Amazon Web Services Permanently Abandons Bahrain and UAE Data Zones Following Iranian Attacks

Amazon Web Services has announced it cannot restore operations at one of its three UAE data hosting zones and its Bahrain network after they suffered severe damage from Iranian attacks. Following thorough assessments, the Seattle-based cloud subsidiary notified authorities in the Gulf nations via its Health Dashboard site on Tuesday.

AWS stated that access to resources and data hosted exclusively in the UAE zone and Bahrain cannot be recovered, though customer support remains available to assist users in migrating to alternate regions. Regarding the affected UAE zone, the company noted that most customers have successfully re-established operations since disruptions began in March by utilizing backups or copying accessible data.

The military offensive involving the US and Israel against Iran commenced on February 28. According to its website, AWS operates nine sites in the Middle East, comprising three each in the UAE, Bahrain, and Israel, alongside three planned locations in Saudi Arabia.

The situation in Bahrain proved more complex because infrastructure damage spanned multiple zones, exceeding the designed resilience of regional and multi-availability zone services. AWS services in the kingdom suffered disruptions twice in March, with an additional zone struck in April.

AWS confirmed it has assisted remaining customers in shifting operations to alternative regions through available backups and mitigation solutions. An update regarding the Bahrain situation is anticipated in early 2027, while no specific timeline was provided for the UAE.

The broader conflict with Iran has triggered major disruptions across energy and infrastructure sectors following strikes on key industrial sites in US-allied Gulf states. While governments and companies have responded swiftly, certain strikes resulted in long-term damage, impacting entities such as the UAE's Emirates Global Aluminium and QatarEnergy. Technology outages remain among the most disruptive and costly challenges facing businesses in the region.