Drones Strike Amazon Data Centres in UAE and Bahrain
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has confirmed that drone strikes damaged three of its facilities in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, causing power outages and service disruptions amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
The incidents occurred on Sunday morning following US and Israeli military strikes on Iran. Initially, AWS reported that unidentified “objects” had struck a data centre in the UAE, sparking small fires. It also disclosed power and connectivity problems at a site in Bahrain.
By Monday, the company confirmed that drones were responsible for the damage.
According to AWS, two facilities in the UAE sustained direct hits. In Bahrain, a drone strike near one of its sites caused physical damage to infrastructure. The company said the attacks resulted in structural harm, interruptions to power systems and fire suppression efforts that led to additional water damage.
AWS said it is working to restore services but cautioned that recovery could take time due to the extent of the physical damage. Customers operating in the region have been advised to back up data and consider shifting workloads to other AWS regions globally.
The company also warned that the broader security environment in the Middle East remains volatile.
The developments come as US President Donald Trump indicated that American strikes on Iran could continue for several weeks. Iran has launched waves of missiles and drones targeting US bases and allied locations across the Gulf, including sites in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
AWS is the world’s largest cloud computing provider, hosting data and digital infrastructure for millions of businesses worldwide. Its data centres — vast facilities housing high-powered servers — are central to global internet and enterprise operations.
Vili Lehdonvirta, a professor of technology policy at Aalto University, described the attacks as potentially unprecedented, noting it may be the first instance of major cloud infrastructure being directly affected by military action. He said large data centres have become increasingly attractive targets as governments and companies rely heavily on a small number of global cloud providers.
He added that the growing use of commercial cloud and artificial intelligence services by military forces could make such facilities appear as dual-use assets during conflicts.
In recent years, major technology firms have expanded investments in the Gulf region to support artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure growth. While Chinese companies such as Alibaba, Huawei and Tencent have also established a strong presence in the region, none have reported similar disruptions linked to the current hostilities.
