IT Alerts

The Information Technology Department follows a standard weekly change window from Thursday at 5:00 PM to Saturday at 8:00 PM. During this time, we carry out essential maintenance activities such as updates, upgrades, and system improvements to keep KAUST digital services secure and reliable.

We plan this work carefully to reduce disruption, however some services may experience temporary slowdowns, intermittent issues, or brief outages during these maintenance windows.

Below you will find a record of official IT service alerts shared with the KAUST community. These alerts are also delivered directly to your KAUST email.

In addition to our regular weekly maintenance, some KAUST systems hosted on the KAUST Portal (portal.kaust.edu.sa) undergo planned maintenance performed by our cloud vendor. These activities are scheduled quarterly by the vendor, but the actual maintenance work is carried out on specific weekly dates. They are known in advance and may affect the availability or performance of several online services. You can view the current list of upcoming vendor-scheduled activities below.

30 December, 2025

IT Alert - Microsoft 365 License Update

An update has been made to Microsoft 365 licensing at KAUST. No action is required at this time, and access to Microsoft 365 services remains unchanged.

Read more

28 December, 2025

IT Alert - VPN Maintenance

Urgent maintenance is scheduled for KAUST VPN services today. During the maintenance window, intermittent VPN connectivity disruptions may occur.

Read more

24 December, 2025

Planned Maintenance - Campus-Wide Network, VPN, and Firewall Maintenance

Several campus-wide network upgrades are scheduled, which may result in brief interruptions to internet, Wi-Fi, VPN, and related services. Please review the maintenance schedule and plan accordingly.

Read more

17 December, 2025

IT Alert - Video Conferencing Services – Issue Resolved

The intermittent issue impacting video conferencing services earlier today has been resolved. Conference room video conferencing is now fully operational.

Read more

 

About IT Alerts and the Change Advisory Board (CAB)

The Change Advisory Board (CAB) is a cross-functional group within KAUST IT that reviews, assesses, and schedules proposed IT changes to ensure service reliability and reduce risk. Each IT team nominates a representative to CAB, while the CAB Chair is appointed by the Chief Information Officer (CIO).

To learn more about the role of CAB and view related resources, visit the CAB Information Page.

For urgent or high-impact changes, the Emergency Change Advisory Board (ECAB) may be activated. ECAB ensures timely decisions for critical changes while safeguarding service stability.

How Are Alerts Issued?

All IT changes are reviewed under the Change Management process. If communication is needed, an IT Alert is published and shared with the KAUST Community.

  • Scheduled maintenance or planned service changes
  • Changes impacting specific groups (e.g., faculty, students, building tenants)
  • Unplanned outages or urgent service issues

 

Alerts Archive

Browse previous IT alerts, including past outages and scheduled maintenance.

30 December, 2025

IT Alert - Microsoft 365 License Update

An update has been made to Microsoft 365 licensing at KAUST. No action is required at this time, and access to Microsoft 365 services remains unchanged.

Read more

28 December, 2025

IT Alert - VPN Maintenance

Urgent maintenance is scheduled for KAUST VPN services today. During the maintenance window, intermittent VPN connectivity disruptions may occur.

Read more

24 December, 2025

Planned Maintenance - Campus-Wide Network, VPN, and Firewall Maintenance

Several campus-wide network upgrades are scheduled, which may result in brief interruptions to internet, Wi-Fi, VPN, and related services. Please review the maintenance schedule and plan accordingly.

Read more

17 December, 2025

IT Alert - Video Conferencing Services – Issue Resolved

The intermittent issue impacting video conferencing services earlier today has been resolved. Conference room video conferencing is now fully operational.

Read more

14 December, 2025

IT Alert - Datacenter Firewall Maintenance – Today

IT will perform urgent maintenance on the datacenter firewalls today. A brief interruption to datacenter services may be experienced during the maintenance window.

Read more

11 December, 2025

Planned Maintenance - Visitor Management System (VMS), SAP Systems, Sitefinity Database Updates, GIS Maps Application Update, and Microsoft Monthly Patch Cycle

Scheduled maintenance will take place across several KAUST IT systems, including VMS, SAP, Sitefinity websites, GIS Maps, and Windows devices. Please review the planned schedule and impacts to avoid any disruption.

Read more

10 December, 2025

Planned Maintenance - Visitor Management System (VMS) Maintenance

KAUST VMS will be unavailable on December 11 from 8 PM to December 12 at 8 AM, causing delays at the gates and preventing new business visit requests. Community members should carry their KAUST ID, submit visit requests in advance, and expect manual processing during the maintenance window.

