The Middle East & Africa (MEA) region is undergoing a rapid digital transformation. Digital transformation is about reimagining how you bring together people, data, and processes to create value for your customers and maintain a competitive advantage in a digital-first world. Digital transformation is the next industrial revolution and every company, from large multi-national corporations to the small and medium sized businesses who have become the backbone of the local economy, will need to start thinking and operating like a digital company. MEA is experiencing digital transformation everywhere. This is very evident in areas such as financial services, healthcare, oil and gas, and the public sector. Powered by improving connectivity, a rise in smartphone use and the global connection of devices, businesses and institutions across all sectors are reassessing their technology strategies to better engage their customers, empower their employees, optimize their operations and transform their products and services.

Many in the MEA region have already realised the obvious benefits of cloud services, including efficiencies, cost savings, cyber-resilience and secure access. Increasingly, those looking to future-proof their business are also recognising that to fully harness the potential of technologies like Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, Internet of Things and augmented or virtual reality, they will likely need to rely on the hyper-scale cloud and the scalability it can offer. Use of cloud services can also provide a competitive edge.

All clouds, however, are not created equal. As more turn to cloud driven technologies, the selection of a trusted cloud service provider with a long history of delivering on privacy and security commitments in a compliant and transparent manner, now more than ever, is a critical part of the cloud journey for any customer. In a time when technology is changing almost every aspect of our lives, and the change is also causing disruption and uncertainty, Microsoft continues to draw from its past as we seek the right answers to questions about how to best realize opportunities ahead and create a trusted, responsible, and inclusive cloud.

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A. Can we move to the cloud in our industry?

B. What are the compliance requirements?

C. What industry security standards do we need to think about?

D. Does your cloud services contract comply with your industry requirements?

These are just some of the questions that today's cloud decision makers are expected to master and address.

This guide has been specially designed by Microsoft to help you answer some of the key regulatory and compliance questions your organization may have about adopting the cloud. Through its work with customers across the region and around the world, Microsoft understands the complex challenges that you face. We also understand that it is your responsibility to verify that technologies meet the regulatory requirements that apply to your organization. It is for this reason that Microsoft employs and partners with thousands of legal and policy experts, auditors, and privacy specialists, and it has thousands of engineers building advanced legal compliance, privacy protection and data security features into its services and infrastructure.

Through its long-standing relationship with relevant stakeholders, Microsoft has developed a wealth of resources for professionals who need relevant information on the key regulatory and compliance considerations associated with cloud computing. Whether it is privacy law requirements that apply across all industries, or sector-specific outsourcing guidelines, this guide seeks to capture some key requirements that organizations need to be aware of when moving to the cloud in MEA.

We are delighted to share these resources with you through this guide as part of our commitment to supporting our customers and ensuring trust (and compliance) in the Microsoft cloud.

WE BUILD OUR TRUSTED CLOUD ON FOUR FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES

Security

We build our services from the ground up to help safeguard your data

Privacy

Our policies and processes help keep your data private and in your control

Compliance

We provide industry-verified conformity with global standards

Transparency

We make our policies and practices clear and accessible to everyone

Responding to the evolving cyber threat landscape in the oil and gas sector

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Data Sovereignty - the Oil and Gas Perspective

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Responding to the evolving cyber threat landscape in the financial services sector

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Regulating the Use of Cloud Computing by Financial Institutions

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Responding to the evolving cyber threat landscape in the healthcare sector

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Data Sovereignty & the cloud – a Healthcare perspective

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Azure for Secure Worldwide Public Sector Cloud Adoption

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*EXPLANATORY NOTE AND DISCLAIMER: This website is intended to provide a summary of key legal obligations that may affect customers using Microsoft cloud services. It indicates Microsoft’s view of how its cloud services may facilitate a customer's compliance with such obligations. This website/document is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice nor any assessment of a customer's specific legal obligations. You remain responsible for ensuring compliance with the law. As far as the law allows, use of this website/document is at your own risk and Microsoft disclaims all representations and warranties, implied or otherwise.