The acrimonious child custody battle that led ex-wife of Dubai ruler’s nephew being ‘abducted by cops

Divorce proceedings and children’s custody battles can be difficult and in many situations be acrimonious. Ask Zeynab Javadli, the former wife of the nephew of the ruler of Dubai. The ex-wife of Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, nephew of the Emir of Dubai, has been ‘abducted’ along with her three children by the emirate’s police.

Why?

Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum alleged that she abducted the children during a court-approved visitation session.

What’s the story behind it all?

Zeynab Javadli and the tale of the acrimonious divorce

An Azerbaijani former rhythmic gymnast, Javadli married Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the nephew of the Emir of Dubai, in 2015. The couple divorced in 2019 and became involved in a custody dispute over their three daughters. In the following months, the children changed hands between the parents several times, with each accusing the other of kidnapping them.

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In court, lawyers for Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum claimed that she was an unfit mother who had failed to send her daughters to school, was living in a place unsuitable for the children when she was in a hotel, and that she had put the health of the youngest girl at risk.

Javadli's human rights lawyer David Haigh says Dubai Police carried out that threat in a night raid on her home. Image Courtesy: Zeynab Javadli/Instagram

According to her lawyer, David Haigh, Javadli then came to an agreement with the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2022. As per this understanding, Javadli would have custody of the children until they were 18 years old, as well as a house and other assistance. Their schooling would be paid for by their father.

In return, David Haigh says she had to sign papers saying that she would — among other things — not speak to the media again about her situation, nor would she do any more livestreaming.

However, a subsequent court ruling granted custody to Sheikh Saeed, but Javadli noted that she received assurances from those involved in her case that the deal with Dubai’s ruler would not be affected.

In 2022, the situation became so tenuous that Javadli even approached the United Nations Human Rights Council, urging the agency to work with UAE authorities to safeguard her and her children’s safety.

Last September, during one of the regular visitations of the children with Sheikh Saeed, Javadli said she received a message from him through Dubai police telling her there was no need to wait as they would not be returned to her that day.

Javadli’s lawyer Haigh earlier told the Daily Mail that she was then granted a three-hour visit at a child protection centre on November 8. Haigh added that the children pleaded with Javadli to take them away.

“Saeed’s staff tried to block her car but she livestreamed what was happening and escaped with them. The ruling family don't like bad publicity.”

In livestreaming, she risked breaking the deal she had signed with the authorities in the UAE and that she could face arrest for doing so. Since then, they have all been at home together, with Javadli not even stepping out for fear of arrest. Moreover, the three girls — aged nine, seven and six — have not been going to school.

Javadli and children ‘abducted’ by Dubai police

A new twist emerged in the matter on Tuesday when Haigh complained that he had lost contact with Javadli. He even told the BBC that her home in Dubai was locked and empty. Javadli’s mother - who had just arrived in Dubai for a visit – had gone to her house and found it empty, with the locks changed.

Haigh even told the Daily Mail, “I have stood by Zeynab’s side for many years. Whilst we always hoped, desperately hoped, that she would be allowed to live in peace with her children in Dubai, we also knew the day might come when she disappeared, abducted by the Dubai authorities, taken hostage like so many women in Dubai’s royal family before her.”

After this statement, the Dubai Public Prosecution told the BBC that Javadli was detained following a complaint made by the father of her three children.

Javadli pictured with her three daughters in April 2022. Image Courtesy: Zeynab Javadli/Instagram

It added that the matter remained under investigation and was subject to ongoing legal proceedings. “[We] will continue to take the necessary legal measures in accordance with applicable laws, while safeguarding the children’s wellbeing and best interests,” it added.

In turn, Haigh has asked the authorities to grant Javadli access to her lawyer, her consulate and her family and be released back to her home in Dubai.

Notably, this is not the first time officials rushed into Javadli’s house. Last year, her home was similarly raided, and she went live on social media, showing the whole world that she and her children were under siege, subjected to harassment and pressure.

The troubling scandals of the Dubai princesses

Zavadli’s case is yet another scandal that has hit the Dubai royal family. In February 2018, Princess Latifa — daughter of Dubai ruler and UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al-Maktoum — attempted to escape the UAE with the help of her Finnish capoeira instructor Tiina Jauhiainen and former French Navy officer Hervé Jaubert. She was caught by Indian Coast Guard a little over a week after her attempt and was allegedly forced to return to her father’s home.

Princess Latifa has not been seen in public since December 2018, when she was photographed with former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and former President Ireland Mary Robinson. Activists dubbed the photo-op as a PR stunt by the Dubai’s ruler.

There is also the matter of Sheikh Mohammed's ex-wife, Princess Haya. She fled the United Arab Emirates six years ago claiming she feared for her life. She later won custody of their two daughters at a high court hearing in London.

With inputs from agencies