Backup · Disaster recovery · Dubai · Muscat · Doha
Backup and disaster recovery
We look at what your business cannot afford to lose and how long it can be down, then set up backups and a recovery plan that match, and test them.
Why businesses across the Middle East trust us with their backups
Since 2007
with 1,500+ active cloud customers across the Middle East.
Three local offices
Dubai, Muscat (head office) and Doha. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain are served from Dubai.
Vendor-neutral
we design, deploy and support Acronis, Microsoft Azure backup and DR, and Veeam, so the tool follows your systems.
350,000+ users migrated
In short
Backup and disaster recovery keeps a recoverable copy of your servers, virtual machines, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and laptops, and a plan to restart systems after ransomware, deletion or hardware failure. Gulf Infotech, working with businesses across the Middle East since 2007 from Dubai, Muscat and Doha, designs, runs and tests backup and DR with Acronis, Azure and Veeam.
What should a business back up?
Back up every system you would need to rebuild after an attack, including cloud apps. Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace keep deleted data only for short, fixed windows; they are not a backup.
| Workload | What the platform keeps on its own | Risk without a backup | What we use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows and Linux servers, SQL | Nothing beyond your own copies | Ransomware or disk failure stops the business | Acronis, Veeam |
| VMware, Hyper-V and other VMs | Snapshots on the same host | Snapshots die with the host or are encrypted with it | Acronis, Veeam, Azure Site Recovery |
| Microsoft 365 mail, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams | Deleted mail 14 days by default (up to 30); SharePoint and OneDrive recycle bin 93 days | Long-term loss after a leaver, error or sync of encrypted files | Acronis Microsoft 365 backup |
| Google Workspace Gmail and Drive | Gmail 30 days in Trash plus 25 days for admin restore; Drive 25 days after Trash is emptied | Same as above; Vault is retention, not restore | Acronis Google Workspace backup |
| Laptops and desktops | Nothing | Lost or stolen device, local files gone | Acronis endpoint backup |
Windows and Linux servers, SQL
- What the platform keeps on its own
- Nothing beyond your own copies
- Risk without a backup
- Ransomware or disk failure stops the business
- What we use
- Acronis, Veeam
VMware, Hyper-V and other VMs
- What the platform keeps on its own
- Snapshots on the same host
- Risk without a backup
- Snapshots die with the host or are encrypted with it
- What we use
- Acronis, Veeam, Azure Site Recovery
Microsoft 365 mail, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams
- What the platform keeps on its own
- Deleted mail 14 days by default (up to 30); SharePoint and OneDrive recycle bin 93 days
- Risk without a backup
- Long-term loss after a leaver, error or sync of encrypted files
- What we use
- Acronis Microsoft 365 backup
Google Workspace Gmail and Drive
- What the platform keeps on its own
- Gmail 30 days in Trash plus 25 days for admin restore; Drive 25 days after Trash is emptied
- Risk without a backup
- Same as above; Vault is retention, not restore
- What we use
- Acronis Google Workspace backup
Laptops and desktops
- What the platform keeps on its own
- Nothing
- Risk without a backup
- Lost or stolen device, local files gone
- What we use
- Acronis endpoint backup
Retention windows from Microsoft and Google documentation, checked October 2026. Detail: Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace backup and server and VM backup.
What are RPO and RTO?
RPO and RTO are the two numbers every backup plan is built on.
RPO (recovery point objective)
how much data you can afford to lose, measured in time. A nightly backup gives an RPO of up to 24 hours; hourly backups give one hour.
RTO (recovery time objective)
how long a system can be down before it hurts the business. Restoring a server from cloud storage can take hours; failing over to a standby copy in the cloud can take minutes.
Shorter RPO and RTO cost more in storage, bandwidth and standby compute. We agree both numbers per system with you, so the accounting server and the email archive are not priced the same way.
RPO and RTO check
RPO and RTO check
How much data can you lose?
How long can you be down?
Backup schedule
Hourly backup
DR options that meet your RTO
Backup only
Too slowTypical RTO: Hours to days · Small offices with few servers
Acronis Disaster Recovery
Usual fitTypical RTO: Minutes to hours · Businesses already on Acronis backup
Azure Site Recovery
Meets itTypical RTO: Minutes · Companies that want DR in UAE North (Dubai), UAE Central (Abu Dhabi) or Qatar Central (Doha)
Standby site or second office
Meets itTypical RTO: Minutes to hours · Firms with a second office or data-centre rack
Typical RTOs are not guarantees; we agree RPO and RTO per system in the assessment.
What is the 3-2-1 backup rule?
The 3-2-1 rule means three copies of your data, on two different types of storage, with one copy off-site. A typical setup for an office in Muscat or Dubai is the live server, a local backup on a NAS for fast restores, and a copy in cloud storage in another location.
Against ransomware we add two things: one copy that cannot be changed or deleted for a set period (immutable storage), and regular test restores, so you know the copy works before you need it.
What are the disaster recovery site options?
