UAE residents experienced unexpected disruptions on Friday afternoon as a global tech glitch forced some local shops to switch to “cash-only” payments. The issue, which emerged as part of a massive global cyber outage, impacted various sectors, including aviation and banking.
Cash-Only Payments and ATM Outages
Shoppers were caught off guard when they were informed that their card payments were not being accepted due to technical problems. Many faced difficulties finding instant cash as ATMs were also down.
Mathew, a local resident, recounted his experience: “I went to buy groceries and was surprised to find out that the store only accepted cash. The ATM next door was also out of service. Fortunately, it was a friend’s shop, so they allowed me to take the goods with the promise of paying later.”
Similarly, Geethalakshmi Ramachandran faced issues at a petrol station in Jebel Ali, which also switched to cash-only payments. “I had Dh50 on me, but it was quite chaotic. I’ve been hearing that card payments are failing in various stores and pharmacies,” she said.
Impact on Travel and Services
The global cyber outage severely impacted major services, including airports and airlines. Dubai International Airport (DXB) confirmed that their operations were temporarily affected. The issue reportedly originated from a problematic update by US-based cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike, which caused widespread crashes in PCs and servers running their software.
Travellers faced significant delays as flights were affected by the outage. Fazla, a Dubai resident, described the situation: “My father-in-law’s flight to India, scheduled for 12.50 PM, was indefinitely delayed. The airport was chaotic, but staff managed to get things sorted by around 2.30 PM. I hope the situation improves soon.”
Disruptions in Travel Agencies
UAE-based travel agencies also reported problems due to the outage. Noushad Hassan from Alhind Business Center stated: “Our platform, used by over 1800 agencies in the UAE, was affected. Airlines were unable to update their fares, so ticket issuance has been disrupted. Check-in systems are down, causing delays for many flights. We’re closely monitoring the situation and hope for a swift resolution.”
As the global outage continues, residents and businesses alike are grappling with the fallout, hoping for a quick return to normalcy.
