Oracle Database@Azure Arrives in UAE with In Region Exadata and Zero Data Loss

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.

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.

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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)

These services are offered with flexible purchase options—pay-as-you-go from the Azure Marketplace, BYOL (Bring Your Own License), and private offers—so customers can reuse existing commitments and licensing benefits.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Caveats and items to verify with procurement teams

• 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.

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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.

Operational playbooks should include vendor‑verified SLAs, validated MAA tiers for Exadata, and clearly defined exit and data portability terms. While the model reduces the friction of multicloud integration, good procurement hygiene remains essential to prevent unexpected lock‑in.

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.

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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.

This sequence reduces risk and establishes a repeatable migration path for mission‑critical databases. Documentation and vendor support should be leveraged during each step.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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Source: Oracle https://www.oracle.com/middleeast/n...-demand-for-ai-data-modernization-2025-10-08/

 

[ChatGPT]

Oracle and Microsoft have quietly pushed another marker in the global multicloud map: Oracle Database@Azure is now available inside Microsoft Azure’s UAE Central and UAE North regions, giving in‑country customers direct, low‑latency access to Oracle’s managed database services running on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) inside Azure datacenters.

Background​

The Oracle–Microsoft collaboration that places Oracle‑managed database services inside Azure datacenters is not new, but its steady geographic expansion matters. The offering — branded Oracle Database@Azure — lets organizations consume Oracle Exadata Database Service, Oracle Autonomous Database, Exadata on Exascale Infrastructure, and Oracle Base Database Service while keeping application and analytics workloads in Azure. That same integration enables standard Azure purchasing and license models (including Bring Your Own License and existing Azure commitments) through the Microsoft Marketplace.
This October release adds the UAE to a roster that Oracle reports as 27 live regions for Oracle Database@Azure, with six additional regions planned over the next 12 months. That regional count and roadmap are central to the value proposition: local presence reduces latency, helps satisfy data residency requirements, and simplifies regulatory compliance for sectors such as finance, healthcare, energy, and government.

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Why this matters for enterprises and governments in the UAE​

Locality, latency, and data sovereignty​

The UAE has been aggressively building cloud and AI capacity and emphasising data residency for sensitive workloads. Running Oracle Database services physically inside Azure’s UAE datacenters means mission‑critical systems can keep databases close to Azure apps and Azure AI/analytics services, cutting round‑trip times and compliance friction. For organizations with strict residency mandates, in‑country deployment is a practical requirement rather than a convenience — and this announcement answers that requirement.

Combining Oracle’s database stack with Azure’s AI and developer ecosystem​

Oracle emphasizes that the service enables customers to combine the performance and availability of Oracle Exadata/Autonomous Database with Azure’s analytics and AI services. Practically, that means Azure‑hosted applications (for example, analytics pipelines, machine learning model training, or Power BI reporting) can operate with the database tier in the same datacenter footprint, while still being managed by Oracle. For many enterprises, that reduces the complexity of connecting Oracle databases to Azure‑native services and supports existing Oracle workloads without rewriting large portions of application logic.

Procurement and licensing flexibility​

Customers can purchase Oracle Database@Azure through the Azure Marketplace and bring their existing Azure commitments and Oracle licenses to the table. Oracle also supports pay‑as‑you‑go and private offer/custom quote options for certain services. For procurement teams, this mixed purchasing model reduces friction: budget owners can often use existing Azure agreements while benefiting from Oracle’s managed database SLAs.

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What’s included and what to expect technically​

Core services available in‑region​

• Oracle Exadata Database Service (including Exadata X11M hardware support in some configurations)
• Oracle Autonomous Database (managed, self‑driving database services)
• Oracle Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure (elastic, multi‑tenant Exadata)
• Oracle Base Database Service (VM‑based managed databases)
• Oracle Database Zero Data Loss Autonomous Recovery Service (for enhanced disaster recovery and protection)

These services are delivered by Oracle but deployed on OCI hardware inside Azure datacenters, which enables the same Oracle Database functionality (including Real Application Clusters) that customers expect from OCI while tightly coupling to Azure services.

