UK court orders emir of Dubai to pay $ 725 million to his ex-wife and children

The sovereign of Dubai, Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, was sentenced on Tuesday by the British courts to pay his ex-wife and their children about 550 million pounds (about 725 million dollars), in what is considered the highest divorce compensation awarded by an English court.

Judge Philip Moor ordered the 72-year-old leader to pay some 251.5 million pounds ($ 340 million) to his sixth wife, 47-year-old Princess Haya of Jordan, and 290 million pounds ($ 385 million) to cover the child support, ages 9 and 14, as well as other expenses, including security, according to the sentence released on this day.

“Taking into account their position and the general threats of terrorism and kidnapping that they face in such circumstances, it is considered that they are particularly vulnerable and need guarantees of greater security in this country”said Judge Moor in delivering his verdict.

Adding that “The main threat they face comes from the (ruler) himself, and not from external sources”.

The Superior Court had determined last October that Mohamed bin Rashed al Maktoum He authorized the hacking of his wife’s phone and those of his British lawyers.

It was not proven that such piracy was linked to the legal battle in the United Kingdom between his wife and him, who wants to obtain the return of his two children to Dubai; But a “very important” volume of data was extracted from the princess’ mobile, about 265 megabytes – the equivalent of 24 hours of voice recording or 500 photographs.

The magistrate stressed that the sovereign had “harassed and intimidated the mother (of his children) before their departure for England and since their arrival”, and what was “Willing to tolerate those acting on their behalf in the UK doing so illegally”.

The financial compensation measures agreed on Tuesday are among the most important so far granted in the framework of a divorce agreement before the British court since the case of the ex-wife of Russian billionaire Farjad Ajmedov, Tatiana Ajmedova.

At the end of 2016, justice had awarded Ajmedova 41% of her ex-husband’s fortune, which represents 453 million pounds, or 531 million euros (almost 600 million dollars) at the current exchange rate.

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