Battle Royale: Dubai ruler and runaway wife Princess Haya begin London court battle

The hearing, which will pit Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum against Princess Haya, will focus on the welfare of their two young children.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab & agencies

30 July, 2019

The clash is the latest sign of trouble in Dubai's ruling family [Getty]

A dispute between the ruler of Dubai and his estranged wife will play out over the next two days in a London courtroom amid reports the princess has fled the Gulf emirate.

The case beginning Tuesday in Britain's High Court pits Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum against Princess Haya, daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan.

The hearing will focus on the welfare of their two young children now that the princess has left Dubai. She is believed to be in Britain, where she owns a gated mansion.

The clash between Sheikh Mohammed and Princess Haya is the latest sign of trouble in Dubai's ruling family.

Last year, a daughter of Sheikh Mohammed, Latifa, allegedly attempted to flee the kingdom in a high-profile saga in April 2018, after releasing a video detailing years of horrific abuse and torture she suffered at the hands of her father and the Emirati authorities.

Latifa's friends and supporters say commandos stormed a boat she was using to flee to India.

She has been seen only once since, in a photo with former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson who visited the Al Maktoum family residence in December 2018, which critics called a PR stunt.

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