The world’s biggest technology companies are continuing to ramp up operations in the Irish capital, home to many of their European headquarters. (Image Source: Bloomberg)
Facebook Inc plans to lease an office campus in Dublin as it continues to expand, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
The social media network has had talks to gradually take on 450,000 square feet (41,800 square meters) of space in the Ballsbridge district that is currently occupied by Allied Irish Banks Plc, the person said, asking not to be identified because the negotiations are private. Other locations are still under consideration and a deal may still not be reached, the person said. The space is the equivalent of about eight American football fields.
“Last year we announced that our Irish operations will be growing with hundreds more jobs across all our teams,” Facebook said in an emailed statement. “To best facilitate this and future growth we’re looking at various expansion options.” The world’s biggest technology companies are continuing to ramp up operations in the Irish capital, home to many of their European headquarters. Amazon.com Inc may vie with Facebook for the AIB space, the Irish Times reported on Friday.
A record amount of office space was leased in the city last year, with Facebook, Alphabet Inc and Microsoft Corp among the firms that took space. AIB is seeking to lease the Ballsbridge space after it decided to move its headquarters to central Dublin. The bank will relocate to the new building by the summer of 2019. Other functions will be moved to the suburbs.
“No other property agreements have been signed concerning our Dublin estate,” the bank said in a statement. Facebook is also said to be planning to lease an office campus in London’s King’s Cross district, close to the planned UK headquarters of Google parent Alphabet.