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Natalie Robamed
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Unknown Host
Hey infamous listeners, this is episode three of our series on Dubai's missing princesses. If you haven't listened to the first two episodes, please pause this episode and scroll back in your feed so you can get all caught up.
Vanessa Grigoriadis
If Sheikh Mohammed felt any pressure from the whole Sheikha Latifa ordeal, it didn't show. He was busy with, among other things, horse racing.
Natalie Robamed
Some horses just give you that feeling, you know, telling you that there is something about them. Through their eyes you can see their heart and the horses is fantastic.
Vanessa Grigoriadis
He was also a horse owner, one of the biggest in the world. He's a fixture at Ascot and always used to sit in the Royal box with the Queen. He started one of the most successful horse racing teams in the world. Godolphin and his Mass halves Investig Derby.
Louise Callahan
In the hands of William Buick Funko Dolphin how to respond to Melbourne Cup Thunder Snow wins it by five.
Latifa
What a night.
Natalie Robamed
What a night for Godolphin. You win the Dubai World cup, you've won the Investec Derby.
Louise Callahan
What a day for Godolphin.
Vanessa Grigoriadis
Now someone would sometimes accompany Sheikh Mo on his various equestrian journeys. Someone who was about to become very important to Sheikha Latifa's story.
Louise Callahan
And Princess Haya, amazing for your team.
Vanessa Grigoriadis
Princess Haya, Sheikh Mohammed's second official wife. She had glossy highlights and glowing skin. She was sort of like a Arab version of Princess Di. Haya was well traveled, cultured and a prize winning show jumper.
Natalie Robamed
She turned a childhood passion into a profession when she went on to represent her country at the Olympics in Australia in 2000.
Vanessa Grigoriadis
When Haya was 26, she became the first Arab woman equestrian in the Olympics.
Louise Callahan
So Haya is a highly, highly intelligent, very erudite, very smart, very Anglicized woman.
Vanessa Grigoriadis
That's Louise Callahan, a journalist who covers the region.
Louise Callahan
She went to boarding school in the UK and then to Oxford. She's got this love of Gilly Cooper novels which are these kind of raunchy Mills and Boon style novels. She's very multilingual. She lived in Paris for a while. Very worldly.
Vanessa Grigoriadis
Unlike Sheikmo's other wives, Haya was famous in her own right. You see, she's the daughter of King Hussein of Jordan and the stepdaughter of Queen Noor, the progressive monarch of Jordan.
Louise Callahan
Women are not simply a category of.
Natalie Robamed
A problem to be addressed or ignored. They are key to the solution.
Vanessa Grigoriadis
Queen Noor was absolutely beloved in the west and in Jordan too. And when Chaya's own mother died in a helicopter accident when Chaya was only about 3 years old, Queen Noor eventually became her stepmother. Haya's world as a child was about Queen Noor and about horse riding. When she was very young, her father gave her a foal who had also lost its mother.
Tina Yauhiainen
Being given that responsibility really brought me out of my shell.
Vanessa Grigoriadis
She was the perfect symbol for Dubai's new modernized image. Never mind that she was about 25 years younger than Sheik Mo.
Louise Callahan
The idea that she would marry him came as a great surprise to lots of people who knew her. Mohammed, despite his love of horse racing and having lots of property in the uk, his whole outlook on life is very, very centered. From Dubai, her role, it appeared, was to be the face of the family. So she would appear wearing western clothes at Ascot with him. She would be photographed of the Queen.
Vanessa Grigoriadis
Princess Haya was about to play another very important role on the world stage. A role that involved Latifa. From Campside Media and Sony Music Entertainment, I'm Vanessa Grigoriadis.
Natalie Robamed
I'm Natalie Robomed.
Vanessa Grigoriadis
And this is infamous Dubai's Missing Princesses, Episode three. So last episode, Latifa escaped from Dubai only to be hauled back soon after.
