Riyadh has emerged as a key exit point for those fleeing West Asia, with King Khalid International Airport remaining one of the few fully operational hubs in the region, according to a report
The super-rich are paying up to £260,000 (approx. $350,000) to evacuate the Gulf as Iranian missiles and drones struck Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Qatar, and Bahrain over the weekend, targeting regions long considered safe for residents and holidaymakers.
According to a Daily Mail report, Riyadh has emerged as a key exit point for those fleeing West Asia, with King Khalid International Airport remaining one of the few fully operational hubs in the region.
Private security firms are reportedly arranging fleets of SUVs to transport passengers on the 10-hour drive from Dubai to Riyadh, after which chartered private jets fly them to Europe and other destinations, added the report.
According to Semafor, an American news website, among those leaving are senior executives at global finance firms and high-net-worth individuals visiting the region for business or leisure.
The surge in demand has driven up prices, with private flights from Riyadh to Europe reportedly costing up to $350,000 (£260,000).
Saudi Arabia’s appeal as a transit hub is also boosted by relaxed visa rules, allowing many nationalities to obtain visas on arrival rather than in advance, making it an attractive option for emergency departures.
Although Saudi Arabia largely avoided the initial weekend strikes, Iranian drone on Monday morning targeted Saudi Aramco oil refining facility at Ras Tanura, one of kingdom’s key energy hubs.
The attack forced a temporary shutdown and was described by analysts as a “significant escalation” in the US-Israel-Iran conflict.
Torbjorn Soltvedt, a West Asia analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, told Daily Mail the strike demonstrated that Gulf energy infrastructure is “squarely in Iran’s sights” and could push Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Gulf states closer to joining US and Israeli military operations against Iran.
Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry confirmed that two drones were intercepted and destroyed earlier Monday but did not specify their origin.
The kingdom has faced similar threats in the past, including the 2019 attacks on the Abqaiq and Khurais oil facilities, which temporarily knocked out over half of Saudi crude production, and a 2021 strike on Ras Tanura by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis.
The rapid evacuation of wealthy residents and visitors underscores growing concerns about regional security and the impact of escalating tensions on Gulf travel and business hubs.
With inputs from agencies
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