Gulf conflict exposes data center and connectivity resilience gaps

Access Partnership outlines four strategic resilience imperatives for businesses operating in the Gulf following the 28 February escalation.

• Main announcement: Access Partnership recommends adoption of data embassies, enterprise NGSO/satellite connectivity, cyber warfare preparedness, and supply chain scenario planning to address risks from regional kinetic escalation (noting Iranian strikes that hit three Amazon Web Services data center facilities, and the 28 February US–Israel campaign). The brief cites a quantified resilience metric: USD$1.21 billion in annual infrastructure damage mitigation potential via NGSO connectivity in SADC.
• Background and implementation details: The analysis references the 2017 Estonia–Luxembourg Data Embassy Agreement, Saudi Arabia’s proposed Global AI Hub framework, and the UAE sovereign cloud and national data strategy policies; it highlights vulnerable undersea cable routes (AAE-1, EIG, FALCON, IMEWE, PEACE) and past disruption (Red Sea cable cuts, Sept 2025). It emphasises that relevant licensing, legal frameworks, and bilateral arrangements take months to implement and that regulatory preparation is required alongside technical measures.