Read more

08 December, 2025

IT Alert - Datacenter Firewall Maintenance

KAUST IT will perform essential maintenance on the datacenter firewalls today to ensure continued network stability.

Read more

04 December, 2025

Planned Maintenance - Cellular Network Campus Level 0, Data Center Firewall, and Application License Server Maintenance

Upcoming maintenance may affect connectivity and access to several IT services on December 4 and 7. See what’s impacted and when.

Read more

28 November, 2025

IT Alert - Service Restored: Palms Residential Network Issue Resolved

KAUST IT has resolved the issue affecting the Palms residential network area. Home phone and network connectivity services are now operating normally with no further impact expected.

Read more

28 November, 2025

IT Alert - Service Degradation – Palms Residential Neighborhood Network

KAUST IT is investigating a potential issue affecting the Palms residential network area. Residents may experience temporary slowness or disturbances with home phone and network connectivity while the team works to restore normal service.

Read more

27 November, 2025

Planned Maintenance - Application License Server Maintenance

Scheduled maintenance on the Application License Server will take place on 4–5 December. All licensed applications will be temporarily unavailable. Please ensure your work is saved and all licensed tools are closed prior to the maintenance period.

Read more

21 November, 2025

IT Alert - Security Update: VPN Sessions Reset

As part of our ongoing security improvements, we will reset all active VPN connections tonight at 8 PM.

Read more

18 November, 2025

IT Alert - Global Cloudflare Outage Affecting Internet Services

A global Cloudflare outage is currently affecting many internet services and applications worldwide.

Read more

13 November, 2025

Planned Maintenance - Formstack and Microsoft OneDrive integration for file uploads and KAUSTCentral 2FA

An upcoming update will enhance security between Formstack and Microsoft OneDrive, and some form owners may need to reconnect their integration. A KAUSTCentral 2FA enhancement is also planned, which will re-enable the option to receive verification codes via SMS.

Read more

06 November, 2025

Planned Maintenance - KAUST SAP Systems

Planned Maintenance on KAUST SAP Systems include: KAUST Password Reset Website, Vendor Invoice Management (VIM OpenText), SAP Content Management, SAC Connectivity, and SAP GUI access to SuccessFactors and SAP Support. Please read the alert for more details.

Read more

30 October, 2025

Planned Maintenance - Reminder: Microsoft 365 Environment Controls

IT will implement new controls for Microsoft 365 third-party apps, plug-ins, and AI bots.

Read more

03 November, 2025

IT Alert – Service Degradation – KAUST Room Booking Service

We are currently experiencing a service degradation affecting the KAUST Room Booking Service in the KAUST Portal.

Read more

29 October, 2025

IT Alert – KAUST Portal Services Restored

Access to the KAUST Portal (portal.kaust.edu.sa) has been fully restored.

Read more

29 October, 2025

IT Alert – Service Degradation: KAUST Portal and Related Services

We are currently experiencing a service degradation affecting the KAUST Portal (portal.kaust.edu.sa).

Read more

26 October, 2025

IT Alert – Network Connectivity Issue – Building 2 and Surrounding Areas

We are currently experiencing a network connectivity issue, impacting both wired and wireless connections, in Building 2.

Read more

23 October, 2025

Planned Maintenance - Campus-wide Network Upgrade

This week, KAUST IT will conduct a campus-wide network upgrade to improve performance.

Read more

16 October, 2025

Planned Maintenance - Network Maintenance Activities

Several maintenance activities are planned this week, including campus-wide Wi-Fi and network upgrades. Please review the schedule and impacts.

Read more

14 October, 2025

IT Alert – Task Center in KAUST Portal Services Restored

Normal access to the Task Center in the KAUST Portal has been restored. You may now access all functions as usual.

Read more

14 October, 2025

IT Alert – Task Center in KAUST Portal Experiencing Intermittent Failures

Some community members may experience intermittent access issues when using the Task Center in the KAUST Portal. The IT team is investigating and working to restore normal service as soon as possible.

Read more

09 October, 2025

Planned Maintenance - Network Maintenance Activities

We are performing a network maintenance activity that will impact several buildings on campus; please review for complete details.

Read more

05 October, 2025

IT Alert – KAUST Applications Access is Restored

Access to KAUST applications that require login with KAUST credentials (Single Sign-On) has now been fully restored.

Read more

05 October, 2025

IT Alert – KAUST Applications Currently Inaccessible

Access to KAUST applications that require Single Sign-On (SSO) is currently unavailable. IT teams are working to restore access as quickly as possible.

Read more

02 October, 2025

Planned Maintenance - SAP System Update and Palo Alto Firewall Upgrade

Planned maintenance will take place on Thursday, 2 October 2025, affecting selected SAP services and causing a brief internet interruption during the Palo Alto firewall upgrade. Please review the details and plan your work accordingly.

