Hopes Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was known as Prince Andrew, reportedly had to reinvent himself among the Arab elite in either Bahrain or Abu Dhabi have been dashed

Shamed Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was “getting his passport ready” to leave the UK for the Middle East when he arrested, according to reports today.

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It is said Andrew, who was stripped of royal titles and honours last year, was about to hoof it to either Bahrain or Abu Dhabi in the hope to reinvent himself when the an urgent tip-off to a senior courtier led to his arrest in February.

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The 66-year-old man has since been released under investigation but, with bombs and missiles falling across the region daily, any lingering hopes of reinventing himself among the Arab elite appear dashed. Now, Donald Trump is believed to primed for his “big one” offensive of Iran as the conflict there continues.

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Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson has her own ties in the Middle East and she, in addition to Andrew, was evicted from the Royal Lodge last year. A source said: “There is no way any of them are going to go to the Gulf and Middle East region for a long time to come. It is far too dangerous for them, just as it is for everybody else.”

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It’s a fresh blow for dad-of-two Andrew, who it emerged this week believes it is “deeply unfair that people have turned on him” amid the Jeffrey Epstein files scandal. The former duke, who served as a helicopter pilot with the Royal Navy vehemently denies any wrongdoing.

A British diplomatic source who used to rub shoulders with the Yorks in the Gulf, told the Daily Mail: “It’s inconceivable that they’ll be visiting the region now, certainly not while the war is going on and it could, of course, be an indefinite war.”

Andrew had long recognised that the Middle East — with its billionaire sheiks and emirs — could be a lucrative source of wealth, both for himself and for those within his circle.

His ties to Abu Dhabi’s royal family date back to his time at Gordonstoun, the Scottish public school, where he met Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, now the president of the UAE and known to Andrew as MBZ. His family is among the richest in the world, with an estimated fortune of £225 billion. They also hold an extensive property portfolio in London and own a majority stake in Manchester City Football Club.

Andrew’s connections proved particularly valuable in 2001 when, after retiring from the Royal Navy, he was appointed the UK’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment — a role critics claim he later used to benefit himself financially. Andrew denies any wrongdoing.