Amazon Web Services (AWS) and e&, have launched the UAE Sovereign Launchpad, a cloud offering in UAE that is set to accelerate the adoption of cloud and AI services for the UAE public sector and regulated industries.
The UAE Sovereign Launchpad, which is powered by AWS, offered by e&, and endorsed by the UAE Cybersecurity Council, paves the way for a new era of public cloud adoption in the UAE that is estimated to add US$181 billion cumulative value to the nation’s digital economy by 2033.
The UAE Sovereign Launchpad will run on the AWS Middle East (UAE) Region located within the borders of the UAE. e& will manage and implement customers’ security and sovereignty controls aligned with UAE Cloud Security policies. In addition, e& will leverage AWS Outposts, a service that allows customers to extend and run AWS services on premises, to meet customers’ specific data residency requirements.
UAE government agencies, along with customers in healthcare, financial services, education, space, oil & gas, and non-profit sectors, can now access the latest AWS cloud technologies, while addressing the data sovereignty requirements of the UAE Cyber Security Council.
UAE public sector and regulated customers can use the UAE Sovereign Launchpad through e& for all workloads except those classified as Secret and Top Secret, combining AWS cloud capabilities, alongside workload management solutions and managed security support provided by e&. This will cover the majority of workloads for organisations in the UAE.
“The UAE Cyber Security Council welcomes the launch of the UAE Sovereign Launchpad and the collaboration between e& and AWS in advancing our nation’s digital transformation journey. With the additional security and sovereignty controls designed within the UAE Sovereign Launchpad, the UAE Government and regulated industries can transform and innovate with AWS, while meeting regulatory requirements,” said His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Al-Kuwaiti, Head of the UAE Cybersecurity Council, which spearheads the UAE’s cybersecurity regulatory framework.
Hatem Dowidar, Group CEO of e&, said: “Through AWS’s UAE Region and e&’s local expertise, this collaboration demonstrates our commitment to enabling secure cloud solutions that meet the requirements of UAE’s government and regulated sectors.
“The launch of the UAE Sovereign Launchpad, which leverages e&’s security expertise and operations, proves that world-class cloud services can operate within national cybersecurity frameworks. Our strategic partnership with AWS continues to exemplify how global cloud innovation can align with national priorities.”
The UAE Sovereign Launchpad is the latest development of a US$1 billion-plus strategic alliance between AWS and e& to fast-track cloud solutions in the Middle East, supporting AI deployment and digital transformation across the region.
AWS is architected to be the most secure cloud infrastructure on which to build, migrate, and manage applications and workloads. This is backed by the trust of millions of customers worldwide, including the most security sensitive organisations like government, healthcare, and financial services. The UAE public sector and regulated customers will now have access to the latest digital technologies, such as AI and machine learning, while addressing their data sovereignty requirements through the UAE Sovereign Launchpad.
“Our collaboration with e& the UAE Cybersecurity Council represents the perfect synergy of secure global cloud innovation and local expertise, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to supporting the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision,” said Tanuja Randery, vice president, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, AWS. “Security is foundational to sovereignty, and we believe it’s essential that customers have control over their data and choices for how they secure and manage their data in the cloud. By combining our world-class cloud capabilities with e&’s deep understanding of UAE’s regulatory landscape, we’ve developed solutions that serve UAE’s digital transformation while maintaining the required data protection standards.”
UAE Cybersecurity Technology Innovation Bureau
AWS, UAE Cybersecurity Council, and e& also plan to create the UAE Cybersecurity Technology Innovation Bureau (CTIB). The CTIB aims to advance ‘Made in UAE’ cybersecurity innovations, strengthening the UAE’s global leading position at the forefront of cyber resilience and elevating the nation’s digital capacity building in secure-by-design cloud-computing infrastructure. “The UAE CTIB reflects the constant efforts made by the UAE in the field of cybersecurity and is a result of the directions and visions of the country’s wise leadership,” added Dr. Al-Kuwaiti. “Through the UAE CTIB, we plan to develop an annual programme of training workshops, national and international partnerships, start-up incubations, reports and whitepapers, along with strategic R&D and academic collaborations, to accelerate the UAE’s digital transformation and cyber pulse agenda.”
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