Encore: Dubai's Missing Princesses I Part 2

Summary

Infamous Podcast Summary: “Encore: Dubai's Missing Princesses I Part 2”

Episode Details

• Title: Encore: Dubai's Missing Princesses I Part 2
• Release Date: February 6, 2025
• Hosts: Vanessa Grigoriadas, Gabriel Sherman, Natalie Robehmed
• Production: Campside Media & Sony Music Entertainment

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Introduction

In this gripping second part of the “Dubai's Missing Princesses” series, Vanessa Gregoriadas and Natalie Robomed delve deeper into the harrowing escape attempt of Princess Latifa from Dubai. Building on the foundation laid in the previous episode, the hosts provide an intricate narrative of courage, betrayal, and international intrigue surrounding one of the Arab world's most controversial figures.

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Background: Tina Yauhiainen and Herve Joubert

Tina Yauhiainen:
Tina Yauhiainen, a Finnish Capra instructor, found herself entangled in Dubai's royal complexities while teaching Sheikha Latifa. Originally in Dubai for its high standard of living, Tina's life took a dramatic turn when she became instrumental in Latifa's escape plan.

Herve Joubert:
*Herve Joubert, a submarine engineer working for Dubai World's government-owned conglomerate, became a pivotal figure in the escape. Allegedly facing embezzlement charges, Joubert's past was shrouded in controversy. He later claimed, "Heve was cunning. He dressed like an Emirati woman in a long black robe called an abaya, which covered him from head to toe" (01:47).

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The Escape Plan

Planning the Break:
In February 2018, at La Sere café in downtown Dubai, Latifa and Tina initiated their daring escape. Vanessa paints a vivid picture: “Women with designer handbags sipping lattes, men in their traditional white robes, dishes dashes in Arabic...” (03:02).

Journey to Muscat and the Yacht Nostromo:
Leaving behind her cell phone, Latifa and Tina drove to Muscat, Oman, before boarding the yacht Nostromo, piloted by Herve Joubert. The yacht, named after the spaceship from the movie "Alien," symbolized their hope for freedom (05:07).

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Challenges at Sea

Pursuit and Interception:
As they sailed towards India, their boat was relentlessly followed. "We had been followed by a small boat for three days," recalls Herve Joubert (09:04). The tension peaked when Indian commandos began intercepting them, leading to chaotic confrontations on the deck.

Capture and Interrogation:
Princess Latifa was forcibly taken by Indian special forces while Tina was left to face intense interrogation. Tina was accused of being part of an elaborate kidnapping plot: "They were trying to find out was the bigger plan who was behind it all" (13:16).

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Latifa's Viral Video

The Recorded Plea:
Anticipating potential capture, Latifa had secretly recorded a video detailing her plight. This footage became a crucial piece of evidence that later went viral, capturing global attention. Louise Callaghan, Middle East correspondent for the Sunday Times of London, shared her reaction: “If you are watching this video, it's not such a good thing..." (15:35).

Global Impact:
The video spurred international outrage, with the United Nations demanding proof of Latifa's well-being. Public demonstrations, like the banner over the 2018 Kentucky Derby, amplified the call: “Dubai, where is Princess Latifa now?” (19:10).

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Conflicting Narratives and Aftermath

Allegations of Extortion:
In May 2018, Delhi Beast published an article alleging that Latifa's escape was a staged extortion scheme orchestrated by Joubert. These claims, however, were vehemently denied by Joubert: “Why would you give credit to a former bitter ex-wife who knew nothing about this operation?” (20:26).

Sheikh Mohammed's Silence:
Throughout the ordeal, Sheikh Mohammed remained predominantly silent, a strategic move that only fueled speculation and mistrust among the international community. The lack of transparent communication from the royal family intensified global skepticism regarding Latifa's fate (22:19).

