Dammam region access

This document provides information about region-specific access controls and how to purchase Google Cloud resources in the Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) region for the following customers:

  • KSA-based customers
  • non-KSA-based customers

KSA-based customers

Google Cloud is partnering with CNTXT, our exclusive reseller in the region, to bring Google Cloud to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. If you have a KSA billing address, you are required to purchase Google Cloud services for the Dammam me-central2 region or any other Google Cloud region through CNTXT. Be aware of the following sales and regional access paths:

  • Access to Google Cloud services from the (me-central2) Dammam region is available only to KSA-based customers that have signed up to purchase cloud services through CNTXT.
  • KSA-based customers requiring technical support must reach out to CNTXT to explore the available options. You can't directly purchase Google Customer Care offerings.
  • If you are interested in setting up Invoiced Billing through CNTXT, contact CNTXT directly.

If you are an existing Google Cloud customer with a KSA billing address, then regardless of which Google Cloud data center regions you use, you are required to migrate your current billing account to CNTXT. You will receive a notification from Google with additional information on how and when to migrate your billing account to CNTXT.

Non-KSA-based customers

If your billing address is outside of the KSA, you can continue to purchase Google Cloud services directly from Google or any authorized Google Cloud partner. Access to the Dammam region is limited to customers that are set up for Invoiced Billing.

If you pay for Google Cloud services with a credit card you must sign up for Invoiced Billing in order to access the Dammam region.

Assured Workloads

KSA-based customers, as well as any Google Cloud customers using the Dammam region, who are interested in Google's Assured Workloads offering have two options for enabling these controls:

  1. Sovereign controls by CNTXT: provided through Assured Workloads, are built on Google Cloud's Class C-certified infrastructure and have additional CNTXT-operated controls to help organizations meet more stringent data sovereignty requirements. With this offering, CNTXT augments Google Cloud by offering a managed Cloud External Key Manager (EKM) with Key Access Justifications (KAJ) service as well as localized support.
  2. Google Cloud sovereign controls for KSA: For organizations that don't need the additional assurance of a local partner, Google Cloud's sovereign controls for KSA is a control package, transacted directly with Google, that can help non-Saudi domiciled organizations deploy cloud-based applications and services in the region while adhering to local regulations and industry standards.

You can read more about this in Google's launch announcement of sovereign control offerings for the Dammam region and KSA customers.

KSA regulations and compliance

The Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has granted a Class C license (covering Qualifying, Class A, B, and C licenses) to Google Cloud in the Dammam region.

The qualification is based on an assessment by the National Cybersecurity Agency (NCA) against the NCA's Essential Cybersecurity Controls (ECC) and the Cloud Cybersecurity Controls (CCC).

The ECC sets the minimum cybersecurity requirements for organizations that are within its scope, while the CCC is an extension to the ECC with the goal of minimizing cybersecurity risks of Cloud Service Providers and Cloud Services Tenants. Customers can find Google's licensing information on the CST website.