Princess Haya and Sheikh Mohammed attend day one of Royal Ascot on June 19, 2012 in England. (Image via Emirates Woman)

Dubai’s Sheikh Battles Wife in UK Court After She Seeks Asylum in Europe

Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is reportedly engaged in a formal dispute with his wife. The legal battle between the two prominent Middle Eastern royals has been launched in the London high court. The case began after she fled Dubai to seek asylum in Germany and the UK.

According to reports, Princess Haya bint Al Hussein who is the daughter of late King Hussein of Jordan and the sister of the current king, escaped the United Arab Emirates with her two children late last month. She is said to have sought and been granted asylum in Germany with the help from a German diplomat—an unruly move which potentially risking diplomatic relationship between Germany and UAE. The Sheikh himself had also asked Germany to return the trio but Berlin refused the request, Emirates Leaks report.

The Princess and her children are believed to be currently living in a secret location in London while waiting to be granted asylum there.
There’s a claim saying that the UK government has been requested through a private Dubai channel to lobby her return to UAE. However, the embassy of UAE in London denied its involvement in any discussion regarding Princess Haya’s presence in the UK, adding that it doesn’t intend to comment on allegations about individuals’ private lives and disputes.

In response to the case, chief executive of the campaign group ‘Detained in Dubai’ Radha Stirling said that the escape of Princes Hay should raise serious questions about what prompted her to flee, despite being a free adult woman and her status as the sister of King of Jordan yet still feels unsafe in her own home.

It’s not the first time an Emirati royal princess tries to flee the country. Last year, Mohammed bin Rashid’s daughter Princess Latifa went missing off the coast of India after daring a bid to escape UAE. She spoke up about her conditions in a video posted on YouTube saying to had been imprisoned and tortured by her own father.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/01/dubais-ruler-battles-wife-in-uk-court-after-she-fled-emirate