Dubai princess 'divorces' husband via Instagram
DUBAI – The daughter of Dubai’s ruler has apparently announced her divorce on social media in what would be a rare move for a princess in the United Arab Emirates.
The Instagram account of Sheikha Mahra Mohammed Rashid Al Maktoum, the daughter of UAE Prime Minister and Dubai ruler Mohammed Rashid Al Maktoum, announced her intention to leave her husband, a fellow royal.
“I hereby declare our divorce,” the 30-year-old’s Instagram account stated on July 17. “I divorce you, I divorce you, and I Divorce You. Take care. Your ex-wife.”
She appeared to be invoking a controversial practice of triple divorce that is used in some Muslim countries, where a man instantly divorces his wife by declaring it three times.
The method is banned in some countries and is not customarily invoked by women against their husbands.
Sheikha Mahra married Sheikh Mana Mohammed Al Maktoum, also a member of the Dubai ruling family, in 2023. The glamorous ceremony was featured in magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar Arabia and Grazia.
They had a daughter shortly after.
Pictures of her with her husband have now been removed from her account. There are no pictures of her on Sheikh Mana’s Instagram account either.
The princess has a visible public and social media presence, often attending red carpet events in Dubai and adorning the cover of regional magazines, an unusual practice for female royals.
She has almost half a million followers on Instagram, where she posts about her hobbies, love for horses and charity work.
Some Instagram users speculated whether her account had been hacked. Both the post and the account, however, remain active more than a day after the post went up. – CNN
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now