Oracle and Microsoft’s multicloud marriage just took another step into the Middle East: Oracle Database@Azure is now available in the United Arab Emirates, bringing Oracle-managed database services into Azure’s UAE Central (Abu Dhabi) and UAE North (Dubai) regions and giving customers local access to Exadata, Autonomous Database, Exascale options, and Oracle’s Zero Data Loss recovery capabilities alongside Azure’s AI, analytics, and application services.
Oracle Database@Azure is Oracle’s managed database offering deployed on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) hardware that is co-located inside Microsoft Azure datacenters. That arrangement enables organizations to run Oracle Database services (including Oracle Exadata Database Service, Oracle Autonomous Database, and—now—Exadata on Exascale Infrastructure and Oracle Base Database Service) while accessing Azure-native services and tooling with low latency and integrated billing through the Azure Marketplace. The offering uses Azure networking primitives and authentication while Oracle operates and manages the database infrastructure that physically resides in the same Azure datacenters.
This UAE launch is part of a sustained global roll‑out: Oracle and Microsoft say Oracle Database@Azure is available in 27 regions today, with six more regions planned over the next 12 months. That regional expansion is aimed squarely at enterprises that need data residency, low latency, and direct access to both Oracle database capabilities and Azure’s AI/analytics toolchain.
That said, organizations must approach adoption pragmatically—verifying live region status, validating pricing and SLAs, and defining robust operational responsibilities across vendors. When those due-diligence steps are followed, Oracle Database@Azure in the UAE can materially accelerate AI-driven modernization projects while satisfying the strict compliance and performance requirements that matter most to the region’s regulated sectors.
Source: Oracle https://www.oracle.com/middleeast/n...-demand-for-ai-data-modernization-2025-10-08/
Background
Oracle Database@Azure is Oracle’s managed database offering deployed on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) hardware that is co-located inside Microsoft Azure datacenters. That arrangement enables organizations to run Oracle Database services (including Oracle Exadata Database Service, Oracle Autonomous Database, and—now—Exadata on Exascale Infrastructure and Oracle Base Database Service) while accessing Azure-native services and tooling with low latency and integrated billing through the Azure Marketplace. The offering uses Azure networking primitives and authentication while Oracle operates and manages the database infrastructure that physically resides in the same Azure datacenters. This UAE launch is part of a sustained global roll‑out: Oracle and Microsoft say Oracle Database@Azure is available in 27 regions today, with six more regions planned over the next 12 months. That regional expansion is aimed squarely at enterprises that need data residency, low latency, and direct access to both Oracle database capabilities and Azure’s AI/analytics toolchain.
What’s new: UAE availability and product scope
Local presence in UAE Central and UAE North
The immediate and most tangible change for UAE customers is the in-country availability of Oracle Database@Azure in both major Azure regions: UAE Central (Abu Dhabi) and UAE North (Dubai). The practical effect is that regulated organizations—finance, healthcare, government, energy, and telecom—can host sensitive Oracle databases locally while integrating natively with Azure’s AI and analytics services without crossing national borders. Oracle’s regional announcement notes that the UAE rollout includes full Oracle Database functionality, including Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC).Services available at launch
Customers can provision these core Oracle database services inside those Azure regions:- Oracle Exadata Database Service (engineered systems for high-performance OLTP and analytics)
- Oracle Autonomous Database (managed, self-tuning database service)
- Oracle Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure (hyper-elastic, multi-tenant Exadata on demand)
- Oracle Base Database Service (enterprise and standard editions on VMs)
- Oracle Database Zero Data Loss Autonomous Recovery Service (continuous, database-aware backup and recovery)
Why this matters for UAE organizations
Data residency and regulatory fit
The UAE has moved aggressively on national data governance and digital transformation strategies. Many regulated sectors require that personal and sensitive data be processed and stored in‑country or under tightly controlled conditions. Oracle Database@Azure’s in‑region deployment directly addresses these needs by placing Oracle-managed database infrastructure inside Azure’s UAE datacenters—reducing cross‑border transfer concerns while keeping data close to applications and users. This plays directly into regulatory and procurement requirements for a growing number of Gulf enterprises and public-sector bodies.Low-latency and integrated AI workflows
Co‑locating Oracle database services alongside Azure compute and AI services reduces network hops and latency, which matters for real‑time analytics, transaction-heavy systems, and AI model inference pipelines that pull data directly from large operational databases. Organizations that want to combine Oracle’s proven transactional and analytical database engines with Azure’s evolving AI ecosystem (Azure AI Foundry, Microsoft Fabric, Azure Machine Learning, Copilot tools) can now do so with fewer architectural compromises. Microsoft and Oracle emphasize the ability to build cloud‑native applications that span both platforms without refactoring the database layer.Procurement and licensing convenience
Oracle Database@Azure is purchasable via the Microsoft Marketplace and can consume Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitments (MACC). Customers can apply existing discount programs, use BYOL, and take advantage of Oracle support rewards when applicable. This unified procurement path reduces friction and aligns billing with customers’ existing Azure estates—an operational and financial benefit for enterprises that already invest heavily in Azure.Technical validation and key capabilities
Oracle-managed infrastructure inside Azure datacenters
Oracle continues to operate and maintain the database infrastructure (hardware, firmware, Exadata software stack) while the compute/networking configuration integrates with Azure tenancy constructs. In practice this means:- Oracle provides engineered Exadata infrastructure (the same Exadata software stack) while Azure provides the surrounding datacenter footprint and networking.
