This archive report was first published on 30 July 2019.
Published on July 30, 2019, a high-stakes divorce case is set to unfold in London's High Court, pitting Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, against his estranged wife, Princess Haya.
Princess Haya, daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan, is believed to be in Britain, where she owns a gated mansion, and the case will focus on the welfare of their two young children.
The hearing is the latest sign of trouble in Dubai's ruling family, with Sheikh Maktoum's nephew, Marcus Essabri, speaking out against his uncle's treatment of Princess Haya and her cousins, Princess Latifa and Princess Shamsa.
Speaking to Australia's '60 Minutes', Essabri said, 'The one person who knows the truth about what happened to my cousins Latifa and Shamsa is Princess Haya. I hope that she uses the court case to tell the world how they have been treated.'
Essabri, who has lived in the UK since he was 14, believes Princess Haya's decision to flee from Dubai and seek sanctuary in London shows a pattern of women close to the Sheikh wanting to leave.
He said, 'With Princess Haya leaving people will see that there is a pattern. Three women in his life have all fled from his control. What does that tell you about the man and what he is like.'
