‘I Divorce You’: Dubai princess’s Instagram declaration defies custom

The daughter of the ruler of Dubai shared on Instagram that she plans to get a divorce. This announcement by Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum goes against the usual customs of her country and her father, who is also the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates.

"I am announcing our divorce," Mahra wrote, the daughter of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. "I am ending our marriage, I am ending our marriage, and I am ending our marriage. Take care. Your former wife."

In the blog, the princess mentioned the practice of saying "I divorce you" three times, which relates to the controversial practice of triple talaq. In Sunni Islamic law, triple talaq allows a Muslim man to end his marriage by repeating the word talaq three times. This can be done without giving a reason or getting the wife's consent.

In the UAE, marriage and divorce procedures for Muslim couples, and couples with one Muslim partner and one non-Muslim partner, are regulated by Islamic law, as explained on the government's website. Expatriate couples of different faiths can choose to divorce in their own country or ask the court to apply their country's laws in the UAE.

In Islamic law, women usually receive a dowry, known as mahr, from their spouse or their spouse's family when they get married. If a woman returns the mahr, she can then legally seek a divorce, which is called khula.

Mahra tied the knot with Sheikh Mana bin Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mana Al Maktoum, who belongs to the royal family of the UAE, in a lavish wedding last May. They recently celebrated the birth of their baby girl, born just under three months ago.

In her latest blog post on Wednesday, the princess hinted that her husband may have been cheating on her by mentioning that he was spending time with other people. Her decision to mention triple talaq was unexpected, as traditionally it is men who initiate this practice in Islamic law.

Mahra is definitely not the only female family member of Sheikh Mohammed who has spoken out against the usual customs of the emirate.

Sheikha Latifa, who is the sister of Princess Mahra and also a princess in the emirate, called her father a "serious criminal" and blamed him for imprisoning women who did not obey before she ran away from Dubai, as reported by the New Yorker in May. Despite the UAE Prime Minister promoting gender equality in his public and political work, especially when dealing with Western countries, Latifa saw Dubai as oppressive for women, even though she was the ruler's daughter.

There are at least two princesses from Dubai who tried to run away from their families by leaving the emirate, according to a report from The Washington Post in 2019.

Sheikh Mohammed was involved in a long and controversial custody dispute with his sixth wife, Princess Haya Bint Hussein, that spanned across international borders. Princess Haya sought refuge in Germany in 2019 and later went into hiding in London, citing fears for her safety after leaving her husband. The prime minister has a large family, with over 20 children from at least six different wives.

In the United Arab Emirates, it is against the law for a Muslim woman to marry a man who is not Muslim unless he can prove that he has converted to Islam. However, a Muslim man is allowed to marry a woman who is not Muslim and can have up to four wives, as long as he treats them all equally and provides them with equal support, as stated on the official government website.

Ever since Mahra made her statement, it seems like both she and Sheikh Mana have deleted all pictures of each other from their Instagram accounts.