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Amazon Web Services Announces Its Plans To Open A Data Center In UAE

The company is also investing in local education initiatives and training programs to nurture the latent it needs to support its expansion.

Published

4 years ago

June 3, 2021

Joanna Melki

amazon web services announces its plans to open a data center in uae

Determined to strengthen its global infrastructure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), a subsidiary of Amazon providing on-demand cloud computing platforms, has just announced its plans to open a new data center in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the first half of 2022.

AWS currently has 80 Availability Zones across 25 geographic Regions. Once opened, the UAE data center will become AWS’s second Region in the Middle East, along with an existing in Bahrain.

“We are excited to build on the great momentum of cloud adoption in the Middle East by providing more choice for customers in the UAE to run applications and store data locally,” said Peter DeSantis, Senior Vice President of Global Infrastructure at AWS.

In addition to enabling e local customers with data residency requirements to keep their data inside the UAE, the new Region will also ensure low latency across the country when using Amazon’s growing suite of cloud services, which includes everything from storage to computer to analytics.

The UAE has been heavily focusing on becoming a thriving global hub for entrepreneurs and global enterprises alike by promoting technology innovation, and the new AWS Region will put it one step closer to achieving its goal.

Also Read: QFZA Announces Qatar’s First Laptop Manufacturing Facility

“AWS’s expansion into the UAE is a testament to our rapidly growing innovation ecosystem that will benefit from access to the world’s leading cloud platform and its advanced technologies and solutions,” said His Excellency Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development.

In the near future, Amazon Web Services would like to launch 18 more Availability Zones and six more AWS Regions in Australia, India, Indonesia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates. The company is also investing in local education initiatives and training programs to nurture the latent it needs to support its expansion.

Related Topics:Amazon United Arab Emirates

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Saudi EV Adoption Accelerates With BYD Expansion & Tesla Launch

Saudi Arabia’s EV market is gaining momentum as BYD plans major showroom growth and Tesla establishes a foothold in Riyadh.

Published

2 days ago

July 16, 2025

Nour Nasir

saudi ev adoption accelerates with byd expansion and tesla launch

Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to become a regional hub for electric mobility are drawing greater investment from global automakers. As part of Vision 2030, the Kingdom is targeting 30% electric vehicle (EV) adoption in the capital, Riyadh, by the end of the decade — an objective that’s now shaping the strategic interests of international EV brands.

Chinese manufacturer BYD is planning a substantial thrust into the Saudi market, building on its current footprint of three showrooms. According to Jerome Saigot, BYD’s managing director in the Kingdom, the company aims to open 10 showrooms by the end of 2026.

“Saudi Arabia is a complex market. You need to go fast. You need to think big,” Saigot recently told reporters. “We are not here to stay at 5,000 or 10,000 cars a year”.

The announcement follows Tesla’s entry into the Saudi EV space, with the US automaker opening its first showroom in Riyadh in April. Tesla joins early players like BYD and Geely in what remains a nascent but strategically important segment for the Kingdom.

The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) has also ramped up its electric mobility agenda. Its efforts include major investments in Lucid Motors, the creation of local EV brand Ceer, and support for the rollout of national charging infrastructure.

Also Read: Twitch Launches Arabic Right-To-Left Interface For Web & Mobile

However, electric vehicles still only account for just over 1% of total car sales in Saudi Arabia, according to data from PwC cited by Bloomberg. Key challenges include high upfront costs, limited public charging access, and the added complexity of operating in extreme heat conditions.

In spite of those hurdles, Saigot views Tesla’s entry as a net positive. “The more Tesla communicates on marketing, the better it is for us,” he said. Saigot joined BYD in April, having previously held executive roles at Nissan and Great Wall Motor.

With multiple brands scaling up activity in parallel — and government-backed infrastructure investment underway — Saudi Arabia’s EV sector appears set for rapid acceleration over the next few years.