Multiple international and Saudi companies operating in Riyadh have prolonged their remote work policies this week, according to five sources with knowledge of the situation, as tensions mount over a U.S. deadline demanding Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face severe consequences.
Regional Gulf nations, which have endured repeated Iranian attacks since hostilities commenced on February 28, are concerned that any American military escalation could prompt Iran to intensify strikes against vital infrastructure and civilian targets throughout the Gulf region.
The remote work notifications, distributed Monday and Tuesday through individual company emails and text messages, impact operations across Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District, Faisaliah Tower, Business Gate, and Laysen Valley, sources revealed.
These business hubs house regional headquarters for prominent American financial institutions and technology companies including Microsoft and Apple, alongside Saudi organizations such as the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund.
Workers initially received instructions to operate remotely at the start of last week, sources indicated, following Iranian threats to target major American technology companies in the region as retaliation for U.S.-Israeli military actions and targeted killings.
Saudi Arabia’s government media office has not yet provided a response to requests for comment.
The kingdom has endured hundreds of Iranian drone and missile strikes since the conflict’s onset but reports successfully intercepting most incoming projectiles. Saudi Arabia has experienced fewer attacks compared to neighboring Gulf nations including the UAE and Kuwait.
On Tuesday, Saudi officials announced they intercepted and eliminated seven ballistic missiles fired toward the country’s Eastern Region, with debris landing near energy infrastructure. Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that a petrochemical facility in Saudi Arabia’s Jubail industrial area came under attack.
