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LONDON: Facebook has opened its new London office and said it will create 800 high-tech jobs in the UK over the next year, demonstrating its commitment to the country as it prepares to leave the EU.
The new office will also feature an incubator space called LDN-LAB aimed at supporting UK-based tech startups.
The selected companies will take part in three-month programs where they will work with Facebook experts in areas such as engineering or product development to kickstart their businesses.
“Today’s announcements show that Facebook is more committed than ever to the UK and in supporting the growth of the country’s innovative startups,” said Nicola Mendelsohn, vice-president of Facebook EMEA.
More than 2,300 people are expected to be working for Facebook in the UK by the end of 2018. Over half of those in the London hub will be focused on engineering, ensuring the office will be Facebook’s biggest hub outside of the US.
Facebook’s UK plans will be welcome news to those concerned about London losing its appeal as a technological and financial hub following Brexit.
“It is great to see a world-leading company like Facebook continuing to invest in London’s renowned tech ecosystem, despite the uncertainties surrounding Brexit,” said Julia David, CEO of techUK.
“Large businesses are key to supporting innovation and we are excited to see what becomes of the startups that can grow and scale as a result of this endeavour. The message is clear: London is open, and tech is the flag bearer.”
The office, which opened on Monday, is based at Rathbone Place in London’s West End and is built across 247,000 square-feet and has seven floors.
The opening of the London operations follows the opening of Facebook’s new Middle East HQ in Dubai on Oct. 27. The 20,000-square-foot regional hub is part of the company’s commitment to expanding further into the Middle East and North African markets. The Dubai office has more than 60 employees. Facebook first launched a local presence in the MENA region in 2012 and since then it has grown its regional user base by 264 percent and has around 164 million monthly active people using its site from the region.
“With its strong business ecosystems, regional connectivity, and access to the best global talent, Dubai and the UAE remain the right place for us to call home in the region.
“We are only 1 percent finished in our journey here, and we are excited about what lies ahead in this young, connected, and mobile-first region,” Jonathan Labin, Facebook’s managing director for the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan, said at the time of the launch.
Staff working in the Dubai office will be able to work from a treadmill desk, take selfies from an “Instagram anti-gravity room” or admire works by Emirati artist Eman Al-Hashemi.