Citibank Temporarily Closes Branch Offices Due to Iran Conflict

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — Citibank has announced the temporary closure of most of its branch offices and financial centres in the United Arab Emirates region.

The closure will remain in effect until 14 March 2026, following escalating tensions arising from the US-Israel conflict with Iran. According to Reuters, as of Thursday 12 March 2026, the Citi branch office at Mall of Emirates in Dubai is exempted from this closure.

In the second week following the outbreak of the conflict, geopolitical tensions intensified across the Middle East region. This has compelled banks in the region to take precautionary measures by repatriating their staff.

Citibank’s decision is described as a response to concerns among banks regarding the impact following Iran’s threats to US-Israeli economic and banking interests in the Gulf region.

According to Reuters, offices will reopen on 16 March 2026. Remote working arrangements have been implemented across all Citibank branch networks in the UAE to ensure continued service to clients.

Additionally, telephone banking services in the UAE are operating at limited capacity.