Natalie Robamed
Right. And she recorded that video that would go viral, the one that Louise watched in a cafe in Beirut.
Vanessa Grigoriadis
So now we're going to hear more about Sheikh Mo's most public wife, Princess Haya, and what she did or didn't know. That's coming up after the break.
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Princess Haya
You're listening to Infamous from Campside Media.
Natalie Robamed
So Haya told a court she only became aware of Latifah's disappearance when the rest of the world did in March 2018. Initially, she thought Sheikh Mohammed couldn't possibly be responsible for the forcible return of his daughter. Haya and Sheikh Mohammed had a son and a daughter of their own. He often doted on them, especially their daughter Jalila, who seemed to be Mohammed's favorite. Haya says she asked her husband about Latifa's video. She says he told her that Latifa was bipolar and unstable. Mental illness is even more stigmatized in the Arab world than in the west, so dubbing Latifa as bipolar effectively painted her as Persona non grata. Princess Haya says she felt sympathy for both Latifa and Sheikh Mohammed, but she was basically not involved until December 2018.
Louise Callahan
Some viewers may find upsetting.
Natalie Robamed
The mystery of the missing Princess this BBC documentary was a major news event. Latifa's story was not going away. Dubai's ruler was forced to publicly respond.
Unknown Host
This private family matter has caused significant upset and distress for all concerned, most of all Sheikha Latifa. She and her family are looking forward to celebrating her birthday today in privacy and peace, and to building a happy and stable future for her.
Natalie Robamed
The very same day, a United nations committee made another request that Dubai prove Latifa was alive. Princess Haya sprang into action. Haya called her friend Mary Robinson, the former President of Ireland and the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Louise Callahan
She asked me to come to Dubai and help with a family dilemma.
Natalie Robamed
On December 15, 2018, Mary Robinson says she went to one of Haya's residences for lunch. Mary sat down with Latifa and a couple others. An array of fruit plates and Evian bottles lay before them on a table. They looked at each other warily, chatting.
Louise Callahan
So at that point, there's been a lot of questions about whether Latifah is actually alive. There's a lot of people who have been desperately hoping for the UN in particular to arrange a proof of life from Latifa, get some kind of statement out for her.
Natalie Robamed
This lunch with Mary Robinson was supposed to assuage concerns, but the whole thing just looked off. Robinson was dressed for a stately lunch, a white collared shirt under a tailored peach jacket, pearl earrings. Latifah was dressed in a hoodie, zipped.
Vanessa Grigoriadis
All the way up.
Louise Callahan
What we get is this weird situation where Mary Robinson rocks up in Dubai, sits down, poses for a photo with Latifah, who, you know, looks like completely blank eyed and like there's nothing going on. And she looks scared. If anything, I think.
Natalie Robamed
Weeks after the lunch, Mary Robinson gave a public interview.
Louise Callahan
She's troubled. She made a video that she now regrets. I had lunch with her. She's a very likable young woman, but clearly troubled, clearly needs the medical care that she's receiving.
Natalie Robamed
The lunch totally backfired.
Louise Callahan
The result of this was that the whole issue with Latifa all of a sudden just got a lot more attention.
Unknown Host
Robinson is getting a lot of heat.
Natalie Robamed
From different groups about those comments, including from the lawyer who is legally representing the princess, who says that Robinson is playing into the hands of Dubai. Princess Haya had to respond and she did so on a top Irish radio station, RTE Radio One. Can you tell me why you invited.
Princess Haya
Mary Robinson to Dubai?
Tina Yauhiainen
What's been terrible in the last few months for myself, for my family, is a situation that's deeply private that we've been faced with. This is why I called Mary. I called her specifically with a question because I'd seen a correspondence from the Special Procedures Branch of the UN High Commission for Human Rights.
Princess Haya
Well, when you say it is something.
Natalie Robamed
That is deeply private, it was Princess Latifa who made it extremely public and consequently gave cause for much anxiety about her welfare.