Network and performance considerations​

The integration relies on colocated infrastructure and private connectivity patterns that aim to deliver low latency between Azure compute and services and the Oracle database tier. Oracle has previously described interconnect architectures that combine OCI FastConnect and Azure ExpressRoute for low round‑trip times; where a given joint region is built with direct interconnects and engineered systems, customers should see consistent high throughput and reduced variability compared to public internet connections. That architecture is the technical backbone that makes low‑latency database calls feasible for chatty business apps and AI inference scenarios. However, specific latency figures will vary by region, customer network design, and workload; proof‑of‑value testing is essential.

Migration and compatibility​

Oracle stresses compatibility with existing on‑premises architectures and migration tooling such as Oracle Zero‑Downtime Migration. For organizations running Oracle Database today, this reduces the need to refactor applications; Real Application Clusters (RAC), GoldenGate, Data Guard, and other Oracle features remain supported, preserving high availability and operational models. That continuity is a major selling point for enterprises that need to modernize data layers without a ground‑up rewrite.

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Business and market context​

Why Oracle is pushing multicloud placement​

Oracle’s strategy has increasingly emphasized keeping databases “close to the data” while offering managed services on third‑party clouds. The rationale is straightforward: many enterprises already run significant parts of their systems on Azure (and other hyperscalers), but still rely on Oracle databases for transactional and analytical workloads. By delivering Oracle‑managed database services inside Azure datacenters, Oracle reduces migration friction for customers while preserving the differentiated performance of Exadata and Autonomous Database. This is a pragmatic approach to win customers who want multicloud flexibility without losing Oracle’s engineered‑system benefits.

Regional momentum and strategic signaling​

The UAE addition aligns with broader regional initiatives: the Emirates are rapidly investing in AI infrastructure and sovereign cloud capabilities. Major AI datacenter projects and partnerships in the region signal that demand for low‑latency, high‑capability compute and database services will continue to grow. Placing Oracle Database@Azure into UAE regions is therefore not only operationally helpful for local customers, but it’s also strategic positioning for the broader AI and regulated workload market.

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Customer perspective and early adopters​

Local customers and government‑adjacent bodies often prioritize three things: performance, compliance, and vendor support. Oracle’s press materials cite customers and local leaders who welcome the launch, pointing to improved ability to run mission‑critical applications in‑country and to combine Oracle’s database strength with Azure’s AI and analytics.
One public sector customer quoted in Oracle’s announcement framed the move as foundational to digital housing governance and institutional digital transformation — a signal that government and quasi‑government bodies see this as an enabler for modern services that require both database robustness and AI/analytics capability in a sovereign context. These quotes illustrate demand, but vendor case studies typically lack granular workload details; organizations should treat such claims as indicators of fit rather than direct performance guarantees.

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Strengths of Oracle Database@Azure (what’s convincing)​

• Operational continuity: Full Oracle Database feature set (RAC, Data Guard, GoldenGate) reduces the need to rearchitect databases when moving to the cloud.
• Managed database expertise: Oracle operates and supports the database tier, relieving customers of much DBA overhead and lifecycle maintenance.
• Multicloud proximity: Applications and analytics in Azure can run close to Oracle databases without crossing public internet, reducing latency and exposure.
• Licensing and procurement flexibility: Customers can use Azure Marketplace purchasing, BYOL, and existing commitments — streamlining procurement.
• Exadata performance: Access to Exadata engineered systems (including new Exadata X11M family and Exascale) provides high I/O and CPU throughput for mixed AI/analytics/OLTP workloads.

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Risks and limitations (what to watch closely)​

1) Vendor surface and operational complexity​

The service is jointly supported, but responsibilities are split: Oracle manages the database stack running on OCI hardware; Microsoft manages the Azure datacenter environment. Joint support models can be excellent when well orchestrated — but they also create coordination points that need to be clear in contracts and operational runbooks. Enterprises should insist on explicit SLAs, escalation paths, and runbook clarity before committing mission‑critical workloads.

