Dubai Princess Announces Triple Talaq Divorce on Instagram

Dubai princess Shaikha Mahra Mohammed Rashed Al Maktoum announced her divorce from her husband Sheikh Mana bin Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mana Al Maktoum on Instagram. The divorce announcement came just two months after the couple welcomed their first child.

In an Instagram post on July 16, the princess accused her husband of infidelity. She declared, “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.”

This method of divorce is known as “talaq-e-biddat” in Islamic law, where a husband pronounces “talaq” three times in one sitting to dissolve the marriage immediately. Traditionally, only men could pronounce talaq, while women could seek a divorce through a process called “khula.”

The princess’s post received numerous concerning messages from well-wishers. Observers also noticed that her account no longer featured pictures with her husband, and both had unfollowed each other on Instagram.

Shaikha Mahra and Sheikh Mana married in May 2023. Their daughter was born a year later. In June, Shaikha Mahra shared a cryptic Instagram post showing her cradling her baby with the caption, “Just the two of us.”

Shaikha Mahra Mohammed Rashed Al Maktoum is the daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the current ruler of Dubai and the vice president and prime minister of the UAE.