‘It means missile defence on data centres’: drone strikes raises doubts over Gulf as AI superpower

The Guardian - World NewsEN 6 min read 100% complete by Daniel Boffey Chief reporterMarch 7, 2026 at 12:00 PM

AI Summary

long article 6 min

An Iranian Shahed 136 drone struck an Amazon Web Services datacentre in the United Arab Emirates at 4:30am on Sunday morning, causing a devastating fire and power outage. A second data centre owned by US tech company was hit shortly after, followed by a third in Bahrain. Iranian state TV claimed the attack was to identify the role of these centres in supporting enemy military and intelligence activities. The strikes affected millions of people in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, who were unable to access their mobile apps or services. Amazon has advised clients to secure their data away from the region. The incident raises doubts about the UAE's plans to build on its AI ambitions, with billions of pounds worth of foreign investment at stake.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

United States 30% Abu Dhabi 30% Dubai 30% Chris McGuire 30% Bahrain 40% Jeff Bezos 40% Shahed 136 50% Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 60% Amazon Web Services ×270% United Arab Emirates ×480% Iran ×390%

Keywords

data centers 90% drone strikes 90% united arab emirates 80% artificial intelligence 70% iranian drones 70% amazon web services 70% ai superpower 60% security risks 60% missile defense 50%