Madrid: Spain's former king, Juan Carlos, has been staying at Abu Dhabi's exclusive Emirates Palace Hotel since leaving Spain aboard a private jet amid a financial scandal, Spanish daily newspaper ABC reported on Friday.

United Arab Emirates officials were not immediately available for comment. The Emirates Palace Hotel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dogged by mounting corruption allegations, Juan Carlos abruptly announced his decision to leave Spain on Monday but there has been no official confirmation of his whereabouts, setting off an international guessing game.

The royal family’s website published a letter from the former monarch to his son, King Felipe, on Monday saying he was leaving Spain to live in another country.