Chinese tech companies including robotaxi and delivery firms are facing disruption to their operations in the Middle East, after rapid expansion over the past year.

Many Chinese tech firms have targeted the Middle East for overseas expansion, amid tightening restrictions in markets such as the US and the EU.

Baidu, which began operating an Apollo automated taxi service in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in January, and was testing services in Dubai, halted operations and testing on Sunday due to local authorities’ requirements amid drone and missile strikes by Iran, local media reports said.

Baidu told the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post that it was “closely monitoring the evolving situation in the region” and that community and staff safety were its priority.

Robotaxi start-up WeRide, which operates services in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, employing nearly 100 people across the region, said it suspended its Dubai fleet “pending notice from local regulatory authorities”, while Abu Dhabi and Riyadh services remained in operation.

Eric Dong, a WeRide employee based in the Middle East, told the Post that staff across the region were working remotely and that the company has stocked essential supplies and moved vehicles indoors.

“Despite recent unexpected hostilities, we remain committed to scaling Robotaxi commercialisation in the region,” Dong told the paper.

The start-up is working with Uber with a goal of running 1,200 autonomous taxis across the region by next year.

Chinese food delivery service Meituan, which has expanded aggressively across the region over the past year under the name Keeta, said it has told staff to work from home as a precautionary measure.

It said delivery services could be temporarily limited or suspended in specific areas to ensure safety.

It currently has a presence in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain.

Amazon said two data centres in the UAE and one in Bahrain were damaged by drone strikes, and advised customers to move their data to cloud regions outside the Middle East.