledged nor dismissed potential links between the facility damage and Iranian military actions. Company spokespeople declined to provide additional commentary when approached for statement.
AWS UAE Customers Affected
Notable AWS clients operating within the United Arab Emirates include Al Ghurair Investment LLC alongside Dubai Islamic Bank.
The cloud provider maintains 123 availability zones distributed across 39 global regions, providing extensive geographic redundancy — although this incident demonstrated that even distributed infrastructure faces vulnerability under certain circumstances.
Recovery Still Underway
AWS indicated preliminary restoration achievements early Monday but subsequently revised those assessments, reiterating guidance for customers to utilize alternative regional infrastructure.
By Monday morning Dubai local time, both affected UAE availability zones plus the Bahrain zone continued experiencing operational difficulties.
Amazon stock (AMZN) traded 1.00% higher at the most recent market update.
Get 3 Free Stock Ebooks
Discover top-performing stocks in AI, Crypto, and Technology with expert analysis.
- Top 10 AI Stocks - Leading AI companies
- Top 10 Crypto Stocks - Blockchain leaders
- Top 10 Tech Stocks - Tech giants
