This archive report was first published on 1 July 2019.
Published on July 1, 2019, a report emerged that Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum had lost hundreds of millions of shillings in a Kenyan business deal gone sour.
However, a more recent and shocking development has left the Sheikh reeling – his wife, Princess Haya Al Hussein, 45, has fled to Germany with her two children and approximately Sh4 billion (£31 million) to start a new life.
According to sources, Princess Haya has not been seen in public since February and has immediately requested asylum and filed for divorce from her husband.
The Princess is said to have chosen Germany as her destination due to concerns about the UK authorities' ability to protect her.
The development has sparked a diplomatic row between Germany and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where the Sheikh is vice-president and the prime minister as well as being the ruler of the city of Dubai.
Sheikh Mohammed, 69, worth more than an estimated Sh1 trillion, is a keen racehorse owner and has been dealt a fresh blow with the end of his marriage.
This is not the first time the Sheikh has faced a family crisis, as his daughter, Princess Latifa bint Mohammed Maktoum, 33, attempted to escape last year before being captured on a boat off the Indian coast.
