UAE Honours Teams That Kept Services Running Amid Regional Tensions, Citing 700,000 Daily Cyberattacks Neutralised
Why It MattersGulf aviation hubs kept operating through the tension period, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi handling sustained passenger and flight volumes that point to resilient regional connectivity and growing reliance on cyber defence.
The UAE government on Monday honoured teams that kept essential services running amid regional tensions, revealing that the national cyber security team neutralised an average of 700,000 cyberattacks a day. The team worked around the clock with the Cyber Security Council and other authorities to detect and neutralise threats, protect national digital assets and keep vital services operational.
The teams honoured were the UAE Armed Forces, the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority's (NCEMA) National Operations Center team, aviation teams in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the national cyber security team and the national logistics network team. The government said they were recognised for their readiness, coordination and swift response to challenges.
Dubai's airports handled more than 32,000 flights, nearly six million passengers and 213,000 tonnes of cargo between late February and late April 2026. By late June, Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport was serving more than 93,000 passengers a day across approximately 500 flights. Etihad Airways' crisis and emergency response team coordinated with authorities and strategic partners to keep flights running; the airline carried 2.1 million passengers in September 2026, a 10% increase, serving 119 destinations. The government said the aviation teams helped maintain international connectivity.
The national logistics network team helped keep food, medicines and other essential goods available by facilitating shipments through ports, land routes and alternative transport corridors, including the east coast ports of Fujairah and Khorfakkan. The government said container handling at east coast ports grew 316% to 1.8 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), and linked the team's efforts to maintaining the movement of strategic goods since February 2026. NCEMA's National Operations Center team coordinated efforts across federal and local government entities and the private sector to ensure essential services continued, and the authority managed public communications through official alerts and safety guidance. Sheikh Saif said the teams' effectiveness was reflected in their ability to respond rapidly to challenges while maintaining public confidence, and in "the impact they create and the trust they inspire across the community."
