Court Orders Dubai Ruler to Pay Ex-Wife and Kids $730 Million in Divorce Settlement

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has been ordered by a court to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in a divorce settlement that’s among the largest in British history.

Per an Associated Press report on the latest surrounding the divorce, a November ruling made public this week saw a High Court judge stating that the family—Princess Haya Bint Hussein and two children—was in need of “water-tight security.” Furthermore, the source of the family’s “main threat,” per the judge, was Sheikh Mohammed.

In 2019, Haya sought custody of the two children (ages 9 and 14) after heading for the UK. Haya said she was “terrified” of her husband, who is the Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai and the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates.

Per the British court, Sheikh Mohammed must pay 251.5 million pounds to Haya and make continuing payments for the two children guaranteed through a New York Times-reported security held by HSBC Bank in the amount of 290 million pounds. In totality, Sheikh Mohammed has been ordered to pay the equivalent of about $730 million.

In a prior ruling as part of a separate family court battle, a judge ruled that Sheikh Mohammed had given “express or implied authority” to carry out a spyware hacking on phones used by Princess Haya and her legal team.

“He has harassed and intimidated the mother both before her departure to England and since,” Judge Andrew Macfarlane was quoted as saying at the time. Elsewhere, Macfarlane argued that Sheikh Mohammed was “prepared to use the arm of the state” to his advantage.