Princess Haya, the wife of the ruler of Dubai, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, has quietly escaped her country, leaving her husband behind and taking over $39 million with her. She is reportedly attempting to create a new life for herself abroad.
Haya’s husband has a net worth of over $4 billion, according to a report from Forbes. He also serves as the vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Taking their daughter and son along with her, the princess allegedly traveled to Germany in February and filed for divorce, according to a report from The Sun. She has since sought asylum in Germany, which has been accepted, and is being protected by German security officials, according to The Daily Beast.
This has caused diplomatic tensions between Germany and the UAE, which were further heightened after Berlin received a request from the sheikh for the return of his wife, 11-year-old daughter Al Jalila, and 7-year-old son Zayed.
The sheik, along with Mohamed bin Zayed, ruler of Abu Dhabi and the president of the United Arab Emirates, visited Germany in an attempt to reach a compromise with Princess Haya.
According to reports, the sheik will allow a civil divorce. Others have said there is no hope of the princess returning to the Middle East. She is also seemingly seeking refuge in the United Kingdom, and is currently residing in a secret location in London, where she says she wants to live permanently.
Following his wife’s departure, the sheikh composed a poem which appears to be dedicated to the princess. He titled the poem “You Lived and You Died,” according to The Daily Beast.
A few translated sentences from the long poem read: “You betrayer, you betrayed the most precious trust, and your game has been revealed.
“Your days of lying are over and it doesn’t matter what we were and what you are.”
The Daily Beast says the poem ends with the sheik telling the princess that he doesn’t care for her anymore.
“You no longer have any place with me/ Go to who you have been busy with!/ And let this be good for you; I don’t care if you live or you die.”
The Daily Beast reports that the sheik has at least seven wives and acknowledges 23 children. He was educated at Cambridge University, and reportedly has had a lifelong passion for horses and racing, founding Godolphin, the world’s largest horse breeding conglomerate.
“As a boy, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed was captivated by the power, elegance, speed, and grace of horses. As a young man, he and his friends rode bareback races on the sands of Jumeirah Beach,” the Godolphin website says.
As a result, he has often been seen together with the princess at various horse races, particularly Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse in the United Kingdom. The most recent racing event, however, was one that the sheik attended alone, The Daily Beast reported.
The daughter of the late king of Jordan, Hussein Bin Talal, Princess Haya also comes from an educated background, having attended Oxford University.
Her official website is still active, describing her as a “devoted wife and mother, a former Olympic athlete, a humanitarian, a UN Messenger of Peace, a former member of the International Olympic Committee, former President of the International Equestrian Federation and the first Jordanian woman to hold a license to drive heavy trucks.”
Previously, a publication called Emirates Woman referred to the sheik and the princess as “the perfect couple.”