$50M wedding to Instagram-divorce: What happened to Dubai's royal couple
What's the story
Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the daughter of Dubai's ruler, appears to have ended her marriage to Sheikh Mana bin Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mana Al Maktoum.
In a short post on Instagram, the princess accused her husband of infidelity, stating he was "busy with his other companions."
The announcement comes just over a year after their grand royal wedding and mere months following the birth of their first child.
Viral divorce
Princess's Instagram post garners massive attention
"Dear Husband, As you are occupied with other companions, I hereby declare our divorce. I divorce you, I divorce you, and I divorce you. Take care. Your ex-wife," her post read.
The couple tied the knot in April 2023 in a traditional Islamic ceremony known as Katb Al-Kitab and celebrated with an extravagant reception in Dubai the following month.
The wedding is reported to have cost a whooping $50 million dollars.
Family matters
Royal couple's brief marriage and first child
They welcomed their firstborn daughter, named Mahra after her mother, in May 2024.
However, signs of trouble surfaced when Sheikha Mahra posted a cryptic photo with her daughter captioned "just the two of us."
Sheikha Mahra's family and her husband have yet to make a statement, but, according to the Khaleej Times, both parties have unfollowed each other on social media and removed their wedding pictures.
Social response
Public reaction and legal implications of the divorce
Under Islamic law, women can only seek divorce unilaterally through a process known as "khula," not through triple talaq.
This entails a married woman filing a formal request with the court and establishing a valid reason for beginning divorce proceedings.
For Muslim husbands, divorce may be pronounced by declaring "Talaq" (the Arabic term translating to 'I divorce you') three times in one sitting.
Who is
Who is Sheikha Mahra
Sheikha Mahra is the daughter of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates.
She graduated from a London university in 2023 and is also an outspoken advocate for women's rights.
According to Grazia, her husband is involved in many ventures, including GCI Real Estate Development Company, MM Group of Companies, Dubai Tech, and AlBarada Trading.
He also served a year in the UAE Armed Forces-National Service.