Dubai ruler ordered to pay over 5,500 Cr to ex-wife Princess Haya in divorce settlement

A British Court has ordered Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, to pay a compensation amount of 550 million pounds ($730 million) to his sixth wife and children. In one of the most expensive divorce settlements in British history, a High Court judge directed the Dubai ruler to pay 251.5 million pounds to his UK-based ex-wife, Princess Haya Bint Al-Hussein. Besides Hussein, the judge also ruled to make ongoing payments of 290 million pounds for their children Jalila, and Zayed and five housekeepers and couture. As the children are minors, they will be paid once they attain the eligible age criteria. However, the judge said that the final amount that his children would get might be altered, depending on factors including how long they live and whether they negotiate with their father.

According to the court ruling, the Dubai ruler has to pay a settlement amount of 11 million pounds a year as a security cost for Haya and the children. However, security costs for the children will only be paid until they are minors. During the appeal, the attorney for Princess Haya informed the court that his client needs “water-tight security" in order to get full protection from Sheikh Mohammed. The attorney told the court that Princess is facing more threats from his husband, rather than anyone in the world.
Notably, Princess Haya is the daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan, who had married the Dubai ruler in 2004. The couple has two children and lived together until 2019. In the same year, the 47-year-old Princess fled to the UK.

Sheikh Mohammed used Pegasus to spy on his wife, says court

While speaking to AP about her return to the United Kingdom, the princess revealed she was terrified of her husband, who is alleged to have ordered the forced return to the Gulf emirate of two of his daughters. Subsequently, she filed a lawsuit to claim the settlement amount and the custody of her two children. During the investigation, it was revealed that Sheikh Mohammed had authorized the hacking of Princess Haya’s phone during their legal battle. The court said that Sheikh Mohammed hack the phones of the princess and her attorneys using Pegasus spyware produced by NSO Group of Israel. However, the Dubai ruler categorically denied such claims. 

With inputs from AP

Image: AP