Oracle and telecoms company Du have signed a partnership framework to develop a sovereign cloud platform in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

It is hoped the new platform will help address regulatory and data sovereignty requirements within the UAE.

“The UAE is one of the most innovative countries in the world and our public sector is rapidly embracing the adoption of advanced technologies to deliver a world-class experience for businesses, citizens, residents, and tourists," said Jasim Al Awadi, CICTO of Du.

"Cloud is the platform for innovation and provides a rich source of services for digital reinvention. At Du, we are doubling down on digital capabilities in response to the visionary calls for the UAE to transform into the most technologically advanced nation by 2030. Sovereign cloud capabilities are a key pillar of this transformation.”

Al Awadi signed the partnership framework with Oracle's SVP of cloud technology MEA and UAE country leader, Nick Redshaw.

According to Redshaw, the agreement aims to give "partners and customers more choice in how they build, deploy and operate cloud services."

He said: "With its strong customer network and local capabilities, Du is and its customers are strongly positioned to harness the high performance, flexibility, security and scalability offered by Oracle."

Oracle has two UAE cloud regions: UAE East located in Dubai, which launched in September 2020, and UAE Central in Abu Dhabi, which launched in November 2021. The company has cloud regions in nearby Saudi Arabia where plans for a third were announced in February 2023.

It also offers EU clients sovereign cloud region, which was announced in 2022 and launched in 2023.

Du, previously known as Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, operates or has a presence in five data centers across the UAE, two of which opened in 2021. Those data centers include the Dubai Silicon Oasis, Meydan Dubai, IMPZ Equinix, Kizad Abu Dhabi, and Masdar City Abu Dhabi.

In March of last year, Omantel and Du announced plans for a 275-kilometer subsea cable that would link the UAE and Oman.

Oracle is not the first hyperscaler to set up a sovereign cloud in the UAE. In September, Microsoft also announced plans for a similar offering, working alongside UAE-based G42.