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Notable Quotes

• Herve Joubert on the Journey:
  “The sea was really rough at that time, so it's definitely a journey I'm not going to forget ever.” (04:53)

• Princess Latifa's Final Message:
  “I think it's time that he faces the consequences of all the things that he's done in his life. He will, he will definitely face the consequences no matter what he does to me.” (17:28)

• Louise Callaghan on Latifa's Video:
  “He's the most evil person I've ever met in my life.” (15:35)

• Louise Callaghan on the Royal Family's Response:
  “The idea of someone in the family coming out and saying something like this, it was just unimaginable completely.” (16:56)

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Conclusion and Teaser for Next Episode

The episode concludes with unresolved tensions and unanswered questions about Princess Latifa's ultimate fate. The tangled web of international politics, personal vendettas, and the fight for freedom leaves listeners eager for the next installment. Vanessa hints at deeper revelations to come: “Next week on Infamous, she's troubled” (22:14).

---

Production Credits

This episode of Infamous was created and executive produced by Gabriel Sherman and Vanessa Grigoriadas, with contributions from Natalie Robomed, Heather Schwering, Natalia Winkelman, Lily Houston Smith, Grace Heuerman, and others. The production team meticulously fact-checked the series to ensure accuracy and depth in storytelling.

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Stay Connected

To explore more behind-the-scenes content and connect with the Infamous creative team, join the community at Campsidemedia.com/join. For advertising opportunities, contact [e-mail].

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This summary captures the essence of the episode, highlighting key events, personal accounts, and the intricate dynamics surrounding Princess Latifa's escape attempt. Notable quotes provide authenticity and depth, offering listeners a comprehensive overview without needing to tune in.

Transcript

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[Natalie Robomed]

Campsite Media August 2017. Tina Yauhiainen was standing in a hotel lobby in the Philippines. It's hot, humid, the kind of weather that makes your shirt stick to your back. Tina was probably thinking, what am I doing here? She was just a Finnish Capra instructor who was in Dubai for its good standard of living. Then she taught Sheikha Latifa. And now that Princess needed her help.

[Herve Joubert]

She basically told me that there is a person outside Dubai who is ready to take care of the operation to help her leave. It was quite a strange moment.

[Natalie Robomed]

Herve Joubert had been working in Dubai making submarines. The business he worked for was a subsidiary of a government owned conglomerate called Dubai World. But Joubert had problems with this company. They would allege he embezzled and he would deny that. And so he, he escaped.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

Oh.

[Natalie Robomed]

Also, Gerbert claims he was once a French spy. In a book he wrote about his adventures. Escape from Dubai. He says for his own departure from the country, he was cunning. He dressed like an Emirati woman in a long black robe called an abaya, which covered him from head to toe. He pulled a thin black veil over his face. Using these clothes to hide wasn't unheard of. I mean, Michael Jackson did it. When he visited Dubai, someone spotted him in the women's bathroom with a headscarf on. And it was a whole thing. A veil was the best way to go around Dubai without being questioned or even addressed by another person. It was like being invisible, because if you're in a veil, you're a woman. And in some of the Arab world, that means no one cares about what you have to say. From Campside Media and Sony Music Entertainment, this is infamous.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

I'm Vanessa Gregoriadas.

[Natalie Robomed]

And I'm Natalie Robomed.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

This is Dubai's Missing Princesses, Episode two. So last episode we heard all about Princess Latifa and her sister Shamsa, who had tried to run away years before Latifa.

[Natalie Robomed]

Right. That seems to have had a really big impact on Latifa. I think the fallout from Shamsa's escape was the catalyst for Latifa's own escape.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

Yeah, it does seem that way. And now we're gonna hear exactly how Latifa escaped. And it's mostly from Tina's perspective. We'll hear what happened after she ran away. So it all began in February 2018, at a cafe in Dubai called La Sere. It's in downtown Dubai, spitting distance from the tallest building in the world. Early one morning, a royal driver drops Latifa and Tina off for breakfast. I can picture the scene around them. Women with designer handbags sipping lattes, men in their traditional white robes, dish dashes in Arabic. They're chatting over espressos. First, Latifa strode to the bathroom. She took off her black abaya, applied makeup and put on sunglasses. As they departed, Latifa left her cell phone behind. She and Tina headed to Muscat, the coastal capital of Oman. It's about a four and a half hour drive. On the way, they took some selfies. Then they pulled into the beach. There was a dinghy there that had been waiting for them and they climbed in. Tina's friend and a personal trainer, he drove the dinghy. They went out about 15 miles into the turquoise sea. Jover was there. He was waiting with a pair of jet skis.

