Princess Haya: Dubai ruler and wife begin London court battle

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Princess Haya fled the UAE earlier this year, and has been in hiding in London

The ruler of Dubai, one of the most high-profile leaders in the Middle East, and his estranged wife
are beginning a court battle in London over the welfare of their children.

Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum's wife, Princess Haya Bint al-Hussein, is the third female member of
his court to run away from the United Arab Emirates.

This month she was reported to be in hiding in London in fear for her life.

The UK court case centres around their children, with whom she fled.

Princess Haya, who was born in Jordan and educated at private schools in Britain, is an Olympic
equestrian and the half-sister of the current Jordanian ruler, King Abdullah II.

She married Sheikh Mohammed in 2004, becoming his sixth and "junior" wife. The 70-year-old
sheikh, who is the billionaire owner of Godolphin horse racing stables, reportedly has 23 children by
different wives.

Who is Princess Haya?

Dubai ruler's wife 'in fear for her life'

Media captionDubai: It's flash, it's brash, it's successful – but what's going on beneath the surface?

Princess Haya initially fled to Germany to try and seek asylum there, but it emerged this month that
she was living in central London - specifically, in an £85m ($107m) town house in Kensington Palace
Gardens.
It's believed that Princess Haya will want to stay in the UK. However, if her husband demands her
return to Dubai, this could cause a diplomatic headache for Britain - which has close ties to the
United Arab Emirates (UAE).

After she fled, Sheikh Mohammed wrote an angry poem accusing an unnamed woman of betrayal
and treachery, and posted it on his Instagram page.

Why is Princess Haya said to have run away?

Sources close to the princess said earlier this month that she had recently discovered disturbing facts
about the mysterious return to Dubai last year of Sheikha Latifa, one of Sheikh Mohammed's
daughters.

Sheikha Latifa had escaped the UAE by sea with the help of a Frenchman, but was intercepted by
armed men off the coast of India. She was then returned to Dubai.

Media captionWhat happened to Sheikha Latifa?

At the time, Princess Haya defended Dubai's reputation over the incident, claiming that Sheikha
Latifa had been "vulnerable to exploitation" and was "now safe in Dubai". Human rights advocates
said she was abducted against her will.

Images of 'missing' Dubai princess released

However later, sources alleged that Princess Haya had become aware of new information related to
the case, and as a result came under increasing pressure from her husband's extended family.

In July 2000, another of Sheikh Mohammed's daughters - Sheikha Shamsa Al Maktoum, who was 19
at the time - briefly escaped from the family's Surrey home.

Her method of escaping - by driving their Land Rover to the edge of the estate, abandoning the car
and slipping through a fence on foot - made headlines at the time. She was reportedly found in
Cambridge a year later and returned to Dubai.
Related Topics

United Arab EmiratesMohammed Al MaktoumDubai

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Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionPrincess Haya fled the UAE earlier this year, and has
been in hiding in London

The ruler of Dubai, one of the most high-profile leaders in the Middle East, and his estranged wife
are beginning a court battle in London over the welfare of their children.

Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum's wife, Princess Haya Bint al-Hussein, is the third female member of his
court to run away from the United Arab Emirates.

This month she was reported to be in hiding in London in fear for her life.

The UK court case centres around their children, with whom she fled.

Princess Haya, who was born in Jordan and educated at private schools in Britain, is an Olympic
equestrian and the half-sister of the current Jordanian ruler, King Abdullah II.

She married Sheikh Mohammed in 2004, becoming his sixth and "junior" wife. The 70-year-old sheikh,
who is the billionaire owner of Godolphin horse racing stables, reportedly has 23 children by different
wives.
 Who is Princess Haya?
 Dubai ruler's wife 'in fear for her life'
Media captionDubai: It's flash, it's brash, it's successful – but what's going on beneath the surface?

Princess Haya initially fled to Germany to try and seek asylum there, but it emerged this month that she
was living in central London - specifically, in an £85m ($107m) town house in Kensington Palace
Gardens.

It's believed that Princess Haya will want to stay in the UK. However, if her husband demands her return to
Dubai, this could cause a diplomatic headache for Britain - which has close ties to the United Arab
Emirates (UAE).

After she fled, Sheikh Mohammed wrote an angry poem accusing an unnamed woman of betrayal and
treachery, and posted it on his Instagram page.

