AWS Launches Region In UAE

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The second AWS Middle East (UAE) Region allows customers to run workloads and store data securely in the UAE while serving end users with even lower latency.

Amazon Web Services announced the launch of its second region in the Middle East, the AWS Middle East (UAE) Region. Developers, start-ups, entrepreneurs, enterprises, government, education, and nonprofit organisations will have even greater choices for running their applications and serving end users from data centers in UAE, using advanced AWS technologies to drive innovation. AWS’s projected spending on the construction and operation of the new region will support an average of nearly 6,000 full-time jobs annually at external vendors, with a planned $5 billion (AED 20 billion) investment in the local economy through 2036. The AWS Middle East (UAE) Region will also add an estimated $11 billion (AED 41 billion) over the next 15 years to the UAE’s gross domestic product (GDP).

“AWS is committed to helping customers in the UAE deploy the most advanced cloud technologies and achieve the highest levels of security, availability, and resiliency,” said Prasad Kalyanaraman, vice president of Infrastructure Services at AWS. “With the launch of the AWS Middle East (UAE) Region, we are making it possible for even more customers to harness the power of the cloud to drive innovation across the UAE while also investing in the local economy through job creation, training for highly sought-after technology skills, and education resources to advance the UAE’s strategic priorities further.”

“The opening of the AWS Middle East (UAE) Region is a significant milestone for Abu Dhabi and the UAE as a whole, reflecting our efforts to generate opportunities for all,” said His Excellency Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development. “It strengthens Abu Dhabi’s commitment to positioning itself as a leading digital economy by leveraging cutting-edge technology to support business growth. The enhanced cloud capabilities enabled by AWS are expected to generate significant advantages and efficiencies that can propel businesses to success and realize major economic benefits for the country.”

With the launch of the AWS Middle East (UAE) Region, AWS has 87 Availability Zones across 27 geographic regions, with announced plans to launch 21 more Availability Zones and seven more AWS Regions in Australia, Canada, India, Israel, New Zealand, Spain, and Switzerland. AWS Regions are composed of Availability Zones that place infrastructure in separate and distinct geographic locations. The AWS Middle East (UAE) Region consists of three Availability Zones and joins the existing AWS Middle East (Bahrain) Region, which opened in July 2019. Availability Zones are located far enough from each other to support customers’ business continuity but near enough to provide low latency for high-availability applications that use multiple Availability Zones. Each Availability Zone has independent power, cooling, and physical security and is connected through redundant, ultra-low latency networks. The launch of the AWS Middle East (UAE) Region will enable local customers with data residency requirements to store data securely in the UAE while providing customers with even lower latency across the country.

“Abu Dhabi aims to enable transformative technology that delivers opportunities for businesses and residents alike,” said Eng. Abdulla Abdul Aziz AlShamsi, acting director general of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO). “Smart infrastructure is powering the thriving private and public sectors by opening new economic possibilities, fostering inclusive growth, and creating opportunities for collaboration across our innovation ecosystem. At ADIO, we contribute to this through many valuable ecosystem-enabling partnerships that support Abu Dhabi’s position as a leader in the region’s digital revolution. The AWS Middle East (UAE) Region is a welcome addition to the country’s innovation ecosystem, helping to build vital capabilities for all.”

Customers welcome the news that the AWS Organisations in the UAE. These customers leverage AWS to accelerate innovation, increase agility, and drive cost savings. Al Ghurair Investments, Al Tayer Group, Aramex, Axiom Telecom, Flydubai, GIG Gulf (previously AXA Gulf), Gulf News, OSN, Shahid, Seera Group, and Virgin Middle East chose AWS to become more agile and innovative. MENA public sector organisations are using AWS to drive cost savings, accelerate innovation, and better serve the region’s citizens. Examples of these organisations include Dubai Expo 2020, Egypt Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Government of Bahrain’s Ministries, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University, and the University of Bahrain. MENA start-ups building their businesses on top of AWS to scale rapidly and expand worldwide include Alef Education, Anghami, Careem, Dubizzle, EKar, Fetchr, Haraj, Maestro Pizza, Mawdoo3.com, Property Finder, Sarwa, Souqalmal, StarzPlay, and Yallacompare.

AWS Investment in the UAE

The new AWS Middle East (UAE) Region is the latest in AWS’s ongoing investments in the UAE. In 2018, AWS launched its first Amazon CloudFront edge locations in the UAE, offering customers in the UAE access to Amazon CloudFront and Amazon Route 53 services. Amazon CloudFront is a secure and programmable content delivery network that accelerates the delivery of data, videos, applications, and application programming interfaces (APIs) to users worldwide with low latency and high transfer speeds. That same year, AWS also launched AWS Direct Connect locations in the UAE, which enable customers to establish private connectivity between AWS and their data centre, office, or colocation environment.