diff --git a/pkg/eks/api.go b/pkg/eks/api.go
index 24aeeb8588..f1c0551bb1 100644
--- a/pkg/eks/api.go
+++ b/pkg/eks/api.go
@@ -186,6 +186,10 @@ func newAWSProvider(spec *api.ProviderConfig, configurationLoader AWSConfigurati
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	if cfg.Region == "" {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("AWS Region must be set, please set the AWS Region in AWS config file or as environment variable")
+	}
+
 	if spec.Region == "" {
 		spec.Region = cfg.Region
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/eks/api_test.go b/pkg/eks/api_test.go
index e477ecc1e7..43dc6cc662 100644
--- a/pkg/eks/api_test.go
+++ b/pkg/eks/api_test.go
@@ -118,6 +118,14 @@ var _ = Describe("eksctl API", func() {
 			},
 			err: fmt.Sprintf("cache file %s is not private", cacheFilePath),
 		}),
+		Entry("region code is not set", newAWSProviderEntry{
+			updateFakes: func(fal *fakes.FakeAWSConfigurationLoader) {
+				fal.LoadDefaultConfigReturns(aws.Config{
+					Region: "",
+				}, nil)
+			},
+			err: "AWS Region must be set, please set the AWS Region in AWS config file or as environment variable",
+		}),
 		Entry("creates the AWS provider successfully", newAWSProviderEntry{}),
 	)