Kuwait overcomes glitch crisis with swift emergency response

• Kuwait set up an operations room and hotline to monitor and support CrowdStrike issues, ensuring the efficiency of electronic systems amid the global situation.

• The technical teams in the state’s ministries and institutions monitored the repercussions of the global technical glitch and took necessary precautionary measures to address any potential issues.

• CrowdStrike apologized and pledged full support for the Kuwaiti government’s efforts to address the issue. They reaffirmed their commitment to assisting with the situation and ensuring effective resolution.

Two key factors contributed to Kuwait’s successful management of the Microsoft global service disruption last Friday. First, the effective emergency plans in place across government and private agencies were crucial. Second, the government’s heightened alertness and the operations room established by the Central Agency for Information Technology, with participation from the Communications and Information Technology Regulatory Authority and the National Cybersecurity Agency, were instrumental in tracking the disruption’s developments, according to Al Rai newspaper.

Operations room tackles CrowdStrike issues

Omar Al-Omar, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of State for Communications Affairs, revealed that “under the directives and follow-up of His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the Prime Minister, an operations room was established and a hotline was set up to monitor issues related to CrowdStrike’s services, evaluate them, and provide immediate support to various state agencies. This was done to ensure the efficiency and continuity of their electronic systems in light of the global situation.”

Al-Omar stated in a press release that “the operations room has identified the entities that use the company’s services and monitored the necessary measures these entities need to take. It also communicated with all relevant parties to ensure they were not impacted by the existing problem and established direct communication channels with both CrowdStrike and Microsoft.”

He reassured that “the situation in government agencies is stable, and none of the government devices or applications has been affected by this outage, thanks to our ongoing efforts to enhance and secure our government systems and electronic infrastructure.”

Minister Al-Omar stressed that “information security and protecting digital infrastructure are top priorities, and the precautionary measures and advanced security systems that have been implemented have proven effective in addressing such challenges.”

CrowdStrike supports Kuwaiti government

Al-Omar announced that CrowdStrike has confirmed its full support for the Kuwaiti government in addressing the current issue. He noted that he received a phone call from the company’s regional manager, Ibrahim Badawi, who conveyed a message from the CEO, George Kurtz, affirming support for the Kuwaiti government’s efforts to manage the incident.

He added that the regional manager updated him on the latest developments related to the malfunction affecting some of the company’s systems. The manager confirmed the stability of the systems used by Kuwaiti government agencies and reiterated the company’s full support for various agencies and clients, emphasizing the importance of joint cooperation to overcome any challenges.

Al-Omar explained that the company has apologized for the incident. He noted that the special operations room is evaluating and monitoring the situation of government agencies, and that the technical teams have successfully addressed any challenges arising from the global emergency situation.

Coordination with local, international entities

For their part, the Communications and Information Technology Regulatory Authority, the Central Agency for Information Technology, and the National Cybersecurity Center announced their coordination with international and local entities to mitigate the impact of the global technical glitch on the country’s digital infrastructure.

In a joint statement, these entities confirmed that all technical teams have been working around the clock to monitor developments and restore services to normal as quickly as possible. They emphasized the importance of relying on official news sources for accurate updates and urged the public to avoid spreading rumors or unconfirmed information.

They stressed their commitment to working collaboratively to address these circumstances and secure vital systems and services, reassuring all citizens and institutions of their tireless efforts to ensure that normalcy is restored as quickly as possible.

Addressing potential issues

In turn, the technical teams in the state’s ministries and institutions monitored the repercussions of the global technical glitch and took necessary precautionary measures to address any potential issues.

Informed sources stated that “the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Kuwait monitored the situation through joint coordination, tracking developments and identifying the entities affected by the global disruption, with the aim of addressing any observable impacts.”

Impact on airport traffic reduced

The “Emergency Business Continuity Plan” at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation significantly reduced the negative effects of the global technical glitch on air traffic at Kuwait Airport.

Abdullah Al-Rajhi, official spokesman for Civil Aviation, explained that the swift response and activation of the approved plan had a positive impact on returning all technical systems to their normal state.

