After the United States and Israel jointly launched an attack on Iran last weekend, technology giants such as Nvidia, Amazon and Alphabet Inc (the parent company of Google) are rushing to ensure the safety of their employees traveling or based in the Middle East. This large-scale attack on Iran resulted in the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and others. Iran immediately counterattacked and attacked many Israeli and US military bases in the Gulf region. The conflict has disrupted local civilian life, Iranian networks, shipping routes and regional energy transport.
According to an email seen by the US Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC), Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang sent a notice to all employees early on Tuesday, announcing that Nvidia would temporarily close its Dubai office and local employees would switch to remote working. Huang Jenxun said in an internal notice that Nvidia's crisis management team has been operating around the clock to actively provide support to affected employees and their families in the Middle East, including approximately 6,000 Nvidia employees in Israel.
Huang said that as of Tuesday morning, all Nvidia employees and their immediate family members affected by the conflict were safe. "NVIDIA has deep roots in this region," he wrote. "Thousands of our colleagues live there, and many more employees' relatives and friends around the world have been affected by these events. Like everyone, I am deeply concerned about the safety of every NVIDIA family."
Amazon, which has been expanding its presence in the Middle East in recent years, is also adjusting its local operations to respond to the expanding conflicts in the region. The company has instructed all of its corporate employees in the Middle East to work remotely and "adhere to local government guidelines."