Tina Yauhiainen
Yes, I understand that and I hear what you're saying. It is a private family matter and I don't want to go any more deeply into it for the protection of Latifa herself and to ensure that she's not used by anyone else. She's a vulnerable young woman and that's what's important to me. And what's important to us as a family is to ensure that she's all right.
Natalie Robamed
Basically, Haya spouted the party line.
Tina Yauhiainen
Being asked for proof of life and being asked to prove that someone we love, that I love, is simply alive is absurd. We've done our utmost to help and protect and support her through this period. It's unimaginable that this thing has gone so far from the truth.
Natalie Robamed
Haya made it clear that she'd acted of her own volition.
Tina Yauhiainen
I really wanted to get the right advice from Mary on how to move forward and I wanted her to give me that counsel. I did it as myself. There was no official party, there was no commission, there was no terms of reference.
Natalie Robamed
I made the call anytime the interviewer pressed her. On Latifah's disappearance and the BBC documentary's reporting, Haya said the same thing.
Tina Yauhiainen
I'm not here to go into the details of what is a private family matter.
Natalie Robamed
She pushed Mohammed's narrative that Latifa's escape had been a kidnapping. Was there a ransom bid?
Tina Yauhiainen
I believe that that has been clearly communicated on a number of occasions. Yes, there was.
Natalie Robamed
And she implicitly denied all of Latifah's allegations from her video.
Tina Yauhiainen
If I thought for a single second that any shred of this was true, I wouldn't put up with it or stand for it.
Natalie Robamed
But it wouldn't be long before Latifah's version emerged. That's after the break.
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Princess Haya
This is infamous from Campside Media.
Natalie Robamed
As the Mary Robinson episode played out, Tina Yauhiainen looked on in horror. After Tina got out of jail in the uae, she started working with others on a campaign they dubbed Freelatifa. But she hadn't been able to get back in touch with Latifa. In fact, no one had heard from her in months. Then Tina was in Finland sitting with her brother when she got an odd message.
Princess Haya
I was obviously receiving a lot of random messages from people who were interested about this story or the campaign. But there was something different about this. There was a person wanting to deliver a message from Latifa to me.
Natalie Robamed
This was a total stranger. The person said Tina would need to answer a series of security questions before they would give her the note.
Princess Haya
What did I get as a birthday gift from her in 2014? And what was the nickname I gave her when we started Capoeira? So they were kind of questions that a random person would not be able to ask me. That night I couldn't sleep. Yeah, I was so excited and nervous at the same time. Like, what's really going on? You know, am I going to be able to talk to her soon? And yes, it was just really, really amazing.
Natalie Robamed
Finally, Tina received a picture of a letter Latifa had written to her.
Princess Haya
It was as if she wanted to explain everything on one page. There was just so many things. What happened to her, where she has been since we last met, everything in detail. I was obviously thrilled. First of all, to learn that she was alive. I was so happy to hear from her. It felt like it had been forever that we were able to. I was able to tell her what happened to me.
Natalie Robamed
Tina began corresponding with Latifa regularly. Latifah told her that since her capture, she'd been held hostage in a villa that had been converted into a jail.
Princess Haya
The reality was grim and sad. I was communicating with my friend who was held hostage. I didn't know how long we would be able to have this contact.
Natalie Robamed
Tina and her associates managed to smuggle a cell phone to Latifa. And Latifa started sending them video messages. The situation is very hard in one, Latifa sat in the corner of a bathroom wearing a dark shirt. She brought up Mary Robinson's visit and told the story. But from her side.
Latifa
I introduced Mary Never said that she was the former UN head of human rights. Never. If I knew that, of course, like, I would have said everything. But no, she never told me that. We were eating and everything. And then Haya, she said to me, oh, this is such a nice lunch. I want to remember it. Will you all come into the living room to take a picture? And I kept saying to her, I don't really want to. I don't really want to. Like, I was. I wasn't saying in front of them, hey, I'm a hostage. I looked at the camera and my face was like, you know, like this. Not smiling or anything. It was all a setup. It was like they tricked me.