- Azure Virtual Networks and Microsoft Entra ID are used for network and identity integration, giving Azure-native teams familiar controls for connectivity and access.
Real Application Clusters, MAA and availability
Oracle Database@Azure supports the full Oracle Database feature set, including Real Application Clusters (RAC) for scalability and high availability. Microsoft and Oracle validate Oracle Maximum Availability Architecture (MAA) tiers—Silver, Gold, and Platinum—on Azure region configurations (MAA tiers address replication, failover, and disaster recovery strategies tailored to critical workloads). That validation is important for SAP, financial services, and other mission-critical applications that have tight availability SLAs.Data protection: Zero Data Loss Autonomous Recovery Service
Oracle’s Zero Data Loss Autonomous Recovery Service is available for Oracle Database@Azure customers. This service provides continuous data protection by streaming redo logs, validating backups without production overhead, and enabling point-in-time recovery with RPOs measured in sub‑seconds under optimal conditions. The service is designed to operate across OCI and multicloud deployments and includes immutability and retention-lock policies to harden backup integrity. Organizations that face ransomware and cyber‑resilience requirements will find this particularly relevant.Integration points with Azure observability and governance
Oracle Database@Azure supports integration with Azure Monitor for ingesting metrics and events from Exadata and Autonomous Database services. It also supports Azure-native provisioning flows (Azure Portal, APIs, Terraform using Azure Resource Manager) and uses Azure identity constructs for operational management. These integrations reduce operational friction and let Azure teams use familiar tools for monitoring and governance.Cross-checking the claims — what’s verified and what to watch
- Oracle’s regional availability claims: Oracle’s regional press release explicitly lists the UAE Central and UAE North regions as supported and states overall availability in 27 regions with six more planned. This is confirmed in Oracle’s regional announcement.
- Microsoft’s technical documentation: Microsoft Learn and Microsoft Tech Community posts describe the service architecture (Oracle databases running on OCI hardware inside Azure datacenters), the procurement model via Azure Marketplace, and the integration points with Azure Monitor and Entra ID—confirming the technical model Oracle describes.
- Feature parity and functional claims: Oracle documentation and the Oracle product pages verify that services such as Exadata Database Service, Autonomous Database, Exascale Infrastructure, and Zero Data Loss Recovery Service exist and are supported in multicloud contexts, including Oracle Database@Azure. The documentation for Zero Data Loss Recovery and Exadata features aligns with the capabilities announced.
- Region counts change rapidly. Oracle’s press releases and Microsoft posts have shown different availability counts at different times as the service rapidly expanded; procurement and architecture teams should validate current regional availability and disaster‑recovery pairings at the moment of purchase. The published region list in Oracle’s UAE announcement is accurate as of the announcement but has changed multiple times during 2024–2025. Treat “planned” regions as roadmaps, not contractual guarantees.
- Pricing parity claims. Oracle and Microsoft advertise price parity with OCI for specific Exadata-based services on Azure. Buyers should confirm concrete pricing offers and any marketplace private-offer terms—especially for Exascale and other new infrastructure modes—because private offers and enterprise discounts can materially change the effective cost.
- Regulatory certification status. While the service is positioned for in‑country data residency, customers in highly regulated sectors should validate certification baselines (e.g., sector-specific attestations, local compliance confirmations) with Oracle and Microsoft—and confirm where audit logs and key management are hosted.
Strategic implications for IT leaders and Windows administrators
For CIOs and cloud architects
Oracle Database@Azure reduces one of the classic multicloud blockers: the need to rearchitect mission-critical Oracle workloads to gain Azure-native services. This is strategic for organizations that:- Want to leverage Azure AI and analytics without moving the database away from Oracle’s engineered Exadata platform.
- Need to keep data in-country for regulatory reasons while still accessing global AI services.
- Prefer to consolidate procurement and billing on Azure while keeping Oracle-managed database expertise for operational resiliency.
For DBAs and platform teams
DBAs gain the ability to rely on Oracle’s managed Exadata and Autonomous features while letting application teams consume Azure services. This separation can reduce DBA operational overhead but introduces a shared-responsibility model that spans Oracle-managed infrastructure and Azure-managed cloud resources. DBAs should:- Map responsibilities for patching, backup, and recovery across the two vendor stacks.
- Validate backup and recovery testing using Zero Data Loss Recovery Service and ensure retention, immutability, and recovery procedures meet compliance needs.
