Major U.S. tech firms are scaling back operations in Dubai as tensions escalate over the U.S.–Iran conflict, with office closures and travel disruptions leaving many employees stranded in the Gulf.
Chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA) has temporarily shut down its Dubai office, with staff working remotely, as part of a broader safety push across the Middle East, including its large Israeli workforce.
Amazon (AMZN), which operates corporate offices in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Turkey, and Israel, said that it is instructing all of its corporate employees in the Middle East to work remotely and “follow local government guidelines.” Warehouses, quick-delivery services, and other facilities continue where possible, but the corporate side has pulled back significantly.
Amazon Web Services suspended normal operations after two of its data centers in the UAE were hit by drone strikes, with another facility in Bahrain damaged by nearby blast effects, leading to significant service disruptions in the region.
Dozens of Google employees who attended a sales conference in Dubai were stranded due to flight cancellations and travel disruptions triggered by the conflict. Google said the majority of impacted employees are not U.S.-based but in-region employees, according to a CNBC report.
The company’s internal communications acknowledged the “concerning” developments while stressing ongoing monitoring.
Air travel across the Gulf has been severely affected, with thousands of flights canceled, compounding evacuation challenges.