Dubai ruler to pay ex-wife US$700 million in divorce settlement
Most of the eye-watering sum awarded to the half-sister of Jordan's King Abdullah II and the couple's two children is to safeguard their lifetime security
Princess Haya has landed a record US$700 million (£550 million ) divorce settlement from the ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum.
Most of the eye-watering sum awarded to the half-sister of Jordan’s King Abdullah II and the couple’s two children is to safeguard their lifetime security and not least to address the “grave risk” posed to them by the sheikh himself, High Court judge Philip Moor said.
Judge Moor added that Princess Haya is not asking for an award for herself other than for security and to compensate her for possessions she lost as a result of the couple’s marriage breakdown.
He directed Sheikh Mohammed to make a one-off payment of £252m within three months to maintain the princess’s British mansions, to cover money she said she was owed for jewellery and racehorses as well as her future security costs.
The sheikh, who is vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, was also told to provide £3m towards the education of Jalila, 14, and Zayed, 9, and £9.6m in arrears.
However, the total amount they receive could be more or less depending on several factors, including how long they live or if they reconcile with their father.
The award comes after Princess Haya fled the United Arab Emirates for England in early 2019 with her two children, claiming she was “terrified” of her husband.
The total award is believed to be the largest ever ordered by an English court following a divorce, surpassing the approximately £450m awarded to Russian native Tatiana Akhmedova in 2016.
Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Image: Getty)
Once both children have finished university, Princess Haya will then receive a security budget of £5.5m per year for the rest of her life – with both children then receiving similar sums.
The multimillion-pound security budget comes after Sir Andrew McFarlane – the most senior family judge in England and Wales – found that Sheikh Mohammed had authorised the hacking of Princess Haya’s phone during their legal battle.
In a series of judgments in October, Sir Andrew found that the ruler gave his “express or implied authority” for Princess Haya and her lawyers’ phones to be infiltrated with the Pegasus spyware.
Sheikh Mohammed denied any knowledge of the hacking.
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