Singapore, October 9, 2026 — United Overseas Bank (UOB) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore the use of cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) in banking operations across ASEAN, including through a dedicated cloud environment in Singapore. The proposed collaboration will examine how the technologies can help UOB strengthen operational resilience while meeting regulatory and data residency requirements in its five ASEAN markets. The initiative combines the bank’s regional banking expertise and governance framework with AWS’s cloud infrastructure, data and AI services. Initial areas of focus include hybrid cloud architecture, data and analytics, and AI-powered customer engagement, according to the companies.
Lawrence Goh, Head of Group Technology and Operations, UOB said, “At UOB, we see AI as a transformative capability that can help us become a more adaptive, intelligent and responsive organisation. Realising this vision requires a secure and resilient technology foundation, strong governance, and the right ecosystem of partners. Our collaboration with AWS reflects our strategic intent to accelerate innovation, enhance customer experiences, increase productivity and create long-term value for our customers, employees and stakeholders across ASEAN. We also see potential to broaden this collaboration over time and explore additional areas with the wider Amazon group.
Jaime Vallés, Vice President & Managing Director for APAC, AWS said, “Financial services touches the lives of millions of people across APJC every day. This collaboration with UOB is about making sure those experiences get better, faster, more personalized, and built on a foundation customers can trust. UOB will have the tools to innovate and the training programs to build AI fluency and cloud skills across its workforce all while keeping customer data secure. This is what’s possible when a bank with deep regional expertise and a culture of innovation is combined with AI and cloud technology that drives true transformation.”
Hybrid Infrastructure for Regulated Banking
A central component of the MoU is the exploration of a hybrid infrastructure model that would allow UOB’s systems and data to operate across on-premises infrastructure and cloud environments. The proposed model would use an isolated cloud extension that could be deployed in specific countries or jurisdictions to address local regulatory requirements.
According to the companies, the collaboration would be the first of its kind between AWS and a bank in ASEAN to bring together hybrid cloud capabilities with security, governance and data residency controls tailored to the requirements of a highly regulated industry. Under the proposed arrangement, UOB would have a dedicated cloud environment in Singapore designed to meet its security, governance and data residency requirements across its five ASEAN markets.
The bank’s data and systems would remain within this dedicated environment, which could be configured to support compliance with the regulatory requirements of each market. The arrangement would also give UOB access to cloud tools for technology modernisation and the development of capabilities in areas such as AI and data analytics. The MoU outlines plans to explore the infrastructure model rather than confirming a completed deployment. Further implementation would depend on the development of the proposed approach and its alignment with applicable requirements.
AI Applications and Workforce Training
Beyond infrastructure, UOB and AWS will explore the use of AI to improve customer interactions and internal operations. Potential applications include conversational banking and more personalised services built using AWS’s AI tools. The bank will also examine how Amazon Bedrock, AWS’s fully managed service for building and scaling generative AI applications, could support the development and deployment of AI-powered solutions.
The work would build on UOB’s existing Enterprise GenAI Platform (EGP), with potential applications ranging from employee productivity tools to enterprise-grade solutions across the bank. The companies have also identified workforce development as an area of collaboration. UOB will explore AWS learning and enablement programmes aimed at strengthening employees’ capabilities in cloud technologies, generative AI, data and analytics, security and compliance.
The training is intended to help employees develop, deploy and scale cloud and AI-powered solutions responsibly, while supporting the bank’s broader workforce transformation efforts. The proposed collaboration comes as financial institutions face the challenge of adopting emerging technologies while maintaining operational resilience and meeting regulatory obligations.
For banks operating across multiple jurisdictions, the use of cloud infrastructure and AI also requires consideration of how customer data is stored, managed and protected. Through the MoU, UOB and AWS will explore how a hybrid cloud model, AI applications and employee training could support the bank’s technology development across its ASEAN operations.
