Flydubai Plane Previously Landed in Saudi Arabia Due to Medical Emergency

A Flydubai aircraft bound for Tel Aviv experienced an unscheduled landing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, approximately one year prior to a recent similar incident. The flight, FZ1125, departed Dubai on September 24, 2025, with around 80 Israeli passengers. During the flight, an Israeli passenger suffered a stroke, prompting the pilots to divert to the Saudi capital for immediate medical attention. The plane landed in Riyadh around 5:45 PM local time, several hours after its scheduled arrival in Israel. Saudi authorities granted permission for the landing, and medical teams met the aircraft to transfer the passenger to a local hospital. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Saudi aviation and medical officials provided assistance in accordance with international aviation conventions. For the passengers on board, the diversion caused initial alarm, with some family members in Israel mistakenly fearing a hijacking upon seeing the plane's location. Passengers reported receiving little information and having poor mobile reception for hours. Some described a sense of concern on the plane, noting that the flight crew appeared more stressed than the passengers due to the unusual landing in a country without diplomatic ties to Israel. The aircraft remained in Riyadh for about three hours before continuing its journey to Tel Aviv. This incident, while not security-related, was notable for an aircraft with many Israeli passengers landing in Saudi Arabia and receiving assistance. Another similar event occurred in August 2023 when an Air Seychelles plane carrying over 120 Israelis made an emergency landing in Jeddah due to a technical issue, with passengers spending the night in Saudi Arabia before continuing to Israel.