Banking, finance and consultancy companies evacuate staff in UAE
DUBAI,— International companies began evacuating offices in Dubai’s main financial district on Wednesday after Iran issued threats to strike economic targets connected to the United States and Israel across the Middle East.
Banks and consulting firms including Citi, Deloitte and PwC either shut down operations or asked employees to leave offices in the Dubai International Financial Centre DIFC, one of the region’s leading business hubs.
The steps came as tensions in the Gulf increased following Iranian warnings of attacks in response to U.S. Israeli strikes.
The Gulf region, particularly the United Arab Emirates, has faced repeated Iranian attacks during the escalation.
Iran’s military command said Wednesday it may target economic facilities tied to the U.S. and Israel, including financial institutions. The threat followed reports that an Iranian bank was hit in overnight strikes.
A source familiar with the situation told AFP that workers were told to evacuate Citi offices located in the Dubai International Financial Centre as well as the company’s premises in the Oud Metha area of the city.
Another source told AFP that the British consulting firm PwC planned to close offices across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait for the rest of the week as a precaution.
Deloitte, also a British consulting company, instructed its staff to leave its offices in the Dubai International Financial Centre on Wednesday afternoon, a third source with knowledge of the move told AFP.
Employees working for two additional firms located in the financial district said their offices were also cleared as a safety measure.
All sources spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the developments.
Khatam Al Anbiya, Iran’s central military command, said in a statement that it has been authorized to strike U.S. and Israeli-linked financial centers and banks.
The command also warned residents across the region to stay at least one kilometer away from banks.
In recent attacks, Tehran has targeted American interests in the Gulf region as well as civilian locations including airports, seaports, hotels and well known landmarks.
Earlier Wednesday, drones fell close to Dubai International Airport and injured four people, while separate attacks struck three ships near the Strait of Hormuz.
The UAE said two drones crashed near the airport area. The Dubai Media Office reported that two Ghanaian nationals and one Bangladeshi national suffered minor injuries, while one Indian national was moderately injured.
The office said air traffic at Dubai Airport continued to operate normally despite the incident.
UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said Iran’s claim that it was targeting only U.S. military bases in the Gulf was false and denounced the strikes on civilian infrastructure as reckless and endangering innocent lives.
A worker from India employed at a cargo facility opposite Terminal 2 of the airport told AFP he saw a drone flying low before hitting a structure near the terminal.
He spoke on condition of anonymity and said he had a clear view of the drone, noting that it struck without a loud explosion.
He said another drone passed nearby about 10 minutes later.
“When it crashed, the explosion was loud,” he said.
Maritime security also reported incidents at sea. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said a container ship and a bulk carrier were struck by projectiles off the coast of the UAE, one near Dubai and another near the northern emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.
UKMTO said a third vessel was hit in the Strait of Hormuz near Oman. The projectile caused a fire onboard, but the blaze was later extinguished.
State media in Oman reported drones struck fuel storage tanks at the port of Salalah on Wednesday. Private maritime security company Vanguard Tech said operations at the port were suspended following the attack.
Saudi Arabia said it intercepted seven ballistic missiles aimed at the kingdom’s eastern region and the Prince Sultan Air Base.
In recent days, energy facilities in the Gulf have also been targeted. Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura complex, which includes one of the largest refineries in the Middle East, was hit.
The Ruwais oil refinery in the UAE, one of the world’s largest refining sites, was also targeted.
Tensions in the region escalated following joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran on February 28, 2026.
(With files from AFP, Agencies)
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