Arab Emirates affected by a series of cyber-attacks following the agreement with Israel

The United Arab Emirates was targeted by cyber attacks after establishing formal links with Israel, the country's cyber security chief reported on Sunday. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti claimed that the financial sector was the target, but did not give further details. According to The National newspaper, he refused to say whether the attacks were successful or whether the perpetrators were identified.

The United Arab Emirates normalised relations with Israel in September at a ceremony at the White House in Washington DC, together with Bahrain. Sudan has since made a similar deal. "Our relationship, for example, with Israel's normalization really opened up ... attacks by some other activists on the United Arab Emirates," Al Kuwaiti said during an interview on stage on the first day of Gitex, Dubai's annual technology exhibition. He also said that the number of cyber attacks in the UAE increased dramatically after the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Likewise, Al Kuwaiti said that traditionally many attacks in the region originate in Iran, without specifying who is behind them, the news agency Reuters reported. Al Kuwaiti, a highly prestigious cyber security expert, had previously said that Israel has the "best talent in the field" and that the two countries would work together to thwart threats to the digital sphere.

In May, a survey conducted by cyber security firm Proofpoint found that 80 percent of companies and organisations in the United Arab Emirates said they had been subject to at least one cyber attack in the previous year. The survey of senior IT managers revealed that credential theft and phishing - tactics used to gain access to financial accounts and other confidential information - were the most common types of attack.