Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced that it cannot restore access to its cloud-computing facilities in Bahrain and parts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), more than six months after the sites were damaged by drone strikes during the early days of the Iran war [1]. According to an update posted to AWS' health dashboard, the damage at multiple Bahrain-based sites exceeded the resilience levels for which its services were designed [1]. AWS stated, 'After a thorough assessment, we have determined that we are unable to restore access to the resources and data hosted exclusively in this region' [1].
AWS also reported that it has been unable to recover resources and data stored in one of its availability zones in the UAE, though efforts continue to restore two other affected UAE zones [1]. This marks AWS' first public update on the incidents since April, following its March disclosure that two UAE data centers were directly struck by drones and a Bahrain facility was damaged by a nearby strike [1]. Customers were advised to migrate workloads to other AWS regions, with the company warning that ongoing instability in the Middle East could make operations 'unpredictable' [1].
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for the strikes, stating that the Bahrain facility was targeted due to Amazon's support of the U.S. military [1]. The attacks have raised concerns about the security of future data center developments in the Gulf region, which has been seeking to capitalize on increased infrastructure demand driven by the artificial intelligence boom [1]. In May 2025, OpenAI, Nvidia, Oracle, and Cisco became core partners on UAE Stargate, a planned massive campus with a 5-gigawatt capacity and a 10-square-mile footprint [1].
In response to the attacks, the UAE is considering revising the Stargate project to disperse facilities across the country and implement enhanced security measures, such as building some sites underground, using blast-resistant concrete, and deploying drone and missile interceptors, according to Reuters [1]. AWS affirmed its commitment to supporting customers in Bahrain and the UAE and expects to provide further updates on the UAE situation in the coming months, with more information for Bahrain users anticipated in early 2027 [1].
CONCLUSION
AWS' inability to restore cloud services in Bahrain and parts of the UAE underscores the significant operational and security risks facing data center infrastructure in the Gulf region. The incident has prompted both immediate customer disruption and broader strategic reassessments for future projects, with major technology partners and local authorities considering enhanced security and revised development plans.