Natalie Robamed
Latifa's supporters kept reaching out to human rights organizations for help, but they hadn't heard much since Mary Robinson's visit.
Princess Haya
It was very hard to realize that and to feel so helpless knowing where she was but actually not being able to help.
Natalie Robamed
So far, Princess Haya had believed Sheikh Mohammed. When it came to Latifa, observers thought Haya may have been either a knowing participant in the campaign against Latifa or pawn. But that was all about to change because a fissure in Sheikh Mohammed and Haya's relationship turned into a chasm. At the end of December 2018, Sheikh Mohammed published a poem. It was called the Morality of a Night. One of our producers, Rajeev, is going to read it.
Sheikh Mohammed
If my friend transgresses, I forgive once. But if he repeats the offense, I ensure his regret.
Natalie Robamed
The Sheikh seemed angry with someone.
Sheikh Mohammed
I was repelled by your great wrongdoing. A person who has spent his life hunting, he has never hunted. His deeds are like a lion's now.
Natalie Robamed
Sheikh Mohammed has written a lot of poetry in the Arab world. It's not super weird for a royal to write poetry. It's like a president releasing a memoir or giving a commencement speech after being in office. It's just something people do. And most of his poems are about horses, his nation. Pretty innocuous, universal topics. But these weren't innocuous to me. They seem pointed, venomous even. Here's another from a few months later.
Sheikh Mohammed
My spirit is cured of you, girl when your face appears, no pleasure I feel.
Natalie Robamed
But Sheikh Mohammed seemed like he wasn't mad at Latifa or even Shamsa. These poems appear to have been directed at Chaya, his beloved modern Jordanian wife. Why was he allegedly mad at Chaya? It all had to do with a certain employee of hers. Remember how Latifa made friends with Tina, the Caprera instructor? Well, Chaya made friends with one of her own employees, her hunky British bodyguard. And starting around 2017 or 18, he became more than a friend. Right around when all the international drama with Latifa was going on, Princess Haya was apparently having an affair with one of the men who was supposed to protect her. Not unlike Princess Diana, who allegedly slept with her own bodyguard. Now, let's just remember that Sheikh Mohammed was legally married to two. Two women. At this point, I'm not saying that cheating is okay, but an eye for an eye and all that. Regardless, Sheikh Mohammed's reaction became out of proportion to the affront. And the messages only got darker over the next few months. In one phone conversation, Sheikh Mo allegedly.
Sheikh Mohammed
Told Haya, I have received bad news about you. I have heard that you were sitting in the palace with the British security. I am starting to doubt you.
Natalie Robamed
Haya hung up, terrified. Haya says a number of her trusted staff members were dismissed and replaced with people loyal to Sheikh Mohammed. She probably felt like all of a sudden, even the walls had eyes. And then anonymous notes allegedly began appearing in her house.
Sheikh Mohammed
We will take your son. Your daughter is ours. Your life is over.
Natalie Robamed
By the way, we sent a detailed list of questions to Sheikh Mohammed's attorney about everything you're hearing in this episode. He didn't return our request for comment. And that wasn't all. While their seven year old son Zayed was on a trip, Mohammed allegedly phoned.
Sheikh Mohammed
Haya and said, he is a desert boy. In a few months, we will take him from you. You will see.
Natalie Robamed
According to Haya, Mohammed didn't try to hide his disdain for her in front of their kids either. During one visit, he allegedly said to.
Sheikh Mohammed
His son Zaya, do we need a mama? You see, Haya, we don't need you anymore. We don't need you or want you.
