Ronnie O’Sullivan has opened up on his decision to leave the UK in favour of Dubai. The English snooker icon, 49, packed his bags and moved to the United Arab Emirates in the summer.

The Rocket made the move alongside his wife, Laila, whom he married in June after a 13-year on-off relationship. Seven-time world champion O’Sullivan has now shed light on what sparked the bold decision, with the couple having sold their house in Essex. He explained that the lack of good practice tables near his home prompted him to move, telling The Times: “So I had to do a lot of trips into London, an hour and twenty minutes each way – it was a headache. So a lot of the time I was having to go to Sheffield for, like, a week to get some proper practice done.”

O’Sullivan then explained why they opted for Dubai, adding: “I work a lot in the Middle East and China, and the jet lag, I could never get on top of it. That was a struggle.”

Former EastEnders actress Rouass, who is of Moroccan origin, wanted to live somewhere sunnier than the UK. One option was Spain but the Rocket insisted: “There’s not really a lot to do there, is there? And there’s not a lot of tables.”

There has certainly been a shift in recent years in snooker towards the Middle East and China, with many of the top tournaments now being played a long way away from the UK. O’Sullivan himself recently opened his academy in the heart of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in a joint venture with the Saudi government.

His glitzy five-table academy, which he regularly visits as a coach and mentor, serves as a training base for elite international players and young talent. But he says his ‘clean slate’ in Dubai, having changed his number and deleted all social media apps from his phone, is not a way of enhancing his brand or making new friends.

O’Sullivan explained: “We’re not there for a boujie sort of lifestyle. I just like the simplicity of it there, the weather’s great.”

He then said of his tight-knit London wedding in June: “I didn’t actually have anyone there. I mean, we had Laila’s sisters. But we didn’t want anything big. I’m just not into all that stuff.”