A disaster recovery site is a second place where your systems can run if the main site or server room is lost. These are the options we set up:
| Option | How it works | Typical RTO | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backup only | Restore from local or cloud backup onto repaired or new hardware | Hours to days | Small offices with few servers |
| Acronis Disaster Recovery | Backups can be started as virtual machines in Acronis cloud data centres | Minutes to hours | Businesses already on Acronis backup |
| Azure Site Recovery | Servers replicate continuously to Azure and fail over on command | Minutes | Companies that want DR in UAE North (Dubai), UAE Central (Abu Dhabi) or Qatar Central (Doha) |
| Standby site or second office | Veeam or Acronis replicates to your own hardware elsewhere | Minutes to hours | Firms with a second office or data-centre rack |
Backup only
- How it works
- Restore from local or cloud backup onto repaired or new hardware
- Typical RTO
- Hours to days
- Fits
- Small offices with few servers
Acronis Disaster Recovery
- How it works
- Backups can be started as virtual machines in Acronis cloud data centres
- Typical RTO
- Minutes to hours
- Fits
- Businesses already on Acronis backup
Azure Site Recovery
- How it works
- Servers replicate continuously to Azure and fail over on command
- Typical RTO
- Minutes
- Fits
- Companies that want DR in UAE North (Dubai), UAE Central (Abu Dhabi) or Qatar Central (Doha)
Standby site or second office
- How it works
- Veeam or Acronis replicates to your own hardware elsewhere
- Typical RTO
- Minutes to hours
- Fits
- Firms with a second office or data-centre rack
Typical RTOs depend on data size, bandwidth and how the plan is tested; they are not guarantees. Read more: disaster recovery as a service and cloud disaster recovery site.
How do you recover from ransomware?
Recovery from ransomware depends on having a clean backup the attacker could not reach. Our order of work:
- Step 01
Contain
disconnect affected machines and stop the spread; keep backup systems isolated.
- Step 02
Find the clean point
identify the last backup taken before infection, using malware scanning of backups where the tool supports it.
- Step 03
Restore by priority
bring back the systems the business needs first, in the order agreed in your DR plan.
- Step 04
Reset access
change passwords, revoke sessions and check admin accounts before users return.
- Step 05
Close the gap
patch the entry point and add endpoint security and email security controls so it does not happen twice.
What does Gulf Infotech do for backup and DR?
Assessment
we list your servers, cloud apps and data, then agree RPO and RTO per system.
Design and setup
agents, schedules, encryption, local and cloud targets, and immutable copies.
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace backup
mail, files and sites backed up outside the vendor's own retention.
DR plan
a written failover and restore runbook, with roles and contact lists.
Monitoring and restore tests
we watch backup jobs and run test restores on a schedule you agree.
Support
remote support in English and Arabic, as part of managed IT support.
How much does backup and disaster recovery cost?
Backup is priced per protected workload plus the storage it uses; disaster recovery adds standby compute. We quote per customer after the assessment.
| Cost item | What drives it |
|---|---|
| Workload licences | Number of servers, VMs, Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace users and laptops |
| Cloud storage | GB stored, retention period, number of copies |
| Disaster recovery | Standby compute in the cloud, replication, test failovers |
| Services | Setup, DR plan, monitoring, restore tests |
Workload licences
- What drives it
- Number of servers, VMs, Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace users and laptops
Cloud storage
- What drives it
- GB stored, retention period, number of copies
Disaster recovery
- What drives it
- Standby compute in the cloud, replication, test failovers
Services
- What drives it
- Setup, DR plan, monitoring, restore tests
Prices as of October 2026 · quoted per customer · exclude VAT where it applies (Oman and UAE 5%, Saudi Arabia 15%, Bahrain 10%, Qatar and Kuwait none).
Licences are one component: deployment and security configuration, migration, training and support are separate, paid components, quoted for your requirement.
Backup and DR services
Acronis backup and disaster recovery
one console for servers, endpoints and cloud apps.
Server and VM backup
Acronis and Veeam for physical and virtual servers.
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace backup
mail, OneDrive, SharePoint, Gmail and Drive.
Disaster recovery as a service
standby copies you can fail over to.
Acronis vs Veeam
which fits your servers.
Backup support in your country
IT and cloud in Oman
Muscat head office, local data-centre options.
IT and cloud in the UAE
Dubai office, Azure UAE regions.
IT and cloud in Qatar
Doha office, Azure Qatar Central.
IT and cloud in Saudi Arabia
served from Dubai.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between backup and disaster recovery?
Backup is a copy of your data; disaster recovery is the plan and infrastructure to get systems running again. A backup lets you restore a deleted file or a server. Disaster recovery adds standby capacity, a runbook and tested steps, so the business can keep working within an agreed RTO while the main site or server is down. Most companies need both, sized per system.
How often should servers be backed up?
Most business servers should be backed up at least once a day, and critical databases every hour or continuously. The right frequency is your RPO: if losing four hours of invoices is unacceptable, back up more often than every four hours. We set schedules per server, keep daily, weekly and monthly copies, and hold at least one copy off-site and one that cannot be altered.
Do I need to back up Microsoft 365?
Yes. Microsoft keeps permanently deleted mail for 14 days by default (up to 30) and SharePoint and OneDrive items for 93 days in the recycle bin, then they are gone. That does not cover leavers whose accounts are removed, long-term mistakes or ransomware that syncs encrypted files. A third-party backup keeps independent copies for as long as you choose.
What is RPO and RTO?
RPO is the maximum amount of data you can afford to lose, measured in time; RTO is the maximum time a system can be down. An RPO of one hour means backups at least hourly. An RTO of four hours means the system must be running again within four hours. Both numbers set the backup frequency, storage and DR option, and so the cost.
Do Google Workspace customers need a separate backup?
Yes, for most businesses. Gmail keeps deleted messages 30 days in Trash, then admins have 25 more days to restore; Drive items can be restored by admins up to 25 days after Trash is emptied. Google Vault is for retention and eDiscovery, not quick restores to a user. A third-party backup restores mail and files to any point you keep.
Can our backups stay in the GCC?
Often, yes. Acronis opened a cloud data centre in Abu Dhabi in 2024, and we can keep your Acronis cloud backups there; Microsoft Azure has regions in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha for backup and DR. Local NAS or a second office can hold copies in your own country. If your requirements call for data to stay in one country, we design storage around that first.
Find out how long you could be down today
Tell us what you run and we will map your current backups, RPO and RTO, and show the gaps.