[Herve Joubert]

The sea was really rough at that time, so it's definitely a journey I'm not going to forget ever. You know, being in the middle of the sea. The sun was starting to go down.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

Several miles later, they reached a yacht that Joubert was piloting. It was named the Nostromo. That's Italian for shipmate and it's a very popular name for boats. It's also the name of the spaceship in the movie Alien. In 2122, the USCSS Nostromo was on a routine transport run when it picked up a signal of unknown origin in the Zeta Reticuli system. This Nostromo was a white yacht with a navy blue hull and two large masts. Not quite the superyacht that Latifah's father owns. Latifa climbed on board. She was determined to make it out. This time. She was not going to be like Shamsa. She was going to get to safety. And her plan? She was going to the grand city on a hill, the place of freedom. The place where Natalie and I both live, the United States. So they set out across the Arabian Sea. They watched movies, sent messages to friends. But were those messages secure? By now, Lateefa knew her father would have discovered she was gone. And she worried about what he might do. She got even more worried when they lost touch with the guy who piloted the dinghy. So Latifa sent a very important message one the that might save her life. That's after the break.

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[Herve Joubert]

You're listening to Infamous from Campside Media.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

So Latifah and Tina were on this boat on their way to America, but sailing towards India. But they weren't alone.

[Herve Joubert]

There was some sort of small plane circling around us. We had been followed by a small boat for three days. The atmosphere in the boat was obviously quite tense.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

It turned out that Sheik Mo's office had reportedly gotten in touch with an FBI agent at the US Consulate in Dubai. According to USA Today, he asked for their help in locating Latifa. He told them the princess had been kidnapped and she needed urgent assistance. So this FBI agent pulled data from the boat's Internet provider and they gave it to Dubai officials. At this time, the UAE government was also believed to be a client of the NSO Group, a cyber intelligence technology firm and creators of a spyware tool called Pegasus, which can secretly hack and extract data from people's phones. At this point, Latifa and Tina were off the coast of Goa. That's a resort town in India that's very popular with young people, full of dance clubs. This whole life that Latifa wanted was almost there to touch. But for now, Tina and Latifa were still below deck in their room. Then they heard a noise.

[Herve Joubert]

We heard what sounded like gunshots from the upper deck.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

The cabin began filling with smoke and they could barely see anything. They struggled up the stairs to the deck. They were staggering from coughing so hard.

[Herve Joubert]

Finally saw was there Indian commandos dressed in black gear. Honestly, I had multiple laser sights pointing at me. It was unreal. I sort of switched off. It's almost like I wasn't there anymore.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

It.

[Herve Joubert]

It was beyond understanding what was happening. You know, we were so close to India, and all of a sudden the boat is filled with these very aggressive men who are threatening to shoot my brain out. They are obviously looking for Latifah.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

These men were from the Indian special Forces. One of them boarded the boat, tied Tina's hands behind her back and dragged her to the deck. The men kept shouting, asking who Latifah was, and Latifa just kept repeating over and over, I am seeking political asylum. I am seeking political asylum. But the men just dragged her away, kicking and screaming. Tina heard her say something.

[Herve Joubert]

She was telling them to rather shoot her there than take her back to Dubai.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

Tina watched on in fear as Latifa was carried away by the men. Guards looted the boat, taking electronics and even Tina's makeup.

