Wealthy residents and business travelers are reportedly paying as much as £260,000, or about $350,000, to leave Gulf countries after a series of Iranian missile and drone strikes targeted locations in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Bahrain over the weekend. The attacks struck areas that had long been considered secure for residents, tourists, and international business visitors, prompting a sudden rush to exit the region.
Riyadh has emerged as a major transit point for those seeking to leave West Asia quickly, as King Khalid International Airport remains one of the few major hubs operating without major disruption. Private security companies are arranging long-distance road transfers from Dubai and other Gulf cities to Saudi Arabia, with convoys of SUVs transporting passengers on journeys that can take up to 10 hours before connecting to chartered flights bound for Europe and other destinations.
Demand for private aviation has surged sharply, pushing charter prices to extraordinary levels. Flights departing from Saudi Arabia to European cities are reportedly costing as much as $350,000, reflecting both limited availability and growing concern about the security situation. Among those leaving are senior executives from global financial firms, corporate visitors, and high-net-worth individuals who had been in the region for business meetings or leisure travel.
Saudi Arabia’s role as a departure hub has been strengthened by its visa policies, which allow many nationalities to obtain entry visas on arrival. This flexibility has made the kingdom one of the few viable options for rapid evacuation as airlines review routes and some regional airports face operational uncertainty.
Although Saudi Arabia was not heavily affected during the initial strikes, tensions escalated further when a drone attack targeted the Saudi Aramco oil refining facility at Ras Tanura, one of the kingdom’s most important energy centers. The incident forced a temporary shutdown and raised concerns among analysts about the vulnerability of Gulf energy infrastructure.
Saudi authorities confirmed that air defenses intercepted two drones earlier the same day, though officials did not specify where they originated. The kingdom has previously faced similar threats, including the 2019 attacks on Abqaiq and Khurais facilities that disrupted global oil supply, as well as a 2021 strike on Ras Tanura.
The rapid departure of wealthy residents and visitors highlights growing anxiety over regional stability, with security experts warning that continued escalation could affect travel, business activity, and energy markets across the Gulf.