Why is Princess Haya said to have run away?

Sources close to the princess said earlier this month that she had recently discovered disturbing facts about
the mysterious return to Dubai last year of Sheikha Latifa, one of Sheikh Mohammed's daughters.

Sheikha Latifa had escaped the UAE by sea with the help of a Frenchman, but was intercepted by armed
men off the coast of India. She was then returned to Dubai.
 Media captionWhat happened to Sheikha Latifa?

At the time, Princess Haya defended Dubai's reputation over the incident, claiming that Sheikha Latifa had
been "vulnerable to exploitation" and was "now safe in Dubai". Human rights advocates said she was
abducted against her will.
 Images of 'missing' Dubai princess released

However later, sources alleged that Princess Haya had become aware of new information related to the
case, and as a result came under increasing pressure from her husband's extended family.

In July 2000, another of Sheikh Mohammed's daughters - Sheikha Shamsa Al Maktoum, who was 19 at the
time - briefly escaped from the family's Surrey home.

Her method of escaping - by driving their Land Rover to the edge of the estate, abandoning the car and
slipping through a fence on foot - made headlines at the time. She was reportedly found in Cambridge a
year later and returned to Dubai.

Related Topics
 United Arab Emirates

 Mohammed Al Maktoum

 Dubai

Share this story About sharing

 Email
 Facebook
 Messenger
 Twitter
 Pinterest
 LinkedIn
More on this story

Princess Haya Bint al-Hussein: The Dubai royal 'hiding in London'
3 July 2019


Princess Haya: Dubai ruler's wife in UK 'in fear of her life'
2 July 2019


Sheikha Latifa: Images of 'missing' Dubai princess released
24 December 2018

Middle East

Senate fails to overturn Saudi arms sale veto

 30 July 2019

 From the sectionUS & Canada

Full article Senate fails to overturn Saudi arms sale veto

Talks to salvage Iran nuclear deal

 28 July 2019

 From the sectionMiddle East

Full article Talks to salvage Iran nuclear deal
 British woman arrested over 'false rape claim'

 28 July 2019

 From the sectionUK

Full article British woman arrested over 'false rape claim'
Top Stories
Police 'should have known VIP accuser was lying'
Carl Beech's child abuse accusations against senior figures were "fundamentally inconsistent", inquiry
chief says.
16 minutes ago
Marines used brute force, says tanker captain
2 minutes ago
Dubai ruler and runaway wife begin UK legal battle
31 minutes ago

Features
'My kids would wake up 40 times a night'
Can farmers send lamb to Japan after Brexit?
'I've spent 22 years searching for silver in a ghost town'
VIDEO
Crowdfunded hospital brings hope in Syria
'Democrats tend to spit out their front-runners'
VIDEO
The amateur lawyers helping people walk free
The murder of Malaciah Thomas
How to break into the elite
VIDEO
Boko Haram: A decade of terror explained

Elsewhere on the BBC

 Romesh Ranganathan

"It tastes like yoghurt made out of hate"

Full article Romesh Ranganathan

Daily news briefing direct to your inbox

Sign up for our newsletter

Full article Daily news briefing direct to your inbox
Most Read
 1Princess Haya: Dubai ruler and wife begin London court battle
 2Royal Marines used brute force, says tanker captain
 3Mini toiletries to be removed from Holiday Inn owner's hotels
 4Runcorn fraudster claimed dead dad's benefits in £740k scam
 5Katy Perry copied Dark Horse from Christian rapper Flame, court rules
 6Pound falls lower on no-deal Brexit prospect
 7Twinlakes water park visitors' illness outbreak probed
 8Russia Instagram influencer Ekaterina Karaglanova found dead in suitcase
 9Shayna Jack: The swimming scandal that has embarrassed Australia
 10Alastair Campbell: I don't want to rejoin Corbyn's Labour
Why you can trust BBC News
BBC News Services
 On your mobile
 On your connected tv
 Get news alerts
 Contact BBC News

BBC Three

Video

Is veganism a privilege?

BBC THREE

Why did he die in a homeless hostel?

BBC THREE


 Six months with Extinction Rebellion

BBC THREE

Please don't forget about my classmates

BBC THREE

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Copyright © 2019 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to ex