[Herve Joubert]

I was told that I could jump off the boat as well if I wanted to end my life in an easier way.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

Tina was left on the Nostromo with the crew. And the guy who had coordinated this entire escape, Herve Giobert Gilbert, by the way, responded to some questions from us, but declined to be interviewed for this series. At some point, Tina says she noticed there were UAE soldiers on the boat. It seemed to her that India was allowing them to be here, just turning a blind eye. An Indian news outlet even reported that Shekmo had called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the situation. The two countries had a relationship. I mean, India had many, many citizens working in Dubai, building all those huge skyscrapers. Tina says that the UAE soldiers had access to two large helicopters. And now Latifa was getting hustled away. The helicopters disappeared into the air. The Nostromo began to move. Once the boat reached the uae, Tina says she and the rest of the crew were blindfolded, cuffed and transported to the middle of the desert. There was a secret prison there. The interrogation began immediately.

[Herve Joubert]

I was asked, why did I stab the ruler of Dubai in the back? By aiding his daughter to escape Dubai, I was basically threatened with death penalty or life sentence.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

As the men pressed Tina, she had the sense that these men thought it was all a plot. She was somehow involved in kidnapping Latifa to extort money from Sheikh Mohammed.

[Herve Joubert]

They were trying to find out was the bigger plan who was behind it all, you know, so whenever I said all I wanted to do is to help my friend to lead an independent life outside Dubai, they were just laughing and they said, you are lying. And because of your lies, we are going to kill you or you're never going to see your family again.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

The interrogators questioned Tina for hours that night, and then again for days. She was being treated like an accomplice.

[Herve Joubert]

I was thinking, I should have told my family, I should have told some of my friends. At one point I thought, I'm never going to get out from here.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

And she might not have if it wasn't for a very clear, clever trick by Latifah. Before she'd escaped, Latifah had recorded a video of herself. She was in Tina's apartment telling her entire story to the camera. So the audio you've been hearing from Latifa, that's where we got it. But the world hadn't seen this video yet.

[Louise Callaghan]

He's the most evil person I've ever met in my life.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

While she was on the boat, Latifa got the video into the hands of a group that aimed to help people who had been wrongly imprisoned.

[Jonathan Van Ness]

I'm sure all your listeners have got emails from Major General whatever it may be in Nigeria, who's got £60 million in a bank account somewhere and needs your bank account details.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

David Hague is a businessman turned human rights advocate.

[Jonathan Van Ness]

It was similar to that. It was, I am the daughter of the ruler of Dubai and I've escaped and I need your help. And I remember talking to a colleague at the time when this email came through and saying, this is a hoax, this can't be real.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

And now this video was on YouTube. It was visible to the entire world and the world noticed.

[Louise Callaghan]

My name is Louise Callaghan and I'm the Middle east correspondent for the Sunday Times of London.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

Louise was in a cafe in Beirut when she clicked on the video.

[Louise Callaghan]

If you are watching this video, it's not such a good thing. I remember I was watching it on my phone and at first I just thought it was a hoax. All my father cares about is his reputation. He will kill people. Especially if you're a female. Your life is so disposable, they don't care. Royal families, particularly in the Arab world, are not interested in having people poke about in their personal affairs. The idea of someone in the family coming out and saying something like this, it was just unimaginable completely. We'd never heard anything like that before.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

In her video, Latifa warned that her father would try to discredit her. She made it clear that she is actually just one of three of the Sheikh's daughters who are named Latifa, and that the royal family might point to one of her other sisters and say, see, Latifa is fine.

[Louise Callaghan]

And I think to be honest, to me, that really speaks to, to how some of the women in the family are seen. They could be kind of interchangeable.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

Louise watched glued to her screen.

[Louise Callaghan]

The impression that I got is that she just sounds desperate to be believed, but she really sounds like she's been gaslit for just an incredibly long time and is trying to forestall the claims that her family is going to make about her when she escapes or when the video comes out.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

Before turning off the recording, Latifah had a final message for her father.

[Louise Callaghan]

I think it's time that he faces the consequences of all the things that he's done in his life. He will, he will definitely face the consequences no matter what he does to me.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

Look. When Shamsa escaped, it was so long ago. Turn of the 21st century. Cell phones with cameras weren't readily available. The Internet was in its infancy. There was no Twitter or Facebook. Not that many people even heard what happened with Shamsa. But this time would be different. More after the.

