A post by the Princess of Dubai, who apparently abandoned her cheating husband, to whom she has only been married for a year and just had their first child, caused an uproar in the Arab Emirates with a post on Instagram!
Alina Loi
Sheikha Mahra Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the 30-year-old daughter of Dubai's ruler, caused a stir in the Arab Emirates with a post on her official Instagram account where she appeared to announce the impending divorce from her husband, Mohammed Bin Rashid bin Mana Al Maktoum.
The post read: "Dear husband, as you are busy with other partners, I hereby declare our divorce. I separate you, I separate you and I separate you. Be careful. Your ex-wife."
The couple married about a year ago, in May 2023, and had a baby girl in May this year. Now, they appear to have unfollowed each other on social media and removed all the posts they appeared in together from their respective accounts.
The reason for the breakdown of their marriage, as Sheikha Mahra's post suggests, was her husband's infidelities.
There is still no official statement from the House of Maktoum, the royal family that rules Dubai and from which Sheikha Mahra originates.
Some even speculated that the princess's account could have been hacked.
On the other hand, many of the princess's followers applaud her rebellious, unconventional, post.
One social media user said: "I find it empowering when a woman recognizes her worth and confidently stands up to her."
Another said: "This is not the beginning of a new chapter in your life. This is the beginning of a new book. Congratulations."
In Islamic law, the practice of direct divorce is called "talaq-e-biddat," where the spouse pronounces "talaq" three times to immediately dissolve the marriage.
Traditionally, in many interpretations of Islamic law, only men could pronounce the talaq.
But in some jurisdictions, women may also include a clause in their marriage contract (nikahnama) that grants them the right to pronounce the talaq.
The term talaq is usually translated as "renunciation" or simply "divorce."
