Goldman Sachs Orders Middle East Staff to Work From Home Amid Strikes

Goldman Sachs told its regional Middle East workforce to work from home on March 2–3, 2026 as a precaution after a wave of retaliatory Iranian strikes over the preceding weekend sent missiles and drones over cities including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Riyadh. Photos and videos showed missiles streaking across the sky in Dubai on Saturday and Sunday, and fallout from intercepted missiles caused fires and other damage in parts of the Gulf, prompting banks to shift staff patterns immediately.

A spokesperson for Goldman Sachs said the firm “has implemented a number of measures to support the safety of its people and resilience of its business.” The spokesperson added that the US bank “has told its employees across the region to work from home and to follow the advice of local officials,” and that “Goldman is also staying close to clients in the region as the situation unfolds and has made safety a top priority.” The guidance covered Goldman staff in regional hubs such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Citigroup moved to a similar posture, telling employees to work from home until further notice and stressing employee safety. A Citi spokesperson said, “The safety of our employees is our number one priority, and we are continuing to take measures to help keep our employees and their families safe.” The same statement emphasized operational continuity: “We are continuing to serve our clients and we have robust contingency and resilience plans in place for that purpose.”

JPMorgan advised employees in parts of the region to work remotely and has been adjusting guidance as events develop. The bank’s presence spans offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai as well as Beirut, Cairo, Doha, Manama and Riyadh; a person familiar with the matter said, “JPMorgan is assessing the situation regularly to adjust guidance as needed.” Other large banks advised postponing travel or considered evacuations, with firms such as Standard Chartered, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group postponing travel to the region, and Mizuho weighing voluntary evacuation for staff in Dubai and Riyadh.

Operational infrastructure was affected in at least one case: Amazon Web Services said connectivity from one of its data centers in the United Arab Emirates was down after the facility was “impacted by objects” that created “sparks and fire.” Logistics operators signaled resilience concerns as well; FedEx noted its central operations hub for the Middle East, Indian subcontinent and Africa sits at Dubai World Central Airport and said it was focused on minimizing disruption to services.

Hedge funds and other financial firms clustered in the Dubai International Financial Centre reviewed evacuation routes, booked hotel rooms for stranded staff and explored overland options via Oman after airspace restrictions rippled across the region. Reports of a drone strike near Ras Tanura and threats to oil infrastructure added to contingency calculations at banks and insurers.

For now, regional offices remain on contingency footing: banks have shifted to work-from-home postures, client communications are being maintained, and firms say safety and business resilience are the immediate priorities as the situation unfolds across Gulf cities.