It’s been six months since Rio Ferdinand and his family relocated to Dubai, but there could be trouble in paradise due to homesickness.
Speaking earlier this month, his wife Kate revealed she is ‘struggling’ in the Middle East and broke down in tears admitting she’s ‘missing her family’.
In a new episode of her Blended podcast, the 34-year-old confessed that while Dubai has been an ‘amazing’ place to live, she’s ‘struggled’ with being apart from his two eldest sons Lorenz, 19, and Tate, 17, who have stayed in the UK.
Kate and Rio, 47, made the move with the footballer’s daughter Tia, 14, from his first marriage to his late wife Rebecca, and their two children together, son Cree, five, and daughter Shae, two.
She said: ‘I feel like we’ve opened our eyes to a different world. But I love London, I love the UK. I love so many things about the UK.
‘I do feel happy in Dubai, but I’m just missing a part of me.’
And while Kate may miss her homeland, it is unlikely that a permanent return to the UK will happen in the near future for several reasons in relation to her husband.
Spending time with family
Speaking on LBC Radio in November, Rio revealed that the switch has allowed him to spend more time with his family – labelling it as ‘refreshing’.
‘My family are seeing me so much more and I’m spending some quality time with them and I think that’s just been a great thing for me,’ he said.
‘I love England and I’m a patriotic guy in that sense, but a new journey, a new chapter, something different, I think is a refreshing new chapter in my life.’
Those comments come off the back of an interview in The National in August when he delved deeper about the opportunities available for his three youngest children.
‘I thought about moving, then we went back again in February [2025] for a little look at the schools just in case and it just pricked my mind to think about it,’ he said.
‘That was almost like a big kicker for me because the education system felt different, felt better for my kids. The children who are coming are 14, which is perfect because it’s their two years of GCSEs starting this August.
‘Then we’ve got a four and a two-year-old, so it’s perfect timing for them as well. And the curriculum is English curriculum, but it’s just done a different way. I feel the teachers in the UK feel a little bit like undervalued, underpaid.’
Family home
Furthermore, the Ferdinands have a beautiful family mansion in Dubai to raise the children.
As detailed by the Daily Mail last year, the couple found their new home in the exclusive gated community of Al Barari, with the luxury property listed for 32.5 million dirhams (£6,550,310) as of last April.
Taking to her Instagram in December, Kate shared a vlog where she had a chilled pyjama day and treated the children to pizza and treats.
She showed off the huge house with its modern interiors, cosy lounge with a gigantic TV screen and elegant entrance way to the mansion.
Work opportunities
‘I wanted a new chapter and I’ve been doing TNT (TV) since I retired for the last 10-11 years,’ he added to The National.
‘When I made the decision, I thought “this must be 30 years when my life is driven by the fixture list”. Not now. I’m not leaving football, but it’s just not the governing body of my life now. I’ve got to be honest, it feels nice.’
Koora
One of Ferdinand’s business ventures in the Middle East is the sports platform Koora Break – one of the Middle East’s first Arabic-language apps.
In December 2024, it was announced that the Ferdinand Group (TFG), a sports and entertainment investment company owned by the ex-player, acquired a minority stake in Koora Break, described as the fastest-growing football app in the Middle East and North Africa.
Established in 2022, by the time of Ferdinand’s investment that platform had 800 million visitors per month.
The aim of Ferdinand’s investment is to expand its reach across Europe and Asia, as well as to help develop its profile ahead of the 2034 World Cup.
‘Everyone was saying, well what are you doing? It’s just a fast growing place,’ he reflected about the business opportunities in the Middle East to Bloomberg TV in November.
‘We’ve seen with all of the investment that’s going, in terms of media, football, sport in general,’ Ferdinand said. ‘It’s crazy the growth there.’
Qatar Airways
Another Middle East business Ferdinand had a relationship with is Qatar Airways. The ex-England centre back has starred in adverts for them and in November he helped partner up with the airline to launch their youth empowerment initiative called Qatar Airways United.
It is to help community-building opportunities for under-resourced groups, with the programme aiming to build confidence and ambition in young people.
So far this has included access to Inter Milan vs AC Milan and the F1 Qatar Grand Prix in November, as well as Paris Saint-Germain vs Marseille earlier this month.
The Champions League final in Budapest in May and World Cup final in New York in July will also be on the list.
Relationships with Cristiano Ronaldo and other stars
Despite leaving TNT last season, Ferdinand’s passion for sport is still on show as he continues to rub shoulders with the stars in the Middle East.
The biggest example of that is Cristiano Ronaldo. The former Manchester United team-mates have been seen in unison together plenty of times – with Ferdinand often watching the Portuguese play for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. In addition to that, Ronaldo has been a guest on Ferdinand’s YouTube channel and vice-versa.
It’s not just Ronaldo though, Ferdinand has been seen with in the Middle East with the likes of Lamine Yamal, Novak Djokovic and Steven Gerrard, having spent time with him – as well as Hollywood star Kevin Hart and American record producer and rapper Swizz Beatz.
And of course… tax reasons
Speaking in November, Rio explained why there is an upturn in UK citizens migrating overseas – citing tax reasons.
The Ferdinand’s moves last came after Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced £40billion of tax rises on businesses and the rich in her 2024 Budget. Within that saw a rise in capital gains tax, inheritance tax and VAT on private schools.
Speaking as a guest on LBC Radio, the Manchester United and England legend discussed the tax sanctions on UK residents – arguing that they do not benefit the general public.
Ferdinand said: ‘If things like the health service, for example, was absolutely flying and working perfectly well then I think people wouldn’t mind paying tax.
‘But when there’s things that are falling apart and going wrong in the country, then I sit there and go, we pay towards tax and is it really going towards the things that are actually benefiting the people that live here?
‘And that’s the big question that needs answering. I think a lot of us know the answer to that.’
