Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) said its mobile banking and contact centre services were temporarily unavailable on Monday due to a regional IT disruption, as financial and business systems faced strain amid current US-Israel-Iran tensions.
The bank did not provide details regarding the nature of the IT fault. Moreover, it did not confirm whether the disruption was linked to reported issues at Amazon Web Services data centres in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
Market Operations Suspended
ADCB shares were not trading on Monday after the UAE Capital Market Authority suspended activity on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and the Dubai Financial Market. Consequently, equity price discovery was paused across the country’s main exchanges until at least Wednesday.
The broader market halt followed missile and drone strikes across the region, which intensified risk sentiment and disrupted commercial operations. As a result, investors faced limited liquidity and delayed settlement activity during the suspension period.
Business and Financial Impact
The latest escalation has triggered widespread disruption across Gulf economies. Airports closed temporarily, port operations slowed, and corporate continuity plans were activated across multiple sectors. Therefore, operational resilience and digital infrastructure have become central to short-term risk management strategies.
Financial markets experienced heightened volatility, while regional risk premiums widened across asset classes. In addition, interruptions to cloud infrastructure and payment systems increased scrutiny on technology dependencies within the banking sector.
The strikes have landed across major Gulf states, affecting business confidence in a region long regarded as a stable commercial hub. Consequently, market participants are closely monitoring developments for signals on reopening timelines, capital flows and potential spillover effects on energy prices and cross-border trade.
