Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum (born 1985) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum |
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Sheikha Latifa in January 2018
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| Born | 5 December 1985 Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
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| House | Al Falasi | ||||
| Father | Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum | ||||
| Mother | Huriah Ahmed al M'aash | ||||
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| Styles of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum |
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| Reference style | Her Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Highness |
Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Arabic: لطيفة بنت محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم, romanized: Laṭīfa bint Muḥammad bin Rāshid al-Maktūm; born 5 December 1985) is a princess from Dubai. She is a member of the ruling family of Dubai. Her father is Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is the Prime Minister of the UAE. Her mother is Huriah Ahmed al M'aash from Algeria.
Sheikha Latifa has two half-sisters who share her name. Her full siblings are Sheikha Maitha (born 1980), Sheikha Shamsa (born 1981), and Sheikh Majid (born 1987).
In February 2018, Sheikha Latifa tried to leave Dubai. She was brought back from international waters near India in March 2018. The Dubai royal court later stated she was back in Dubai. Many believed she was held against her will by her father. In June 2021, a statement said she was free to travel and wanted privacy. By August 2021, after public appearances, the #FreeLatifa campaign ended. In February 2022, a UN official confirmed she was well and desired privacy.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sheikha Latifa is one of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's children. Her mother is Huriah Ahmed al M’aash.
She once shared that she and her brother Sheikh Majid grew up with their aunt. She attended the Dubai English Speaking School and the International School of Choueifat. She also spent a year at the Latifa School for Girls. Sheikha Latifa is a skilled skydiver. She was coached by Stefania Martinengo, a former world champion.
In 2002, when she was 16, Sheikha Latifa tried to escape for the first time. She was caught at the Emirati-Omani border. After this, she was held for over three years. She later said she was kept alone and treated very harshly during her arrest.
Her 2018 Escape Attempt
On 24 February 2018, Sheikha Latifa and her friend Tiina Jauhiainen from Finland left Dubai. They traveled by car to Oman. From Oman, they used jet skis to reach a yacht called Nostromo. On the yacht were Hervé Jaubert, a French-American citizen, and his crew. Two days later, Latifa contacted Radha Stirling of Detained in Dubai. She told Stirling she had left Dubai. She also posted messages on her Instagram account.
On 3 March 2018, Jaubert spoke with an Indian journalist. The next day, Sheikha Latifa, Jaubert, Jauhiainen, and three Filipino crew members were stopped. This happened near Goa, India, on the yacht Nostromo. An investigation later found that a special phone system was used to find Jaubert's phone. Another investigation showed the FBI helped the UAE find the yacht.
On 9 March 2018, the Daily Mail newspaper reported that Nostromo and its passengers were missing. This happened after Latifa's representatives contacted them.
Before her escape attempt, Latifa made a 39-minute video. She wanted it released if her life was in danger. This video was made public on 11 March 2018. In the video, recorded at Jauhiainen's apartment, she explained her family background. She also talked about why she decided to flee. She accused her father of mistreating her and her sister Shamsa.
The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation confirmed Jauhiainen's disappearance. They started an investigation with the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Jauhiainen's brother confirmed her friendship with Sheikha Latifa.
On 20 March 2018, Nostromo was seen at the port of Fujairah in the UAE. It left the next day for Sri Lanka. The released crew, including Jaubert and the three Filipinos, were on board. Nostromo arrived in Galle, Sri Lanka, on 2 April 2018.
On 22 March 2018, Sheikha Latifa's friend Jauhiainen was found. The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs then stopped its search. Jauhiainen's family said she returned to Finland from Dubai that night.
According to Detained in Dubai, several people were held or questioned. This happened in the UAE and Oman because of the event. Christian Elombo, a French citizen, was held in Oman for over a month. He was released without charges. Then he was held again in Luxembourg based on an Interpol Red Notice from the UAE. This notice was later removed.
Stopping the Yacht Nostromo
The crew said that the yacht was being searched for by an Indian Coast Guard aircraft on 3 March 2018. On the day it was stopped, another aircraft scouted the yacht. Before the raid on 4 March 2018, three marine vessels were seen following Nostromo. Two were identified as ICGS Shoor and ICGS Samarth.
After sunset, two unmarked speedboats launched from these ships. They carried six to eight armed Indian MARCOS Special Forces. They used stun and smoke grenades to confuse the crew. The crew was then handcuffed. After the Indian Coast Guard took over, at least ten Emirati special forces boarded the yacht. They arrived by helicopter. Sheikha Latifa asked for asylum from the Indian personnel. She clearly did not want to go back to the UAE. However, she was forcefully taken onto one of the ships. Nostromo and the rest of the crew were taken to a naval base in Fujairah. They were escorted by the Indian Coast Guard and then moved to a UAE warship called Baynunah.
Radha Stirling said she received a final voice message from Latifa during the raid. Latifa sounded panicked and said, "Radha please help me, there are men outside." She also said she heard "gunshots." Other attempts to communicate from the yacht failed. This was possibly due to jamming from an Indian electronic warfare aircraft.
In total, at least three Indian and two Emirati warships, two military planes, and a helicopter were involved in the raid. This happened about 50 miles off the coast of Goa.
News and Aftermath
After the yacht Nostromo disappeared, news first appeared in English and Finnish newspapers. Awareness campaigns were also run on social media. Jauhiainen and Jaubert spoke publicly about the incident in London. This happened despite alleged threats from the UAE government to keep silent.
