RIYADH – Riyadh has emerged as a major evacuation point for wealthy individuals and top executives looking to leave the Gulf region, including Dubai, amid escalating tensions, according to a Semafor report.
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh is one of the few major airports still operating normally after missile and drone strikes from Iran hit several cities, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and locations in Qatar and Bahrain over the weekend.
With airspace closures affecting neighboring countries, many executives and high-net-worth individuals have resorted to traveling by road to Riyadh.
In some cases, this has involved a 10-hour drive from Dubai to reach the Saudi capital in order to catch either commercial or private flights out of the region.
Private security firms have reportedly been arranging convoys of SUVs to transport clients to Riyadh, where chartered aircraft are then arranged for their departure.
Among those seeking to flee are senior leaders from global financial institutions as well as affluent business and leisure travelers.
The surge in demand for evacuation flights has driven up costs dramatically. Ameerh Naran, CEO of private jet broker Vimana Private, told Semafor that Riyadh has become “the only real option” for those wishing to leave the region, with private jet charters from the Saudi capital to Europe costing as much as $350,000.
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