Atlassian Data Center reaches end of life for affected products on March 28, 2029. But enterprises face an earlier restriction. From March 30, 2028, existing customers can no longer purchase license expansions, new affected subscriptions, or Marketplace apps. For organizations managing complex environments and lengthy approval processes, migration planning needs to begin well before then.
In the Middle East, data residency adds another consideration. According to PwC's 2025 EMEA Cloud Business Survey, 51% of surveyed regional organizations use or plan to adopt sovereign public cloud solutions. Yet commercial Atlassian Cloud does not currently offer selectable data residency locations in the UAE or Saudi Arabia.
This leaves them with a decision to make before migration: whether their requirements can be met in Cloud and which options remain available if they cannot.
What Does Atlassian Data Center EOL in 2029 Mean for Enterprises?
Atlassian will discontinue support for affected Data Center products on March 28, 2029. Once subscriptions expire, these products will become read-only, preventing users from creating or modifying content and performing normal operations.
The transition follows a phased timeline announced by Atlassian:
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| March 30, 2026 | New Data Center subscription and app sales end for new customers |
| March 30, 2028 | New subscriptions, Marketplace app purchases, and license expansions end for existing customers |
| March 28, 2029 | Affected Data Center products reach EOL and become read-only |
The 2029 EOL affects Jira Software, Jira Service Management, Confluence, Crowd, and related Data Center apps. Bitbucket, Bamboo, and Jira Align Data Center are excluded. Existing Bitbucket and Bamboo customers can continue beyond 2029 through Atlassian's Bitbucket Hybrid License, which also includes Bitbucket Cloud access.
Read more:
Atlassian Data Center End-of-Life (March 28, 2029): Why It Matters, and How to Prepare
What Should Enterprises Resolve Before Moving to Atlassian Cloud?
Before setting a migration date, enterprises need to identify which Atlassian workloads can move to Cloud and what might hold them back.
IT leaders should confirm:
- Which Jira, Confluence, and Jira Service Management workflows contain sensitive or regulated information, and which can be migrated first through workload segmentation?
- Do Atlassian Cloud's hosting locations, personnel access controls, AI data processing practices (including Rovo), and contractual terms meet security and compliance requirements?
- Will Data Center-only apps, custom scripts, direct database reporting, or on-premises integrations require changes?
- Which internal or regulatory approvals must be completed before migration?
These findings help IT, security, and compliance teams establish the migration scope and identify requirements that need resolution before implementation.
How Does Atlassian Cloud Data Residency Affect Migration Planning?
Atlassian Cloud data residency allows organizations to select supported geographic locations for storing certain categories of application data. This capability is available on Standard, Premium, and Enterprise plans, making subscription selection an important consideration alongside supported locations, products, and data types.
Data residency is configured at the Atlassian app level, not for individual projects or users. Enterprises planning to separate regulated and non-regulated workloads must therefore consider how their Cloud environments are structured.
Where Can Atlassian Cloud Data Be Hosted?
According to Atlassian's official data residency documentation, commercial Atlassian Cloud supports 11 data residency locations: Australia, Canada, the EU, Germany, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, the UK, and the US, plus a Global option. However, as of November 2026, the UAE and Saudi Arabia are not among the supported data residency locations.
This distinction matters for Middle East enterprises with contractual or regulatory obligations concerning domestic data storage. Although Atlassian Cloud operates on AWS infrastructure, the availability of an AWS region in a country does not automatically make it an available hosting location for Atlassian Cloud.
Does Data Residency Cover All Atlassian and Marketplace App Data?
Atlassian Cloud data residency covers specific data types, with some information remaining outside the selected location.
- In-scope data: Jira issues, attachments, comments, and project configurations can be pinned to supported locations.
- Out-of-scope data: JSM customer accounts, automation configurations, connected DevOps data, third-party integration data, and certain logs cannot be pinned. Cached and in-transit data may also remain outside the selected region for up to 30 days.
- Marketplace apps: Residency support varies. Atlassian's Runs on Atlassian badge helps identify eligible Forge apps with Atlassian-hosted storage, data residency support, and controls on external data transfers.
These limitations become particularly relevant when an organization's data is subject to national or industry-specific regulations.
What Should Regulated Enterprises in the Middle East Consider?
For enterprises using Jira, Confluence, and Jira Service Management, regulatory requirements can determine whether specific workloads are suitable for Cloud migration. Beyond Atlassian's supported hosting locations, organizations must assess the data being processed and the approvals required for overseas hosting.
Three considerations are particularly relevant:
- Data protection and cross-border transfers: Privacy laws in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, along with DIFC and ADGM regulations, may impose conditions on transferring personal data outside their jurisdictions.
- Saudi Arabia: Under SAMA's Cyber Security Framework, regulated member organizations face approval requirements for public or hybrid cloud adoption and hosting outside the Kingdom. Read the SAMA Cloud Computing rules.