2) Potential for subtle lock‑in​

Oracle engineered systems like Exadata deliver strong performance gains, but they are proprietary. While Oracle promotes multicloud placement, moving large Exadata workloads laterally — or away from Oracle‑managed infrastructure — is nontrivial. Organizations must weigh the operational advantages against potential future mobility constraints.

3) Cost modeling complexities​

Pay‑as‑you‑go, BYOL, and Azure Marketplace pricing makes procurement flexible, but total cost of ownership (TCO) must include network egress, interconnect charges (if any), support contracts, and managed service premiums. Vendor claims of “pricing parity” with OCI are helpful guidance, but purchasers should validate pricing for their specific configurations and expected utilization.

4) Performance claims should be validated​

Vendor performance metrics and customer case studies are persuasive — but they are not a substitute for proof‑of‑value (PoV) testing. Workloads differ dramatically (transactional vs. analytical vs. vector/AI search), and latency/throughput outcomes will depend on schema, concurrency, indexing, and application behavior. Run actual representative tests in the target region before committing.

5) Local regulatory and geopolitical considerations​

Although the service helps with data residency, procurement teams should still evaluate supply‑chain and geopolitical exposure, especially for defense, critical infrastructure, or highly regulated workloads. Public announcements rarely disclose vendor sourcing, hardware provenance, or long‑term contractual protections; include legal and compliance counsel in procurement evaluations.

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Practical guidance for IT leaders in the UAE​

• Inventory and categorize: Identify which Oracle workloads are latency‑sensitive, which require strict residency, and which are best retained on‑premises for regulatory reasons.
• Run targeted PoVs: Reproduce representative OLTP, OLAP, and AI inference workloads in the UAE Central/North regions to validate latency, throughput, and cost profiles.
• Clarify joint support: Negotiate SLAs with clearly defined escalation paths, contact points, and incident response responsibilities across Oracle and Microsoft.
• Model TCO carefully: Include support, network, data transfer (if any), managed service costs, and expected growth for AI/analytics compute.
• Build migration guardrails: Use migration tools such as Oracle Zero‑Downtime Migration and define rollback strategies to minimize business disruption.

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The competitive picture and market implications​

Oracle’s multicloud push positions its database stack as a data‑proximate service for customers that want Azure’s developer and AI ecosystem while retaining Oracle’s database capabilities. This is a pragmatic approach to multicloud that appeals to enterprises with large Oracle estates that are not ready or willing to replatform to cloud‑native databases.
From a hyperscaler perspective, Microsoft benefits by retaining Azure workloads (and the application/analytics spend that follows) even when the database tier is operated by Oracle. For customers, this can mean choosing best‑of‑breed services across providers without wholesale migration risk.
However, this model is distinct from purely native cloud architectures and may not be the best economic or technical fit for cloud‑native greenfield applications where a hyperscaler’s native database services or open data platforms might be preferable.

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Conclusion​

The UAE launch of Oracle Database@Azure is an incremental but meaningful expansion of a broader multicloud strategy that blends Oracle’s database engineering with Azure’s AI and developer foothold. For UAE enterprises and public sector organisations, the local availability answers tangible requirements around latency, residency, and regulatory compliance — and it offers a tested path to modernize Oracle workloads while accessing Azure’s analytics and AI capabilities.
At the same time, decision makers must approach the offering with operational rigor: validate performance with real workloads, confirm support and SLAs, model costs comprehensively, and weigh lock‑in tradeoffs. When executed carefully, Oracle Database@Azure can be a powerful component in a multicloud strategy — but like all strategic infrastructure choices, the benefits flow to organisations that align architecture, procurement, and operations before they migrate.

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Source: Oracle https://www.oracle.com/ae/news/anno...-demand-for-ai-data-modernization-2025-10-08/