<div id="readability-page-1"><div id="parent_top_div">Standard Chartered has begun evacuating staff from offices in Dubai and told them to work from home, two sources said on Wednesday, as lenders step up precautionary measures following an Iranian warning that Tehran will target US and Israeli banks in the region. British bank Standard Chartered has a large presence in the United Arab Emirates, with Dubai now a large financial hub for leading international banks including JPMorgan and HSBC , as well as law firms and asset managers. Iran will target economic and banking interests linked to the US and Israel in the region, after an attack on an Iranian bank, a spokesperson for Tehran's Khatam al-Anbiya military command headquarters said on Wednesday. Many staff at foreign and local businesses had been told by their employers to work from home following US and Israeli attacks on Iran, which prompted Tehran to fire missiles at targets across the Middle East, causing damage and deaths across the Gulf and travel chaos. The creation of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) in 2004 kickstarted Dubai's push to draw financial firms. By the end of 2025, DIFC hosted more than 290 banks, 102 hedge funds, 500 wealth management firms and 1,289 family-related entities. Like many international lenders such as StanChart, HSBC has also sought to expand across the Gulf, and has highlighted the region as key to its wider group strategy of capitalising on inter-regional global deal and capital flows to boost the bank's overall profitability. Georges Elhedery, HSBC's CEO, said on Monday that the bank's &#34;conviction in the GCC's (Gulf Cooperation Council) fundamentals and its future is unchanged&#34;, in some of the first comments from an international bank boss on the growing crisis. &#34;The safety of our colleagues and customers remain our top priority,&#34; HSBC said in a statement on Wednesday. &#34;We are actively following government guidelines alongside our internal plans to manage working arrangements. We are communicating safety advice with colleagues as appropriate.&#34; Separately, HSBC closed all branches in Qatar until further notice, according to a customer notice. A spokesperson for JPMorgan declined to comment</div></div>

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Standard Chartered has evacuated staff from its Dubai offices and instructed them to work from home due to heightened security concerns following Iranian threats against US and Israeli banks. This precaution comes amid escalating tensions in the region, including missile attacks by Iran. Other banks, like HSBC, are also adjusting operations, emphasizing safety and following government guidelines. The Dubai International Financial Centre has become a significant hub for financial institutions, hosting numerous banks and firms. HSBC has closed its branches in Qatar until further notice as part of its safety measures.

- Standard Chartered has started evacuating staff in Dubai and instructed them to work from home due to precautionary measures after Iranian warnings to target U.S. and Israeli banks.  
- Following attacks by the U.S. and Israel on Iran, many businesses are allowing employees to work remotely, exacerbated by ongoing regional tensions.  
- The Dubai International Financial Centre has become a major hub for financial firms, hosting over 290 banks and numerous wealth management entities, while international banks like HSBC continue to prioritize safety and adapt to the crisis.

Standard Chartered evacuates staff from offices in Dubai: Report