12.03.2026 10:30
As attacks on Iran's Gulf cities continue, major financial institutions in Dubai have increased security measures; Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and Standard Chartered have instructed their employees to leave the offices and work remotely.
As attacks on Iran's Gulf cities continue, global financial institutions operating in Dubai have increased security measures. According to Bloomberg, some major banks have instructed their employees to stay away from offices and work remotely.
OFFICES ARE EMPTYING ONE BY ONE
Many financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, have directed their employees to work from home due to increasing security risks. Goldman Sachs has requested that employees wishing to go to its offices in the Middle East obtain prior permission, while Citigroup instructed its employees in a note, "Stay away from the office, go to the nearest safe place. Work from home until further notice." According to sources, Standard Chartered also asked its staff working in and around the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) to leave the offices.
CRITICAL STEP AFTER THE IRAN THREAT
The timing of the decisions drew attention as Iran has increased its attacks in the Middle East. According to the Associated Press, Iran's joint military command announced that banks and financial institutions operating in the region could be targeted.
According to Bloomberg, some Wall Street banks have been allowing their employees in the United Arab Emirates to work remotely since the start of the war. It was noted that some institutions offered their employees the option to temporarily leave the country. Citigroup stated that the majority of its employees in the United Arab Emirates are already working remotely and that a complete transition to a remote work model has been made for security reasons.
US-ISRAEL ATTACKS ON IRAN
On February 28, while negotiations continued between Tehran and Washington, Israel and the US launched a military attack on Iran. In response, Iran retaliated with attacks on targets it identified in several regional countries, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, where US bases are located, in addition to Israel.
In the US-Israel attacks, Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with many high-ranking officials, was killed. According to Iranian officials, the death toll from the US-Israel attacks has exceeded 1,348, and the number of injured has surpassed 17,000.