BTS treated 'like kings' as they land in Saudi Arabia

The K-pop band are performing in Riyadh this weekend

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 22: Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Rap Monster, Jimin, V and JungKook of the South Korean boy band 'BTS' visit Music Choice on March 22, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Santiago Felipe/GettyShow more

BTS have touched down in Riyadh ahead of their much-anticipated concert this weekend. As well as making their Saudi Arabia debut, the performance will be a return to the stage following the group's brief hiatus.

The seven-piece South Korean band landed this morning, Thursday, October 10, with top security. Fans online have applauded the "calm" and "respectful" welcome they received.

"BTS arrived [in] Riyadh and it was so calm. No invasion of personal space, no mobbing, no chaos, nothing," one fan commented. While a second added, "They're literally treated like kings".

Many fans shared the same video of the band being ushered into cars as they exited the airport:

A second video of the levels of security has also been shared, with fans remarking, "The security is no joke!"

Groups supporting the band have been keen to remind fans to respect the group's personal space.

"The members of BTS have officially landed safely! This means the fun has finally begun," wrote the fan account BTS Global Muslim. "Reminder to respect the members privacy at all times and to have lots of fun".

Were BTS in Dubai?

One video from inside the airport appears to show Emirates crew ushering the band through security and immigration, which suggests the band took a layover in Dubai, ahead of landing in Riyadh.

The hashtags #BTSinRiyadh and #RiyadhWelcomesBTS are both currently trending.

The band, made up of Jimin, J-Hope, Jungkook, Jin, V, Suga and RM, will resume their Love Yourself: Speak Yourself world tour in Riyadh at the sold-out concert on Friday, October 11 at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh.

This week, they faced criticism for performing in the kingdom, but the band members defended their decision.

"We were officially invited," band member RM told The Hollywood Reporter of the decision to play in Saudi Arabia. "It's been a while since we've performed in the Middle East – I guess the last time was 2015 in Dubai."

"If there's a place where people want to see us, we'll go there," added Jimin. "That's really how we feel."