- UAE: Under CBUAE's Outsourcing Regulation, banks must maintain their Master System of Record within the UAE. Sharing confidential customer data overseas requires regulatory approval and prior written customer consent, while material outsourcing requires CBUAE non-objection. Read the CBUAE Outsourcing Regulation.
Similar considerations may arise in government, healthcare, telecom, and other regulated sectors. The implications depend on the information held in Atlassian applications and the requirements applicable to each organization.
What Are the Options When Cloud Migration Requirements Cannot Yet Be Met?
When commercial Atlassian Cloud cannot meet every requirement, the appropriate migration path depends on the technical, operational, or regulatory constraints involved.
| Current situation | Recommended approach |
|---|---|
| Shared infrastructure prevents approval | Evaluate Atlassian Isolated Cloud, subject to hosting availability, application compatibility, and compliance approval |
| Some workloads can migrate, while others remain restricted | Segment workloads and migrate eligible projects or spaces first, with a separate transition plan for restricted workloads |
| Critical apps or integrations are not Cloud-ready | Assess alternatives, address dependencies, and test compatibility before migration |
| Essential requirements cannot be resolved before 2029 | Discuss eligibility for Atlassian's paid Extended Maintenance Program |
Could Atlassian Isolated Cloud Be an Option?
Atlassian Isolated Cloud, generally available since June 2026, provides a dedicated, single-customer environment managed by Atlassian for enterprises with stricter security requirements.
It offers isolated infrastructure, data egress blocked by default, customer-managed encryption keys, and regional controls covering nearly all user-generated and personal data, including data in transit, with limited exceptions. Learn more about Atlassian Isolated Cloud.
However, isolated infrastructure does not automatically satisfy data residency or regulatory requirements. Organizations must confirm regional hosting availability, application compatibility, and compliance suitability. UAE and Saudi Arabia hosting options should be verified directly with Atlassian before migration decisions are made.
For enterprises unable to migrate before 2029, Atlassian offers a paid Extended Maintenance Program. Available by exception, the program gives eligible customers additional time to transition but is not a permanent alternative to Data Center.
How Can Enterprises Protect Business Continuity During Migration?
Business continuity depends on whether critical operations remain functional throughout the transition. Enterprises should establish acceptance criteria, test important workflows and integrations, and plan cutover windows around business dependencies. Migration testing should also verify permissions, historical records, automation rules, and service management processes.
Real-World Example
Edenred's ongoing Atlassian Cloud migration illustrates the complexity of consolidating distributed service management environments. The company is bringing its Atlassian deployments onto a centralized Jira Service Management Cloud platform, with more than 1,200 agents serving over 15,000 customers.
What Should Enterprises Prioritize Over the Next 12 Months?
Enterprises can use the next 12 months to turn these assessments into a practical migration plan ahead of the March 2028 licensing restrictions.
The immediate focus should be on:
- Months 1–3: Complete a data classification exercise and document applicable regulatory requirements.
- Months 3–6: Agree on a proposed migration path for each workload and initiate any required regulatory discussions.
- Months 6–9: Complete initial migration testing and document unresolved technical or compliance blockers.
- Months 9–12: Finalize migration milestones, secure necessary approvals, and confirm licensing needs before March 30, 2028.
The Way Forward
The right migration approach should allow enterprises to move at a pace that meets their operational and regulatory needs without compromising critical workflows.
For organizations evaluating their options, enreap's Atlassian specialists can help assess the available paths and plan a transition suited to their environment.
Request a Cloud Migration Assessment
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can regulated organizations in the UAE or Saudi Arabia use Atlassian Cloud?
Potentially, depending on data classification, applicable regulations, and required approvals. Since commercial Atlassian Cloud does not offer local data residency in either country, organizations must establish whether overseas hosting is permitted.
2. Which Atlassian Cloud data residency location should enterprises choose?
The choice depends on permitted cross-border transfers, legal jurisdiction, application requirements, and performance. Where overseas hosting is permitted, supported locations such as India or the EU may be considered, subject to regulatory, contractual, and operational requirements.
3. Can enterprises migrate only part of their Atlassian environment?
Yes. Atlassian's migration tools support selective migration of Jira projects and Confluence spaces. Organizations should assess shared configurations and integrations before deciding which workloads remain in the Data Center.
4. Does the March 2028 licensing deadline mean enterprises must migrate by then?
No. Existing customers can continue renewing eligible Data Center subscriptions until March 28, 2029. However, new purchases, Marketplace apps, and license expansions for affected products end on March 30, 2028.
5. Can organizations change their Atlassian Cloud data residency location after migration?
Yes. Organizations can move eligible application data to another supported location. However, the move can involve up to 24 hours of downtime, making residency selection an important early planning decision.