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 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.
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”.
The Sheik, the ruler of Dubai, completed on December 2021 his divorce from Princess Haya, half-sister of the current King of Jordan. The settlement of £550m was described by the BBC as the biggest divorce case in British history.
Besides being Emir of Dubai, the Sheikh also serves as Prime Minister and Vice President of the country, posts he inherited from his father in 2006.
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, British national Russell Flowers, as reported by The Daily Mail.
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.
Culled from the Gaurdian
