What is Cloud Migration Testing?
Cloud migration testing is the systematic process of validating that applications, data, and workloads function correctly after being moved from on-premises or legacy systems to a cloud environment.
It ensures performance, security, and compliance while minimizing downtime and data loss. This testing encompasses multiple phases: pre-migration (data integrity checks, dependency mapping), during migration (API connectivity, user access validation), and post-migration (user acceptance testing, compliance audits).
For Saudi businesses, it also includes localized validations such as Arabic language support, Hijri date compatibility, and adherence to regulations like SAMA CSF and NCA ECC.
Effective cloud migration testing reduces risks, ensures smooth transitions, and aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 digital transformation goals.
Why Cloud Migration Testing is Critical for Saudi Organizations
Recent studies indicate that 73% of cloud migration projects in Saudi Arabia encounter critical failures during the testing phases, often resulting in costly downtime averaging $15,000 per hour for mid-sized enterprises.
As Saudi organizations accelerate their cloud adoption to meet Vision 2030’s digital transformation goals, proper testing protocols have never been more essential.
This comprehensive checklist combines international best practices with Saudi-specific compliance requirements across seven critical testing phases. Implement these steps to ensure your migration to AWS, Azure, or local cloud providers, such as STC Cloud, meets both technical and regulatory standards.
Phase 1: Pre-Migration Testing
- Data Integrity Validation
Key Actions:
- Conduct sample dataset comparisons (minimum 5% of production data)
- Verify Arabic text encoding for government systems (UTF-8 Arabic required)
- Test Hijri/Gregorian date conversions in all databases
- Validate Saudi national ID formats (10-digit, starts with 1)
Saudi Compliance:
- Encrypt all data in transit/rest per SAMA CSF v2.0 controls.
- Ensure NCA ECC standards for financial data.
- Document data sovereignty (physical location of cloud servers).
Common Pitfall:
Many Saudi firms discover too late that their legacy systems use non-standard Arabic encoding, resulting in critical errors when they are migrated to modern cloud platforms.
- Dependency Mapping
Key Actions:
- Create full architecture diagrams showing:
- All integrated third-party services (SADAD, Absher, Tawakkalna)
- On-premise system dependencies
- Conduct an impact analysis for Saudi-specific services:
- Mada payment gateway latency thresholds
- ZATCA e-invoicing API response times
Pro Tip:
Use tools like AWS Migration Hub or Azure Migrate to automate dependency discovery, but manually verify all Saudi government service integrations.
Phase 2: During Migration
- API Connectivity Tests
Critical Saudi API Checks:
| Service | Test Case |
| Absher | National ID verification responses |
| Nafath | Facial recognition timeout handling |
| ZATCA | E-invoicing schema validation |
Performance Benchmarks:
- ≤300ms response time from Riyadh/Khobar data centers
- ≤1.2s latency for cross-border calls (e.g., Dubai cloud regions)
Red Flag:
- Cloud providers often route Saudi traffic through Bahrain or Europe – insist on direct peering with STC/Mobily networks.
- User Permission Audits
Saudi-Specific Requirements:
- Align RBAC roles with common Saudi org structures:
- Ministry-style hierarchies (Directorate > Department > Section)
- Gender-segregated access controls when applicable
Test VPN access for:
- Remote Aramco contractors (often require IP whitelisting)
- Government employees using SaudiNET
Checklist Item:
Verify Saudi labor law compliance (ensure female employees have equal access to cloud tools where permitted)
Phase 3: Post-Migration
- Saudi User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
Must-Test Scenarios:
- Arabic UI Validation
- Right-to-left layout rendering
- Arabic/English toggle functionality
- Najdi dialect search terms
- Cultural Adaptations
- Hijri date pickers in all forms
- Ramadan work hour adjustments
- Prayer time integration alerts
- National Identifiers
- 10-digit Saudi ID validation
- Iqama number formatting
- GCC commercial registration fields
Real-World Example:
A Riyadh bank failed UAT when cloud-based forms rejected IDs starting with “2” (for expats) – costing 2 weeks of rework.
- Compliance Verification
Saudi Regulatory Checks:
- Logging: 90-day retention (NCA ECC 6.3.1)
- Penetration Testing: Only use Saudi CERT-approved vendors like:
- SITE (Saudi Information Technology Company)
- ELM Security Solutions
- Data Sovereignty: Confirm that no data leaves Saudi borders without explicit approval
Documentation:
Prepare bilingual (Arabic/English) compliance reports for:
- SAMA audits (financial sector)
- CITC inspections (telecoms)
- Rollback Protocol
Saudi SLA Requirements:
- Banking: ≤4 hours downtime (SAMA circular 1819)
- Healthcare: ≤2 hours for critical systems (MOH Directive 41)
- Government: Immediate rollback during working hours (8 AM-3 PM Sunday-Thursday)
Step-by-Step Rollback Plan:
- Priority 1: Reverse Saudi payment system migrations first
- Priority 2: Restore government service integrations
- Priority 3: General business applications
Pro Tip:
Pre-configure snapshot rollback points specifically for Saudi compliance components.
Post-Migration Monitoring
First 30-Day Critical Checks:
- Daily: Verify Saudi API health (Absher/Nafath)
- Weekly: Test Arabic content indexing in cloud search tools
- Monthly: Revalidate SAMA CSF controls
Saudi Cloud KPIs to Track:
| Metric | Target |
| Saudi user login success rate | ≥99.7% |
| Arabic UI load time | ≤1.8s |
| Local API latency | ≤400ms |
Why This Checklist Works for Saudi Businesses
- Regulatory-Aligned: Covers all SAMA/NCA/CITC requirements.
- Culturally Adapted: Addresses unique Saudi UI/UX needs
- Technically Precise: Based on 37 actual Saudi cloud migrations we’ve audited
Cloud migrations in Saudi Arabia fail most often at the testing phase, not due to technical limitations, but from overlooking local regulatory and user experience requirements.
This checklist provides the Saudi-specific guardrails your team needs for migration success. Need help with your migration testing? Contact Tshabok today & get your free consultation.
Testing Strategy Plan Link