Nvidia, Amazon Temporarily Close Dubai Offices; Huang Ren-hsun: Actively Supporting Affected Employees

Smoke After the Attack in Dubai

Tech News from Phoenix New Media, March 4, Beijing Time: According to CNBC, after the United States and Israel launched a joint airstrike on Iran last weekend, major tech companies like NVIDIA, Amazon, and Alphabet have taken emergency measures to ensure the safety of their employees on business trips or stationed in the Middle East.

The large-scale attacks by the US and Israel resulted in the deaths of Iran’s top leader, Khamenei, and others. Subsequently, Iran launched retaliatory strikes against Israeli and US bases in the Gulf region. This conflict has disrupted civilian life, Iran’s internet access, flight routes, and energy transportation across the region.

A memo seen by CNBC, sent by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang early Tuesday morning to all employees, states that NVIDIA has temporarily closed its Dubai office and has asked local employees to work remotely.

In the email, Huang said that NVIDIA’s crisis management team has been working “around the clock to actively support affected employees and their families in the Middle East,” including about 6,000 NVIDIA employees based in Israel.

In 2019, NVIDIA acquired Israeli company Mellanox for approximately $7.13 billion. Mellanox mainly produces Ethernet switches and other networking hardware. This was NVIDIA’s largest deal at the time. Today, besides the US, Israel is NVIDIA’s largest R&D base.

Huang stated that as of Tuesday morning, all NVIDIA employees affected by the conflict and their immediate family members have been confirmed safe.

“NVIDIA is deeply rooted in the Middle East. We have thousands of colleagues living there, and many more family and friends of our colleagues around the world have been affected by these events. Like everyone, I am closely monitoring the safety of our NVIDIA family members,” Huang said.

The US State Department announced on Monday that, due to “serious security risks,” Americans should “immediately leave” Middle Eastern countries using existing commercial transportation. By Tuesday afternoon, the department said they are working to secure military flights and charters to evacuate US citizens from the region as the situation becomes increasingly volatile.

Sources familiar with the matter revealed that due to air traffic disruptions, dozens of Google employees were stranded in Dubai after attending a sales meeting.

Google stated that most of the affected employees are not US-based but are employees in the Middle East. Google has implemented safety measures for employees in the region and advised staff to follow local government guidance.

“A rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East, and we are closely monitoring it,” a Google spokesperson said in an email statement. “Our priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees in the region.”

Amazon has been expanding its presence in the Middle East in recent years and is adjusting its local operations to respond to the escalating conflict. The company has instructed all corporate employees in the region to work remotely and “comply with local government guidance.”

An Amazon spokesperson stated, “The safety of our employees and partners is always our top priority. We are working closely with local teams and governments to ensure they receive support.” (Author: Xiao Yu)