EXPANDING ITS UAE FOOTPRINT

Microsoft cloud arm has just announced the launch of its new data center region in Doha, Qatar, providing 3 Azure Availability Zones through the new cloud region.

As designed, the Qatar cloud region’s Availability Zones are unique physical data center locations with independent power, network, and cooling for additional tolerance to data center failures.

Approval for the development of this data center region was secured in January 2019, issued by the government of Qatar to Microsoft. The delivery of the Azure region seem to have been delayed by the Pandemic, however, this launch is also timely as it meets Qatar’s preparation to host the FIFA 2022 World Cup for which Microsoft has started establishing partnerships with data service customers such as beIN Media Group, Qatar sports and entertainment broadcasting company.

Also in Qatar, data center service provider Meeza, launched its fourth data center which is codenamed M-Vault 4 and sited on Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP), Doha. Interestingly, MEEZA is a Microsoft partner and Tier-1 Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider with recent Microsoft Gold certifications in the domains of Cloud Platform, Application Development, Application integration and Data Centre offerings.

Microsoft first launched its cloud region within the UAE in 2019 with the opening of its Abu Dhabi and Dubai cloud regions, which initially delivered Microsoft Azure and Office 365 to customers in the Middle East while Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform were scheduled to be available later that year.

In the Middle East, Microsoft announced in 2020 that its plans to launch the first Azure cloud region in Israel, starting with the construction of a data center to serve customers’ data residency needs.

Outside the Middle East, Microsoft recently announced it plans to build a new data center region in Southern Finland, as well as establish a partnership with Fortum Corporation to enable the conversion of waste heat produced in the new data centers to district heating resources.