The UAE was the target of cyber attacks after establishing formal ties with Israel, the country's cyber security chief said on Sunday.
Mohamed Al Kuwaiti said the financial sector was the target but did not elaborate.
He declined to say if the attacks were successful or to identify the perpetrators.
The UAE normalised relations with Israel in September in a ceremony at the White House in Washington DC, along with Bahrain. Sudan has since made a similar deal.
"Our relationship, for example, with the normalisation with Israel really opened ... attacks from some other activists against the UAE," Mr Al Kuwaiti said during an onstage interview on the first day of Gitex, Dubai's annual technology exhibition.
He also said that the number of cyber attacks in the UAE increased sharply after the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Mr Al Kuwaiti said traditionally many attacks in the region originate from Iran, without specifying who is behind them, Reuters reported.
Mr Al Kuwaiti, a highly regarded cyber security expert, previously said Israel has the "best talent in the field" and that the two countries will work together to thwart threats to the digital realm.
In May, a survey by cybersecurity company Proofpoint found 80 per cent of companies and organisations in the UAE said they had been subject to at least one cyber attack the previous year.
The survey of senior IT managers said credential theft and phishing, tactics used to gain access to financial accounts and other sensitive information, were the most common types of attack.
Gitex showcases technology of the future – in pictures
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The Hyundai Uber could one day make traffic jams a thing of the past. Pawan Singh / The National -
The Hyundai Uber on display at the Etisalat stand on the second day of Gitex Technology Week held at Dubai World Trade Centre. Pawan Singh / The National) -
The craft will be equipped to reach speeds of up to 290 kilometres per hour. Pawan Singh / The National) -
Hyundai Uber on display at the Etisalat stand on the second day of GITEX Technology Week held at Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai. (Pawan Singh / The National) -
The Hyundai Uber will be able to carry four passengers high above congested roads. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The BMW Motorrad Vision DC Roadster during GITEX 2020 at the World Trade Centre. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The BMW Vision M Next on show at Gitex 2020 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Visitors at GITEX 2020 at the World Trade Centre in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
A visitor plays a VR transformers game during Gitex 2020. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The autonomous vending machine from Huawei at Gitex 2020. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
People take a VR flight in the Hyundai Uber during Gitex 2020. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
People play the Speed of Light game at the annual celebration of all things hi-tech. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The SoundShirt allows deaf people to fully immerse in a musical experience using haptic sensors. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Adran, a blue humanoid developed using advanced software, sensors, artificial skin and animatronics, speaks to visitors at Gitex 2020 in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
AI Art technology sketches a person during Gitex 2020 at the World Trade Centre. December 6th, 2020 in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
