Princess Haya of Jordan gains full custody of her children with the Emir of Dubai

A British court has granted sole custody of her children to Princess Haya of Jordan after an embittered three-year divorce battle with Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai.

The Evening Standard reports that in a damning judgment by sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division of the High Court, the Sheik was branded a “domestic abuser”.

The court also ruled that he should be blocked from any involvement in the upbringing of his children with Princess Haya, Jalila and Zayed. The four of them can be seen in this picture, during the Royal Ascot in 2018.

From now on, the relationship between the Sheik and his two children will be limited to phone calls and messages, after his lawyers desisted from pursuing direct contact.

“The last few years have been a frightening journey and yet the sanctuary, protection and extraordinary compassion we have experienced in England have strengthened our belief in the enduring power of both humanity and justice”, Princess Haya declared, as quoted by the Evening Standard.

A statement on the ruling released by representatives of Sheik Mohammed and quoted by The Daily Mail states that “He loves his children and cherishes their love for him. He has always cared and provided for them, and always will”.

Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, completed on December 2021 his divorce from Princess Haya, half-sister of the current King of Jordan. The settlement of 550 million pounds (over 730 million US dollars) was described by the BBC as the biggest divorce case in British history.

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is one of the most powerful men in the United Arab Emirates. Besides being Emir of Dubai, he also serves as Prime Minister and Vice President of the country, posts he inherited from his father in 2006.

Dubai, after all, it's the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates and one of the most important touristic and commercial hubs in the region and the world. It's also home of Burj Khalifa, the tallest building to date.

The House of Maktoum, which Mohammed bin Rashid heads, not only lords over Dubai. A member of the royal house always serves as de facto Vice President, Prime Minister, and Defense Minister of the United Arab Emirates.

However, Princess Haya, seen here in 2009 watching a horse show at Windsor Castle with Queen Elizabeth II, is hardly an average princess.

Haya is the daughter of King Hussein I of Jordan of the House of Hashim and half-brother of the current country's current sovereign, Abdullah II. Pictured is Princess Haya in 1993, posing under a portrait of her parents.

The princess has shown her passion for horses since she was very young. Here's Haya in 1996 during a show-jumping competition in Monte Carlo.

This passion was something she shared with her now ex-husband. Sheik Mohammed is famous for thoroughbred racing and horse breeding. He's the owner of Darley Stud, the biggest breeding operation in the world.

The royal couple married in 2004 and could be frequently seen attending the Royal Ascot, the Epsom Derby, and other important equestrian events.

During her first interview with Western media since her wedding with Agence France-Presse in 2005, the Princess argued that UAE women were an example of how tradition and modernity can go hand in hand. There's little doubt that Haya has been an example of a modern Arab woman.

Princess Haya quickly stood out for her charity work, fighting against hunger and promoting sports. She became the first Arab woman to become a UN Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Food Program.

She was also appointed UN Messenger of Peace by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2007.

Sheik Muhammed and Princess Haya seemed to have it all. Their family life was completed by two children: Al Jalila (born in 2007) and Zayed (born in 2012). However, they were unhappy behind closed doors.

Under Sharia Law, the Sheik divorced his wife without informing her in February 2019 after being notified of her affair with one of her bodyguards, the British Russell Flowers, as reported by The Daily Mail.

Pictured: Flowers, Princess Haya and her children during the Royal Ascot in 2018.

Two months later, Haya fled Dubai and sought asylum in Europe for her two children. She eventually moved to the UK.

This led to an embittered legal battle between the Princess and the Sheik over the custody of their children, with both parties demanding full custody.

The Emir of Dubai is a man with many resources at his disposal. In late 2021, a British court uncovered that the Sheik had used Pegasus, a malware developed by Israeli intelligence, to spy on his former wife and their lawyers.

Pegasus has been, for instance, at the center of controversy in Spain, where the Secret Service has been accused to have used the malware to spy on Catalan separatists in the regional-level government. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez (pictured) has also revealed that his cellphone has been hacked with Pegasus.

Now that Princess Haya has full custody of her son and daughter and hefty alimony from her ex-husband, one could argue that this Jordanian royal is rich in more than one way.