Cristiano Ronaldo’s non-public jet flees Saudi Arabia as Riyadh hit in US-Israel vs Iran battle

Cristiano Ronaldo’s private jet fled Riyadh on Monday night as thousands escape the Middle East following escalating tensions with Iran targeting Saudi Arabia

View 2 Images

Cristiano Ronaldo has been caught up in the Middle East conflict(Image: Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

Cristiano Ronaldo’s private jet departed Riyadh for Madrid on Monday evening amid escalating tensions across the Middle East.

Thousands are evacuating the region as Iran launches retaliatory strikes following attacks by Israel and the United States, and it seems Ronaldo may be among those fleeing.

Flight tracking information revealed that Ronaldo’s £61million aircraft left Saudi Arabia on Monday evening around 8pm and touched down in the Spanish capital, where he formerly starred for Real Madrid, at 1am. Flightradar24 showed it travelled westward over Egypt and the Mediterranean before arriving in Spain.

The 41-year-old, who represents Al-Nassr in the Saudi capital, possesses a Bombardier Global Express 6500. He has resided in Riyadh since signing for Al-Nassr from Manchester United in December 2022, where he pockets £488,000 per day.

Article continues below

He is presently sidelined through injury, having been substituted during Al Nassr’s 3-1 victory over Al Fahya on Saturday, so won’t feature in their upcoming fixture.

Iran has targeted Saudi Arabia in recent days, with the nation’s Ministry of Defence confirming on Tuesday morning that the US embassy in Riyadh had been struck by two drones. The assault resulted “in a limited fire and minor material damage to the building”.

This followed Iran’s attack on Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refinery, the globe’s largest oil refinery, triggering a surge in international oil prices.

Cristiano RonaldofireIranSaudi ArabiaSpain