Reported from the source

Quick summary: Major tech companies Nvidia, Amazon, and Alphabet (Google) are responding to escalating conflict in the Middle East following U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran and subsequent retaliation. Nvidia has temporarily closed its Dubai offices, with employees working remotely, while Amazon has instructed all corporate staff in the region to work remotely and reported drone strikes on two data centers in the UAE and damage to one in Bahrain. Dozens of Google employees are stranded in Dubai due to flight cancellations after a sales conference. The U.S. State Department has advised Americans to depart the region.

Following joint U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran and subsequent Iranian retaliation, major tech firms are scrambling to ensure employee safety in the Middle East. The conflict has disrupted civilian life, internet access, flight routes, and energy shipments across the region. Chip tech leader Nvidia temporarily closed its Dubai offices, with employees now working remotely, according to an internal email from CEO Jensen Huang. Huang stated that Nvidia’s crisis management team is actively supporting affected employees and their families in the Middle East, including approximately 6,000 Nvidia employees based in Israel, which serves as the company’s largest research and development base outside the U.S. As of Tuesday morning, all Nvidia employees and their immediate families impacted by the conflict were reported safe. Amazon has instructed all corporate employees in the Middle East to work remotely and follow local government guidelines. The company, which operates corporate offices, warehouses, and data centers across the region, reported that two of its data centers in the UAE were directly struck by drones, and a facility in Bahrain was damaged by a nearby drone strike. These facilities sustained structural damage, power disruptions, and water damage, remaining offline and causing issues for some Amazon Web Services applications. AWS has encouraged customers to back up data or migrate workloads to other regions, citing the unpredictable operating environment. Meanwhile, dozens of Google employees are stranded in Dubai after a sales conference due to mass flight cancellations. While most employees have left the region, many remain stuck. Google stated that the majority of impacted employees are in-region, not U.S.-based, and confirmed it has security and safety measures in place, advising staff to follow local authorities’ guidance. Dubai is a regional hub for Google’s cloud and sales operations, and Tel Aviv is also a major hub for the company. The U.S. State Department on Monday advised Americans to “depart now” from countries across the Middle East due to “serious safety risks,” and by Tuesday afternoon, was working to secure military aircraft and charter flights for evacuations. Social media company Snap has also asked employees at its four Middle East offices to work remotely until further notice.

Source: www.cnbc.com