Emir of Dubai Must Pay Record Amount to Ex-Wife

A British court has ordered the emir of Dubai, 72-year-old Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, to pay more than £670 million to his former wife and their two children. Never before has a British court awarded a higher amount in a divorce case.

 

According to the verdict published on Tuesday, al-Maktoum must pay 251.5 million pounds to his sixth wife, 47-year-old Princess Haya of Jordan. In favour of their children, 14-year-old Al Jalila and 9-year-old Zayed, the emir has to put a further £290 million on the table. The amount must cover alimony and security costs.

“Considering their status and the general threats of terrorism and kidnapping they face in such circumstances, they are particularly vulnerable and in need of enhanced security to ensure their safety in this country,” said Judge Philip Moor. High Court in London. However, he added that the biggest threat to their security “comes from himself, not from outside sources”.

In October, the High Court had already ruled that al-Maktoum, who is also Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, had authorized the hacking of Princess Haya’s telephones and those of her British lawyers. It was not considered proof that the hacking was related to al-Maktoum’s legal battle in the United Kingdom to bring his children back to Dubai. Still, Princess Haya’s phone records showed that the emir was “for and after her departure to England had been harassed and intimidated”.

With this verdict, the emir is following in the footsteps of Russian billionaire Farkhad Akhmedov. In late 2016, a British court ruled that his ex-wife Tatiana was entitled to 41 percent of his fortune. That worked out to about £453 million, or £531 million at current prices.