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[Herve Joubert]

This.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

Is infamous from Campside Media. So that video that Latifah made, it went viral. It made news across the world.

[Louise Callaghan]

More details started coming out then. I think the reaction was just one of absolute shock. The idea that he, he could have done this, that Sheikh Mohammed ordered a bunch of Emirati commandos and Indian commandos to go and pluck her right off it and then just brought her home.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

Soon a UN committee demanded something. They wanted Dubai to prove that Latifa was alive. And some of Latifa's skydiving friends even flew a banner over the 2018 Kentucky Derby. It said, dubai, where is Princess Latifa now? Tina and the rest of the crew members were released from jail, but Latifa hadn't been heard from. The whole situation was really confusing. Many in the Arab world couldn't believe that the sheik would treat his own daughter with such apparent cruelty. And it didn't help that rumors started circulating about the captain of the yacht, Herve Joubert.

[Herve Joubert]

He did not have a proper plan. You know, there was a boat following us. There was all those planes above us. So by the time we were just off the coast of Goa, India, we had also run out of fuel.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

In May 2018, the Delhi Beast ran an article that claimed claimed that Latifah's escape was a highly orchestrated extortion plot between Latifah and Joubert. The story's only on the record source Herve's ex wife. The whole plan was for Herve to help her escape. And once he got her out, the daughter was gonna get to the dad and say, I want $3 million or else I'll tell all. To the media it was a con. It was a corrupt scheme gone haywire. By the way, this has never been proven. And Chobert denied all the allegations in the article and to us this is what he said. Why would you give credit to a former bitter ex wife who knew nothing about this operation? This ransom demand has been refuted in high court already and it does not make sense. Latifa did not want to go back, so ransom for what? For her to be returned? Nonsense.

[Herve Joubert]

He was assuring us that he was capable of getting her into safety. But none of that obviously happened.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

Louise remembers there were so many different stories swirling.

[Louise Callaghan]

There's been this kind of constant battle of narratives going on between Ave and other people around Latifa.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

But Sheikmo, through the whole ordeal, was silent. And remember, he didn't respond to our questions either.

[Louise Callaghan]

The initial response was nothing from the royal family at first. They just didn't say anything at all.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

But Sheik Mo wouldn't stay silent forever, or at least an emissary of his would speak out. And then this story would take an even stranger turn. Next week on Infamous, she's troubled.

[Louise Callaghan]

She made a video that she now regrets.

[Jonathan Van Ness]

If I should for a single second.

[Louise Callaghan]

That any shred of this was true.

[Jonathan Van Ness]

I wouldn't put up with it or stand for it.

[Louise Callaghan]

It was all a setup. They tricked me.

[Vanessa Gregoriadas]

Infamous is created and executive produced by Gabriel Sherman and me, Vanessa Grigoriaves. This episode was co hosted by Natalie Rovomad who wrote it with Heather Schwering, producing by Heather Schuring, Natalia Winkelman, Lily Houston Smith and Grace Heuerman. Princess Latifah and Sheikh Mohammed did not comment for this series. Shoshi Shmulovitz is our managing producer and editor. Sound design by David Devereaux, recording by Ewan Lai Tremuin and fact checking by Matt Giles, voices by Rajeev Gola and Lily Houston Smith. Campside Media's executive producers are Josh Dean, Adam Hoff, Matt Sher and myself. Campside Media's operations team is Doug Slaywin, Ashley Warren and Destiny Dingle. If you're enjoying Infamous, please rate and review the show. It helps us more than you know. This episode is brought to you by Netflix. 132 rooms. 157 suspects. One dead body. One wildly eccentric detective. One disastrous state dinner. The Residence is a screwball whodunnit series set among the eclectic staff of the world's most famous mansion, the White House from Shondaland. With an all star cast including Uzo Aduba as Rye detective Cordelia Cupp. Watch the Residence now only on Netflix.