UPS shuts down operations in ISMEA-focused Dubai office: American delivery powerhouse United Parcel Service(UPS) has limited its operations in the MENA region after closing its Dubai-based district office, which services the Indian subcontinent, Middle East and Africa (ISMEA) regions, Arabian Business reports, citing a source in the know. The move comes in a bid to restructure and merge ISMEA operations with its Eastern European headquarters in Prague, the source reportedly said. Enterprise Logistics could not reach a company representative for comment ahead of dispatch time.

Layoffs hit the Dubai office: UPS let go of some 100-200 employees at the Dubai district office, the source told Arabian Business. UPS, however, did not confirm the figures, saying only that the company is continuously “evolving” its business. Workers were given a one-month notice back in July, and were covered in terms of medical ins., salaries, and visas for a duration of two months following their dismissal, sources said. Some were also given the option of relocating to Prague with a 60% salary cut, the sources added.

This doesn’t mean UPS has exited the region: UPS’s second office in the UAE — which oversees pickup and delivery — will continue operating.

The rationale: “We’re constantly evolving our business in response to the needs of our customers and changes in the global economy,” a UPS spokesperson reportedly told Arabian Business. “These efforts have resulted in changes in the jobs and responsibilities of some of our people in the UAE, including redundancies and migration of roles,” the source said.

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