He expressed his gratitude to everyone involved in activating the plan, including civil aviation staff and other entities such as the Ministry of Interior, the General Administration of Customs, ground services companies, and airlines, who worked hard to overcome the difficulties faced by some flights from Kuwait International Airport.

For his part, Ahmad Alkreebani, CEO of Kuwait Airways, confirmed that all the company’s systems were operating normally and without interruption around the clock. In turn, Jazeera Airways announced on Friday evening that “the glitch has been fixed, and our procedures are proceeding as usual.” The airline added in a statement, “We extend our sincere thanks for your patience and understanding while our teams worked diligently to resolve the situation.”

Local banks triumph over global tech disruption unscathed

Local banks have weathered the global technical disruption without any negative impact, thanks to their business continuity plans for dealing with crises and recovering from them. These plans helped limit the negative effects on digital infrastructure and banking services.

The Central Bank of Kuwait confirmed that none of its services were affected by the disruption to many systems and services or the global impact on the Internet, highlighting the banking sector’s flexibility in responding to such circumstances. Additionally, the Federation of Banks stated that the Central Bank worked closely with the Federation and local banks to secure banking systems and services.

Kuwaiti oil tankers sail smoothly

Kuwaiti oil tankers continued their global journeys without interruption and were unaffected by the global technical glitch.

Sheikh Khaled Ahmed Al-Sabah, Acting CEO of the Oil Tanker Company, confirmed that the company’s operations proceeded normally. He noted that “there are approved precautionary measures for such cases, and the company conducted diligent follow-up and continuous risk assessments during the glitch.”

Similarly, Issa Al-Maraghi, the official spokesman and Deputy CEO for Planning and Innovation at Kuwait Oil Company, confirmed that the company’s operations proceeded normally, with no impact from the global technical glitch on production and export operations.

Ministry cracks down on media outlets spreading false information

Lafi Al-Subaie, Acting Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Information for the Press, Publishing, and Publications Sector, announced that the ministry has taken action against media outlets that spread false information about the global electronic systems malfunction. He emphasized the need to adhere to credibility and publishing standards for all content on the ministry’s websites and social media platforms, including written, audio, and visual content.

Al-Subaie stated in a press release on Friday that “the dissemination of false information by some news websites, whether from internal or external sources, regarding the global operating systems malfunction, makes them responsible for any consequences. Measures have been taken against the violators, and further action will be taken against those who violate these standards in the future.”

He stressed that “the Ministry of Information is closely monitoring, through its agencies, all media coverage of the event and its impact on the country’s economy, security, and stability. The ministry will take necessary measures to address the situation,” adding “the need for all news websites and platforms to adhere to information issued by the relevant official authorities to maintain the integrity of their work and procedures.” He also praised the media outlets that demonstrate professionalism, high objectivity, and adherence to the law, regulations, and bylaws.

Stock Exchange maintains trading stability

The Kuwait Stock Exchange and the Kuwait Clearing Company confirmed that their trading, settlement, and clearing systems were not affected by the global technological outage.

In a statement, they added that all electronic systems and applications are operating normally, thanks to the continuous efforts of the Kuwaiti capital market system to enhance and secure the market’s operations and electronic infrastructure.

They also emphasized their commitment to continually improving and developing their infrastructure to ensure high efficiency and provide exceptional services to investors. Additionally, they work to maintain the security and safety of all electronic operations.

Credit Bank restores all services

Sultan Al-Dubos, the Acting Director of Credit Bank, stated that the bank has restored all services and systems affected by the global technical failure involving CrowdStrike.

He emphasized that the bank has continuity plans in place to manage and recover from crises, and confirmed that all electronic services are now available to citizens.

Joint Gulf efforts to address technical and cyber challenges

Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, stressed the importance of joint Gulf efforts to address technical and cyber challenges.

The Secretary-General said in a statement that the Cyber Security Committee, the E-Government Committee, and their technical committees are working closely to keep pace with these challenges and to ensure joint Gulf cooperation in protecting digital assets in the GCC countries.

He pointed out the importance of technology in all people’s lives and at all levels, especially in light of what the world has witnessed as one of the biggest technical failures in history, which has affected many public and private institutions globally.