Read more

29 September, 2025

IT Alert – Task Center Approvals Resolved

Normal access to Task Center approvals on the KAUST Portal has now been restored. You may resume approving requests directly in Task Center.

Read more

26 September, 2025

IT Alert – Task Center Approvals Impacted

Some approvals in Task Center are currently impacted. Our IT teams are working to restore the service as soon as possible.

Read more

25 September, 2025

IT Alert – Conference Room Booking Service Restoration

Normal access to the Conference Room Booking service on the KAUST Portal has been restored.

Read more

25 September, 2025

IT Alert – Conference Room Booking Service Degradation

The Conference Room Booking service on the KAUST Portal is currently unavailable. Our IT teams are working to restore the service as soon as possible.

Read more

25 September, 2025

Planned Maintenance - KAUST VPN Client Upgrade, Renewal of SSL Certificate for Unified Communications, and macOS Tahoe Upgrade Warning

KAUST IT is upgrading the VPN client from Cisco AnyConnect to Cisco Secure Client starting 29 September 2025. A Unified Communications SSL certificate renewal will also take place on 26 September, causing brief disruptions for WebEx SoftPhone, video conferencing, Teams, and Zoom. Community members are also advised not to upgrade to macOS Tahoe, as it is still in testing and not officially supported.

Read more

23 September, 2025

Service Restored - KAUST Portal Services Restored

Normal access to the KAUST Portal (portal.kaust.edu.sa) has now been restored. You may resume normal operations on the KAUST Portal and its applications.

Read more

23 September, 2025

IT Alert – KAUST Portal Service Degradation

SAP is currently experiencing a degradation in their cloud services that is impacting several customers, including KAUST. As a result, the KAUST Portal (portal.kaust.edu.sa) is affected. Applications accessed through the portal may be slower than usual or temporarily unavailable.

Read more

18 September, 2025

Planned Maintenance - Campus Network Upgrade, Wired Network Optimization in Campus Buildings, and Application License Server Maintenance

Several IT maintenance activities are scheduled, including a campus network upgrade, application license server maintenance, and upcoming building-specific network upgrades. Expect short service interruptions, please review the details and plan ahead to avoid disruptions.

Read more

11 September, 2025

Planned Maintenance - Uni-Fi Wireless Network

To keep your wireless service running smoothly, KAUST IT will carry out maintenance on the Uni-Fi wireless network on Thursday, 11 September 2025, 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM in Buildings 1, 2, 3, 9, 12, and Suliman S. Olayan Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute (SSOIEI Building).

Read more

22 August, 2025

Service Restored – KAUST Procurement System (SAP ARIBA)

Services for the KAUST Procurement System (SAP ARIBA) have been restored and are now stable.

Read more

21 August, 2025

Planned Maintenance - KAUST Mediasite Application

SAP systems may experience brief slowness on August 3. Please review the details and plan accordingly to minimize disruption.

Read more

20 August, 2025

Service Update – KAUST Portal and Procurement System (SAP ARIBA)

All services on the KAUST Portal have been restored and are fully available, with the exception of the KAUST Procurement System (SAP ARIBA).

Read more

20 August, 2025

Service Disruption: KAUST Portal

All services accessed through the KAUST Portal are currently unavailable.

Read more

20 August, 2025

Service Disruption – KAUST Procurement System (SAP ARIBA)

We are currently experiencing a service disruption affecting the KAUST Procurement System (SAP ARIBA).

Read more

16 August, 2025

Emergency Upgrade – Network and Internet Services Interruption in Some Residential Areas

KAUST IT will be performing an emergency upgrade to network services affecting some residential areas tonight, Saturday, August 16, at 12:00 AM (midnight).

Read more

15 August, 2025

Service Stabilized – KAUST Portal

The intermittent access issues affecting the KAUST Portal (portal.kaust.edu.sa) have been stabilized. All services within the Portal are now operating normally.

Read more

14 August, 2025

Intermittent Access Issues: KAUST Portal

We are currently experiencing intermittent access issues affecting the KAUST Portal (portal.kaust.edu.sa). All services within the Portal may be impacted.

Read more

14 August, 2025

Service Restored – Mobily Business Line Roaming Bundle Activation via SMS

The issue affecting Mobily business lines has been resolved. You can now once again activate data roaming bundles by sending the appropriate code via SMS to 901.

Read more

14 August, 2025

Connectivity Restored in Campus Residential Areas

Network connectivity has now been restored in the affected residential areas. Both wired and wireless network services are back online.

