AWS vs Azure: Which Cloud Platform is Right for UAE Businesses?
A detailed comparison of Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure for businesses operating in the UAE, covering pricing, services, compliance, and regional availability.
Regional Presence
AWS has a direct region in Bahrain (me-south-1) with edge locations in the UAE, providing low-latency access for UAE businesses.
Azure has a direct UAE region (UAE North in Dubai, UAE Central in Abu Dhabi), making it the only hyperscaler with data centers physically in the UAE.
Enterprise Integration
Best-of-breed cloud services with broad third-party integrations. AWS is cloud-native first, requiring more configuration for enterprise software.
Deep integration with Microsoft 365, Active Directory, and Dynamics 365. If your organization runs on Microsoft, Azure is the natural extension.
Service Breadth
200+ services — the broadest catalog of any cloud provider. Strongest in compute, storage, and serverless (Lambda).
200+ services with particular strength in hybrid cloud (Azure Arc), AI/ML (Azure OpenAI), and enterprise identity management.
Pricing
Pay-as-you-go with Reserved Instances and Savings Plans. Generally competitive for compute-heavy workloads.
Pay-as-you-go with Reserved VMs and Enterprise Agreements. Often cheaper for organizations with existing Microsoft licensing (Azure Hybrid Benefit).
Compliance
Extensive compliance certifications including ISO 27001, SOC 2, and regional frameworks. Meets most UAE regulatory requirements.
Comprehensive compliance portfolio with UAE-specific certifications. Physical presence in UAE enables data sovereignty compliance.
Our Recommendation
For UAE businesses already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, Azure offers the most seamless integration and has the advantage of local data centers. AWS is the stronger choice for cloud-native architectures and organizations needing the broadest range of services. Many enterprises use both — Bayden helps you architect the right multi-cloud strategy.
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