- Confirm monitoring paths—what’s visible in Azure Monitor vs. what must be queried in the OCI console.
For security and compliance teams
Security posture improves in many ways—locality, immutability of backups, and the ability to leverage Azure security services—but complexity increases. Teams must define:- Identity and access control boundaries between Azure Entra and Oracle’s role model.
- Key management approaches and whether cryptographic keys remain under customer control.
- Audit and logging retention strategies and where those logs are stored for regulatory inspection.
Practical migration and deployment guidance
Step-by-step checklist for an Oracle Database@Azure migration
- Inventory: Catalogue existing Oracle database versions, schemas, and dependencies (RAC, Data Guard, GoldenGate usage).
- Validate compatibility: Check compatibility matrix for Oracle Database versions (19c, 23ai, etc.) against Exadata and Exascale offerings in Oracle Database@Azure.
- Network planning: Design Azure Virtual Network topologies and private connectivity to Oracle-managed Exadata infrastructure (ensure ExpressRoute or equivalent if hybrid connectivity is needed).
- Backup and recovery: Configure Oracle Zero Data Loss Autonomous Recovery Service and validate RPO/RTO through recovery drills.
- Test migration: Use Oracle Zero‑Downtime Migration (ZDM) tools or GoldenGate for online migrations to minimize downtime.
- Monitoring and governance: Configure Azure Monitor ingestion for Exadata metrics and integrate with existing SIEM / observability stacks.
- Procurement validation: Finalize Marketplace offers (pay-as-you-go, BYOL, private offers), confirm MACC application, and lock in pricing and SLAs.
- Cutover and operationalization: Execute final cutover, validate application performance, and enforce MAA configurations where required.
Strengths, opportunities, and risks — a balanced assessment
Notable strengths
- Proximity of compute and AI services: Local presence in UAE regions minimizes latency between database and application/AI workloads.
- Preservation of Oracle features: Full Oracle Database functionality (RAC, Exadata, Autonomous Database) remains available, reducing the need for refactoring.
- Unified procurement: Marketplace-based purchasing and MACC support simplify billing and reuse of existing Azure commitments.
- Advanced data protection: Continuous recovery and immutability capabilities significantly strengthen ransomware and operational resilience postures.
Strategic opportunities
- Faster AI adoption: Organizations can accelerate model training and inference by combining Oracle’s data fabric with Azure AI toolchains while keeping data in-country.
- Sovereign deployments: Public-sector and regulated enterprises can modernize without breaching residency requirements.
- Lower migration friction: Oracle Zero‑Downtime Migration and pay-as-you-go Exascale options make migrations less disruptive and potentially more cost-effective for bursty workloads.
Risks and practical caveats
- Evolving availability: Region lists and disaster‑recovery pairings are updated frequently; architects should confirm live region status before committing to designs relying on specific regional pairs. Planned expansions are roadmaps, not hard guarantees.
- Vendor complexity and dependency: The model introduces a dual‑vendor operational plane—Oracle manages the database stack and Azure manages the surrounding cloud. Clear SLAs and escalation paths must be contracted to avoid operational gaps.
- Potential procurement nuance: Private offers and custom quotes for Exadata and certain services mean that list‑price parity claims are starting points; the effective price can differ based on enterprise agreements and private-offer terms.
What to ask Oracle and Microsoft before you buy
- Which specific Exadata and Autonomous Database SKUs are available in the UAE Central and UAE North regions today, and what SLAs apply to those SKUs?
- What are the exact steps and responsibilities for key management and backup immutability when using Zero Data Loss Recovery Service inside Azure regions?
- How are MAA Silver, Gold, and Platinum tiers implemented in the local UAE regions, and what measurable RTO/RPO outcomes do they guarantee?
- Can the Azure private offer be structured to incorporate existing Azure and Oracle entitlements exactly the way our procurement teams expect (MACC usage, BYOL, Oracle Support Rewards)?
- For disaster recovery, which specific paired regions or DR-only regions will be available for UAE workloads, and are cross-region replication tests available as a service?
Conclusion
Oracle Database@Azure’s entry into the UAE Central and UAE North regions is an important inflection point for regional cloud strategy: it combines Oracle’s high‑performance database capabilities with Azure’s AI and application ecosystem while addressing local data-residency and regulatory needs. For enterprises and public institutions in the UAE, the offering reduces the friction of multicloud architectures, preserves mission‑critical Oracle functionality, and brings advanced data protection and Exadata performance closer to local users.That said, organizations must approach adoption pragmatically—verifying live region status, validating pricing and SLAs, and defining robust operational responsibilities across vendors. When those due-diligence steps are followed, Oracle Database@Azure in the UAE can materially accelerate AI-driven modernization projects while satisfying the strict compliance and performance requirements that matter most to the region’s regulated sectors.
Source: Oracle https://www.oracle.com/middleeast/n...-demand-for-ai-data-modernization-2025-10-08/
