Big Tech operations have taken a severe hit in the wake of the current situation unfolding in West Asia and the Gulf regions. As Iran’s ongoing retaliatory military action is only intensifying in the Middle East after the joint US-Israeli attacks in Tehran this past weekend, Nvidia, Amazon and Google have issued big statements about their employees impacted in the region.
While Nvidia is temporarily closing its Dubai office, Amazon has shuttered all its corporate offices in the Middle East. Meanwhile, dozens of Google employees are stranded in Dubai, according to a new CNBC report citing official memos and employee accounts. The major shake-up has come to light after two of Amazon’s data centres in the UAE were “directly struck” by drones, and a facility in Bahrain was also damaged in a similar drone strike.
Nvidia’s Dubai office temporarily closed
As reviewed by CNBC, an email sent by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to all employees early Tuesday (US time) announced that the chip tech leader has temporarily shut down its Dubai office. As a result, employees there will be working remotely.
In his memo to the employees, Huang said that the company’s crisis management team has been “working around the clock and actively supporting affected employees and their families” in the Middle East, including about 6,000 Nvidia employees based in Israel.
Huang also confirmed that all Nvidia workers impacted by the ongoing situation and their immediate families were safe, as of Tuesday morning.
“Nvidia has deep roots in the region,” Huang wrote. “Thousands of our colleagues live there, and many more across the globe have family and friends affected by these events. Like you, I am watching with great concern for the safety of our Nvidia families.”
Amazon closes UAE offices amid Iran war
An Amazon spokesperson confirmed in a statement to CNBC, “The safety of our employees and partners remains our top priority, and we are working closely with local teams and local authorities to ensure they are supported.”
With the current situation spiralling out of control, the company has advised all of its corporate employees in the Middle East to work remotely and “follow local government guidelines.”
The company has corporate offices in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Turkey and Israel. Additionally, it has data centres and warehouses throughout the region, and “quick commerce outlets” in the UAE to complete 15-minute deliveries.
Google employees stranded in the Middle East
Dozens of Google employees have been stranded in Dubai after its ‘Accelerate’ sales conference last week, sources shared with CNBC. This comes amid widespread air travel disruption due to several airspace closures across the Gulf region.
According to the report citing sources, while most employees got out of the region, dozens are still stuck there.
Consequently, a Google spokesperson also shared a statement with the outlet saying, “The situation in the Middle East is evolving rapidly and we are monitoring it carefully. Our focus is on the safety and well-being of our employees in the region.”
The company further stated that most of the impacted employees are not US-based but in-region workers. It also noted that security and safety measures were in place for the employees in the Middle East.