Microsoft 365 outage in UAE: How businesses can claim refunds and service credits

Microsoft has resumed its services after a global outage that affected Outlook, Teams, OneDrive and other Microsoft 365 products across the UAE for over 24 hours. Organizations that experienced disruptions may still be eligible to receive refunds or service credits. To claim these credits, eligible business customers must submit a request under Microsoft's Service Level Agreement (SLA).

However, these credits are not granted automatically and require submitting detailed information about the disruption. As of November 15, 2023, Outlook users in the UAE are no longer reporting widespread issues, according to the latest data from outage tracker Downdetector. This improvement came after Microsoft announced that services had been restored following the disruption that began on November 12.

Microsoft's standard SLA typically guarantees 99.9% availability for covered services. If a service fails to meet this threshold, customers may still be eligible for a service credit, depending on their subscription and the specific terms of their agreement. Business customers using services covered by Microsoft's SLA, such as Exchange Online, may qualify for credits.

The credit amounts depend on the affected service's availability: 25% credit for availability below 99.9%, 50% credit for availability below 99%, and 100% credit for availability below 95%. Businesses that purchased their Microsoft 365 subscriptions directly from Microsoft can submit a claim through the Microsoft 365 Admin Centre.

To do this, sign in to the Admin Centre, click Help & Support, search for the "Request an SLA service credit for a Microsoft 365 outage" option, and follow the prompts. Include relevant details such as the affected services, the outage's start and end times, the number and locations of affected users, screenshots of error messages, and any troubleshooting steps taken.

Microsoft will then review the request in accordance with the applicable SLA and notify the business of their decision. If your organization subscribed through a reseller, contact that provider directly to initiate the SLA service credit request.