Tunisian ex-president Zine al-Abedine Ben Ali is flying to the Gulf, Al Jazeera television reported on Friday, quoting sources. Al-Jazeera reported that Ben Ali is either going to Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates. 

Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV said he was heading to Qatar.

"Sources to Al Jazeera; Ben Ali's plane is heading to a Gulf country," Qatar-based Arabic broadcaster Al Jazeera said, adding that his wife, Leila Trabelsi, had been in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates for several days already.

The Dubai-based Al Arabiya cited unnamed sources as saying the country he was heading to was Qatar