Read more

14 August, 2025

Network Connectivity Issues in Residential Areas

We are currently experiencing network connectivity issues affecting both wired and wireless services in some residential areas on campus. Impacted homes may be unable to connect to the KAUST Network.

Read more

31 July, 2025

Planned Maintenance - KAUST Systems Maintenance

SAP systems may experience brief slowness on August 3. Please review the details and plan accordingly to minimize disruption.

Read more

29 July, 2025

Reminder: KAUST Visitors Management System (VMS) Maintenance – July 29–30

The KAUST Visitors Management System (VMS) will be offline tonight from 10:00 PM to 4:00 AM. Gate delays expected.

Read more

29 July, 2025

Service Restored – Task Center and Inbox on KAUST Portal

The Task Center and Inbox services on the KAUST Portal have now been fully restored.

Read more

29 July, 2025

Task Center and Inbox Temporarily Unavailable on KAUST Portal

Task Center and Inbox services on the KAUST Portal are currently unavailable.

Read more

24 July, 2025

Planned Maintenance - KAUST Visitors Management System (VMS), Software Application License Server Maintenance, Network Switch Upgrade in Residential Areas, and SAP Systems Maintenance

This week’s IT maintenance includes scheduled downtime for the Visitors Management System (VMS) from July 29 to 30, license server maintenance affecting key applications on July 24 to 25, and a network switch upgrade in residential areas from July 28 to 31 that may cause a brief 10 to 15 minute outage. Additionally, SAP systems may experience brief slowness on July 20. Please review the details and plan accordingly to minimize disruption.

Read more

23 July, 2025

Connectivity Restored in Campus Residential Areas

Network connectivity has now been restored in the affected residential areas. Both wired and wireless network services are back online.

Read more

22 July, 2025

Network Connectivity Issues in Residential Areas

We are currently experiencing network connectivity issues affecting both wired and wireless services in some residential areas on campus. Impacted homes may be unable to connect to the KAUST Network.

Read more

21 July, 2025

Mobily Business Line Data Roaming Activation Issue

Mobily is facing a nationwide issue preventing activation or deactivation of roaming and data packages via SMS (901) for all business lines, including KAUST. Until resolved, users should contact KAUST IT via phone, in person, or through the VITA chatbot for assistance. KAUST IT is monitoring the situation and will provide updates.

Read more

17 July, 2025

Planned Maintenance - Software application server and systems maintenance

Scheduled maintenance will affect licensed software access on 24–25 July, and SAP-related systems may experience brief slowness on 20 July. Please review the impact and recommended actions to avoid service interruptions.

Read more

14 July, 2025

Service Restored - KAUST Portal (portal.kaust.edu.sa)

The KAUST Portal (portal.kaust.edu.sa) service has been fully restored, after the brief service degradation communicated earlier this afternoon.

Read more

14 July, 2025

Service Degradation - KAUST Portal (portal.kaust.edu.sa)

We are currently experiencing a service degradation affecting the KAUST Portal (portal.kaust.edu.sa). You may be unable to access the site at this time.

Read more

10 July, 2025

Planned Maintenance – VMS System Update – No Impact Expected for Gate Access

KAUST IT will perform planned maintenance that includes a routine security update to the system supporting the Visitor Management System (VMS). Gate access and campus operations will not be affected.

Read more

19 June, 2025

IT Maintenance - Monthly Microsoft Updates - June 2025

KAUST IT will apply Microsoft’s June 2025 security updates as part of routine maintenance. You may be prompted to restart your computer to complete the update.

Read more

20 June, 2025

Phishing Email Alert - [EXTERNAL] Turki Almadani shared ‘edamasolutions

KAUST IT and Information Security contained a phishing attack sent on 16 June 2025. Affected accounts were secured, and community members are advised to reset their password if they interacted with the email.

Read more

26 June, 2025

Unplanned Outage/Service Degradation - HR, Finance, and Administrative Systems

Several KAUST systems are currently experiencing intermittent outages, including HR, Finance, and Administrative services. Our IT team is investigating with SAP. Updates will be shared as available.

Read more

26 June, 2025

Planned Maintenance – Wireless Authentication Certificate Renewal and KAUST Systems Maintenance

KAUST IT will perform planned maintenance that includes renewing the wireless authentication certificate and updating core systems. A prompt to accept the new Wi-Fi certificate may appear when connecting to iCampus, Uni-Fi, or eduroam. Several administrative systems, such as HR, Finance, and IT services, will also be temporarily unavailable. It is recommended to save work and plan accordingly to avoid disruption.

Read more

26 June, 2025

Resolved Incident - HR, Finance, and Administrative Systems

The earlier issue causing intermittent outages across several KAUST systems has been resolved. All affected services are now fully operational.

Read more