Natalie Robamed
By March 2019, Chaya says her desk at the ruler's court had been removed. To Haya, it was a public slap in the face, an indication she no longer had any power. Maybe Haya finally realized what Sheikh Mohammed was capable of. Or maybe her own desire for freedom suddenly aligned with Latifa's cause. Whatever it was, Haya was about to pick up the baton Latifa had placed down. But only one of them would escape for good. Next time on Infamous. Princess Haya bint al Hussein, the wife of the ruler of Dubai, has fled the United Arab Emirates.
Princess Haya
The ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed al Matoum, has been found by the High Court to have illegally hacked the mobile.
Louise Callahan
Phones of those opposing him.
Latifa
There is five policemen outside and two policewomen. I can't even go outside to get any fresh air.
Louise Callahan
It showed that the UAE had lied to the world.
Vanessa Grigoriadis
Infamous is created and executive produced by Gabriel Sherman and me, Vanessa Cruz. This episode was co hosted by Natalie Rovamed who wrote it with Heather Schreering, producing by Heather Schuring, Natalia Winkelman, Lily Houston Smith and Grace Heermann. Princess Haya did not comment for this series. Shoshi Shmulovitz is our managing producer and editor. Sound design by David Devereaux, recording by Ewan Lai Trimuin 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 Dingell. If you're enjoying Infamous, please rate and review the show. It helps us more than you know.
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Infamous Podcast Summary: "Encore: Dubai's Missing Princesses I Part 3"
Episode Overview In the third installment of the "Dubai's Missing Princesses" series, Infamous delves deeper into the intricate and tumultuous relationship between Princess Haya bint al Hussein and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai. Hosts Vanessa Grigoriadis, Gabriel Sherman, and Natalie Robehmed unravel the layers of power, secrecy, and familial discord that surround the mysterious disappearance of Sheikha Latifa, Princess Haya’s stepdaughter.
Introduction to Sheikh Mohammed’s Public Persona and Interests [00:35 - 04:29] The episode opens with an exploration of Sheikh Mohammed’s public life, highlighting his deep involvement in horse racing and his establishment of the renowned Godolphin racing team. Vanessa Grigoriadis notes, “He was one of the biggest horse owners in the world... started one of the most successful horse racing teams in the world.” (01:10). The narrative presents Sheikh Mohammed as a figure deeply engrossed in his passions, seemingly indifferent to the controversies brewing within his family.
Princess Haya: A Modern Monarch [04:29 - 07:30] Princess Haya emerges as a central figure, portrayed as a cultured, educated, and accomplished woman comparable to Princess Diana. Louise Callahan describes her as “highly, highly intelligent, very erudite... very multilingual... very worldly.” (02:26). Haya's achievements, including her participation in the 2000 Olympics as the first Arab woman equestrian, are emphasized to underline her prominence and independence within the royal family.
Latifa’s Disappearance and Initial Reactions [07:30 - 13:05] The focus shifts to Sheikha Latifa’s attempted escape and subsequent disappearance. Haya recounts her initial disbelief and the subsequent revelation that Sheikh Mohammed might be responsible. Natalie Robehmed explains, “Latifa escaped from Dubai only to be hauled back soon after.” (07:30). Haya’s response is depicted as cautious and sympathetic, yet constrained by familial loyalty and the political pressures of the royal household.
The Controversial Lunch with Mary Robinson [13:05 - 14:19] A pivotal moment occurs when Haya invites Mary Robinson, the former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, to mediate a family crisis. The episode details the uncomfortable dynamics of this meeting, where Latifa appears distressed and uncooperative. Louise Callahan comments, “It was a setup. It was like they tricked me.” (17:00). This interaction raises suspicions about the authenticity of the façade presented to the public and the true intentions behind Sheikh Mohammed’s narrative.