After a period of silence from Gulf media, Western media reported the UAE's first reaction. An anonymous source close to the Dubai government said Sheikha Latifa had been "brought back." The source added she was "with her family" and "doing excellent." They also claimed the incident was a "private matter" used to "tarnish the reputation of Dubai." In May 2018, Human Rights Watch questioned Dubai's story. They asked Dubai to reveal her location. They said not telling her whereabouts could be an enforced disappearance. Dubai authorities said they could not comment for legal reasons. The UN OHCHR asked India and the UAE for answers.
Ad-Diyaar, an Arab newspaper, also published calls from Human Rights Watch. They raised concerns that Sheikha Latifa was forcibly hidden. Support groups also raised awareness at the 2018 Kentucky Derby. They flew a banner saying "DUBAI, WHERE IS PRINCESS LATIFA?".
The UAE-controlled media started reporting a lot about the social activities of her half-sister. This sister has the same name and is Vice Chairman of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority. Many news outlets mistakenly reported that show jumper Sheikha Latifah bint Ahmed bin Juma Al Maktoum was missing. This was due to the similar names.
The Indian government was criticized for its actions. Critics said it ignored proper legal processes. Indian media reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was directly involved. He reportedly gave orders for the interception at the request of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. An Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson said, "No such incident has been brought to our notice." An Indian Coast Guard official also said they had "no such information or operation." Indian Intelligence agencies said they were trying to check the claims. On 2 January 2019, an Indian Minister denied any involvement.
Similarly, the Finnish government was criticized. They were questioned for not raising concerns about a human rights violation of one of their citizens. The Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs responded. He said Finland had been talking with UAE and Indian officials about the issue.
Amnesty International asked the UAE government to reveal Sheikha Latifa's location. They also called on the Indian government to investigate its role in the raid.
On 6 December 2018, the BBC Two documentary Escape from Dubai: The Mystery of the Missing Princess was released. This led to the first official response from the Dubai royal court. They issued a short statement saying Latifa was safe at home. The documentary covered her escape attempt. It also looked into a similar attempt by her sister Shamsa in 2000. In January 2019, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's wife, Princess Haya al-Hussein of Jordan, spoke in defense of Dubai's actions. Later, human rights campaigners asked Princess Haya to speak out about Latifa's situation.
The matter was sent to the United Nations special rapporteur. This was done by Guernica 37, a law firm. A UN working group leader wrote to Dubai's royal family. He asked for proof that Latifa was alive and why she was held.
In February 2021, a UN investigation found that the princess was exchanged for a British arms dealer.
Meeting with Mary Robinson
On 24 December 2018, three photos were released by UAE authorities. They showed Sheikha Latifa with Mary Robinson. Robinson is a former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The meeting was arranged by one of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's wives, Princess Haya. Robinson described Latifa as a "troubled young woman." She said Latifa regretted making the earlier video and was getting psychiatric care. Rights groups criticized these comments. They said Robinson was repeating Dubai's official story. Human rights groups and Latifa's friends questioned the visit. They asked for an independent check of her situation. Robinson later told the BBC she had been "horribly tricked."
David Haigh and Marcus Essabri, Latifa's cousin, said Latifa seemed to be forcibly medicated. They believed she was held in Dubai under her father's orders.
UK Court Findings
In December 2019, a UK family court made a ruling. The court found it likely that Sheikh Mohammed planned the abductions of Sheikha Latifa and Sheikha Shamsa. It also found he intimidated Princess Haya. These findings were made public in March 2020.
2021 Documentary and UN Response
Human Rights Lawyer David Haigh and Tiina Jauhiainen secretly re-established contact with Latifa in April 2019. She was held in a private villa in Dubai. They received text and video messages from her. This communication stopped on 21 July 2020.
In February 2021, the secret footage was shown in a BBC program called Panorama. Sheikha Latifa described fighting soldiers who took her off the boat. She said she was tranquilized and carried onto a private jet to Dubai. The United Nations human rights office asked the UAE for proof that Princess Latifa was alive. Two months later, the UN said the UAE claimed Latifa was cared for by her family. However, the UAE did not provide "proof of life." The UAE agreed to a meeting about Sheikha Latifa with UN officials. On 21 April, UN advisers said they were "alarmed" that the UAE had not given concrete information. They said the UAE's statement was not enough.
2021 Public Appearances
On 22 May 2021, a photo appeared online. It seemed to show Princess Latifa alive. The photo was shared on two public Instagram accounts. It appeared to be taken in a Dubai shopping mall, the Mall of the Emirates. She was seen sitting with two other women. A friend of Latifa's confirmed it was the princess. Sources said the women who posted the photos were paid to do so. Some human rights activists asked the UK government for help.
The next month, in June 2021, more pictures of Latifa were posted. These were taken at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport. They were posted by Sioned Taylor, who also posted the mall photos. Taylor said they were on a "Great European holiday with Latifa." David Haigh, from the Free Latifa campaign, was happy to see Latifa traveling. He confirmed that Latifa had contacted several campaign members herself.
End of #FreeLatifa Campaign
In August 2021, the #FreeLatifa campaign ended. This happened after Latifa was photographed in public places in Dubai, Spain, and Iceland. The campaign had lasted three and a half years. Human rights lawyer David Haigh, Latifa's cousin Marcus Essabri, and Sioned Taylor observed her well-being. They described her situation as "the best position she has been in, in terms of freedom for two decades." David Haigh encouraged caution. He said everyone should watch the situation closely.
See also
- List of solved missing person cases
- Radha Stirling
- Hervé Jaubert
- David Haigh
Images for kids
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Indian Coast Guard Offshore patrol vessel ICGS Samarth
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UAE Navy Baynunah-class corvette
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Banner flown at the 2018 Kentucky Derby
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Banner flown at the 2018 Kentucky Derby
