The emir of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, has been sentenced by a British court to pay more than 640 million euros to his ex-wife and their children, the largest divorce compensation ever awarded by a British court.
The 72-year-old head of the UAE government will have to pay a lump sum of 251.5 million pounds (about 300 million euros) to his sixth wife, the 47-year-old Princess Haya of Jordan. He will also have to give their children, 14-year-old Al Jalila and 9-year-old Zayed, a total of 290m pounds (more than 340m euros) to cover their food, education and security costs.
“Given their status and the threats of terrorism and abduction they face (…) they are particularly vulnerable and need enhanced security,” said Philip Moore, president of the family court in his ruling today.
He added that “the main threat they (children) face comes from the emir himself and not from external sources.”
Princess Haya “is not seeking compensation for herself but for her safety” and to compensate for her assets she lost after the dissolution of their marriage, Moore explained.
During her testimony before the court, which lasted almost 7 hours, Haya had stated that she was asking for a large sum to be paid to her in order for her and their children to escape the influence of the sheikh.
The ruling is the latest development in the court series that began when the princess fled to Britain in April 2019 fearing for her safety, after having an affair with one of her bodyguards, and a month after seeking a divorce from the emir.
The Supreme Court ruled in October that Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum had ordered the monitoring of his wife’s mobile phone and her two British lawyers through Pegasus software.
During this trial it was not established that this monitoring was connected with the legal dispute in which the sheikh was involved with his sixth wife, from whom he requested the return of their children to Dubai. However, a large amount of data and conversations had been intercepted from her phone.
The judge also stressed that the emir “had harassed and intimidated the mother (of their children) before she left for England” and that he was “ready to tolerate those acting on his behalf to do the same illegally in Britain”. ».
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