Princess Haya’s Shift and Rising Tensions [15:27 - 23:29] As international attention heightens, Haya begins to question Sheikh Mohammed’s motives and actions. The hosts describe a growing rift marked by Sheikh Mohammed’s aggressive poetry and threatening behavior towards Haya, suggesting a collapse in their marital relationship. Notable quotes include Sheikh Mohammed’s poem, “If my friend transgresses, I forgive once. But if he repeats the offense, I ensure his regret.” (19:56), indicating his displeasure and authority over familial matters.
Haya reports receiving anonymous threats and witnessing the dismissal of loyal staff, which intensifies her fear and sense of entrapment. Louise Callahan narrates, “He was repelled by your great wrongdoing... His deeds are like a lion's now.” (20:03), alluding to the increasing volatility and danger within the royal household.
The Emergence of Freelatifa and New Developments [23:08 - 24:29] Amidst escalating tensions, Haya becomes a pivotal figure in the Freelatifa campaign, aiming to secure Latifa’s freedom. An unexpected message from Latifa reached Haya, marked by a series of security questions that confirmed Latifa’s survival and location. Princess Haya shares her emotional response: “I was so excited and nervous at the same time. Like, what's really going on?” (16:13).
Latifa begins sending detailed letters and video messages, revealing her dire circumstances and dispelling the earlier narratives planted by Sheikh Mohammed. Latifa asserts, “This was all a setup... they tricked me.” (18:12), challenging the official story and highlighting her lack of agency.
Climactic Revelations and Future Outlook [24:19 - 25:34] The episode culminates with the revelation that Sheikh Mohammed had illegally hacked mobile phones of dissenters, further solidifying his control and undermining trust. Latifa’s own footage shows the grim reality of her captivity, contradicting prior public assurances of her well-being. Vanessa Grigoriadis summarizes the gravity of the situation: “It showed that the UAE had lied to the world.” (24:29).
Conclusion and Teaser for Next Episode [25:34] The episode concludes with a preview of the next installment, promising to explore Princess Haya's daring escape from the UAE and the ongoing struggle for Latifa’s freedom.
Notable Quotes
Vanessa Grigoriadis (01:10): “He was one of the biggest horse owners in the world... started one of the most successful horse racing teams in the world.”
Louise Callahan (02:26): “Highly, highly intelligent, very erudite... very multilingual... very worldly.”
Latifa (18:12): “I kept saying to her, I don’t really want to. It was all a setup... they tricked me.”
Sheikh Mohammed (19:56): “If my friend transgresses, I forgive once. But if he repeats the offense, I ensure his regret.”
Princess Haya (16:13): “I was so excited and nervous at the same time. Like, what's really going on?”
Louise Callahan (24:29): “It showed that the UAE had lied to the world.”
Key Insights and Conclusions
Power Dynamics within the Royal Family: The episode exposes the complex and often toxic power dynamics between Sheikh Mohammed and his wives, particularly highlighting the diminishing influence and autonomy of Princess Haya in the face of his domineering personality.
Media Manipulation and Public Perception: The orchestrated meeting with Mary Robinson and the subsequent public relations efforts illustrate how media is manipulated to craft a specific narrative, obscuring the truth about Latifa’s plight.
International Human Rights Concerns: Latifa’s case underscores significant human rights issues within the UAE, drawing international scrutiny and highlighting the challenges faced by women in oppressive regimes.
Familial Disintegration: The schism between Haya and Sheikh Mohammed reflects broader themes of familial disintegration under authoritarian rule, where personal relationships are sacrificed for power maintenance.
Hope for Liberation: Despite the grim developments, the emergence of Latifa’s communications and the growing support through campaigns like Freelatifa signal a potential shift towards her eventual escape and the pursuit of justice.
Final Thoughts This episode of Infamous masterfully weaves personal narratives with broader geopolitical issues, offering listeners a compelling and nuanced understanding of the hidden struggles within Dubai’s royal family. By providing detailed accounts, emotional testimonies, and critical analyses, the podcast not only informs but also engages its audience in the quest for truth and accountability.
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