[News] Middle East Escalation Hits Tech: NVIDIA Shuts Dubai Office, AWS Data Center Strike Raises Concerns

In the wake of the U.S.–Israeli military campaign against Iran, technology companies operating in the Middle East are tightening security protocols, with some temporarily shutting offices and modifying regional operations. According to CNBC, NVIDIA temporarily closed its Dubai office, with employees shifting to remote work. The report indicates that NVIDIA employs around 6,000 people in Israel, which serves as the company’s largest research and development hub outside the U.S.

Meanwhile, the disruptions have reportedly left dozens of Google employees stranded in Dubai after a sales conference. The report notes that most affected staff are regional rather than U.S.-based employees. Dubai is a key hub for Google’s cloud and sales operations across the Middle East and North Africa, while Tel Aviv is another major center for the company. Google is also expanding into a new headquarters at the ToHa2 Tower in Tel Aviv, Israel, expected to become one of its largest global sites.

Amazon, which has expanded its presence across the Middle East in recent years, is also adjusting its operations in response to the escalating regional conflict. According to CNBC, the company has instructed all corporate employees in the region to work remotely and follow local government guidelines. Amazon maintains corporate offices in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Turkey, and Israel, and also operates warehouses and data centers across the region.

Strikes on Data Centers Cast Shadow Over Middle East AI Hub Expansion

Notably, the CNBC report states that two of Amazon’s data centers in the UAE were directly struck by drones, while a facility in Bahrain was also damaged by a nearby drone strike. According to Reuters, the strike on AWS’s facility in the UAE marks the first known instance in which a major U.S. tech company’s data center has been disrupted by military action.

The expansion of U.S. tech giants in the UAE as a regional AI hub has drawn renewed attention following recent strikes on data centers. As noted by Reuters, Microsoft plans to invest $15.2 billion in the United Arab Emirates between 2023 and 2029, driven by its expanding AI partnership with sovereign AI firm G42. Meanwhile, Google Cloud and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund have said they will invest $10 billion to build and operate a global AI hub in the kingdom, launched with local technology firm Humain.

Reuters also notes that Oracle plans to invest $1.5 billion to expand its cloud infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. Separately, Oracle and NVIDIA said in late 2025 that they would deepen their partnership to support sovereign AI initiatives, including collaboration with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Government Enablement to develop AI-first government systems.

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