At a glance
- As missile strikes continue, staff at Cayman legal and financial services companies located in the Middle East are working from home.
- The Governor’s Office is encouraging all British Nationals – including Caymanians and BOTC passport holders in the Middle East to register their presence.
- Governor Jane Owen urged Caymanians in the region to follow UK travel advice
Staff at Cayman legal and financial services companies with offices in the Middle East are working from home as missile strikes continue in a number of cities in the region.
Among the Cayman firms with staff in the region are the Maples Group and Walkers, which say they are closely monitoring the situation.
Jonathan Green, global managing partner at Maples and Calder, said the company has several members of staff and clients in the Middle East – in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, both of which have been targeted in retaliatory missile strikes by Iran
“Of course, we’re keeping a very careful eye on how they’re doing, and we’re pleased to report, they’re safe and well,” Green said Monday morning.
“They’re all pretty resilient, because it’s a region that is somewhat accustomed to these sorts of tensions, although this is, of course, one of the first times where you’ve actually seen such a hard impact in the United Arab Emirates.”
He added, “We have our team meet daily to check in with them and see how they are, and we’re monitoring news wires. Our regional support teams are also keeping an eye on things.
“We’re certainly adopting a very cautious approach, asking our people to still work from home and make sure that they don’t put themselves in harm’s way, and we’ll continue to watch it very carefully.”
He said Maples’ staff were abiding by local authority recommendations to shelter in place.
A spokesperson for Walkers told the Compass, “We can confirm that all Walkers staff and their families in Dubai are currently safe and accounted for. We are closely monitoring the situation and continue to provide full support to our staff in line with government guidance, which currently includes remaining in their homes.
“The safety and wellbeing of our people remain our highest priority. … Our focus remains on ensuring our colleagues and clients in the region have the support they need during this challenging time.”
The UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation issued a directive at midday Sunday, instructing all private-sector employers to switch to remote operations until the end of business on Tuesday, 3 March.
Companies were told to “keep workers away from open spaces” because falling shrapnel has already injured at least four residents in Dubai and Sharjah. Schools and universities have also been ordered to continue online learning until Wednesday.
Dubai’s international airport, its landmark Burj Al Arab hotel and man-made Palm Jumeirah Island have all suffered damage in the strikes.
The airspace over a number of countries in the region is currently closed, and several airports are not operating.
The UK government has indicated that it plans to carry out a major evacuation of its citizens stranded across the Middle East. By Monday morning, more than 102,000 British citizens had registered their presence in affects areas across the region.
Governor’s Office response
The Governor’s Office in Cayman has urged Caymanians to also register their presence.
A spokesperson said, “All British nationals – including Caymanians and BOTC passport holders – are encouraged to register their presence via the travel advice pages on www.gov.uk.”
Those who register can be made aware of any urgent updates or actions that their embassy or consulate is recommending.
Governor Jane Owen, in a statement Monday afternoon, acknowledged that this was a “worrying time … for those of us who may have family, friends or colleagues living or working in the region or, indeed, visiting it”.
She said the UK’s “top priority” was the safety of its nationals, including British Overseas Territories citizens, in the region.
The governor urged Caymanians in the region to follow UK travel advice, on the gov.uk website. “At the moment, the advice for most countries in the region is to shelter in place, remain indoors in a secure location, and continue to update yourself and follow advice from local authorities,” she said.
Owen said the ‘register your presence’ system on the website is already in place for a number of affected countries, including the UAE, Israel, Palestine, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, with other countries expected to be added to that list.
Gene DaCosta, the representative in the Cayman Islands Asia Overseas Office, who is currently in Cayman, said his office was working with the Ministry of Financial Services and Commerce to gather information on Caymanians on the ground there “and get their contact details, with the intent of reaching them directly to them, to ensure that everything’s OK and if we can be of any assistance with any related matters”.
Thousands of flights across the region have been cancelled, leaving passengers stranded or diverted to other airports.
After joint military strikes by the US and Israel over the weekend, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones across the Gulf, hitting targets in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, most of which host US army bases.
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