Encore: Dubai's Missing Princesses I Part 4

Summary

Infamous Podcast: Encore: Dubai's Missing Princesses I Part 4 Release Date: February 13, 2025

Overview In the fourth and final installment of the "Dubai's Missing Princesses" series, hosted by Vanessa Grigoriadis and Natalie Rogamid of Campside Media, the "Infamous" podcast delves deep into the tumultuous lives of Dubai's royal family, focusing on Princess Haya, and her daughters Latifa and Shamsa. This episode unpacks the intricate web of power, abuse, and international legal battles that have captivated the world and raised critical questions about human rights within the UAE's ruling elite.

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1. The Collapse of Princess Haya's Marriage

The episode opens with Natalie Rogamid discussing the precarious position of wives in the UAE, highlighting how easily a marriage can be dissolved under Sharia law. She states:

"Some wives can practically be their husband's property, but they can also quickly become not their property." ([00:50])

Princess Haya's marriage to Sheikh Mohammed took a dramatic turn on February 7, 2019, when he abruptly ended their marriage without her knowledge—a decision that coincided with the anniversary of her father's death. Haya recounts the ensuing terror:

"I found a gun left on her bed with the safety catch off. A provocation, a threat." ([01:05])

Further escalating the tension, a helicopter purportedly belonging to Sheikh Mohammed landed in their Dubai palace yard, leading Haya to fear for her and her children's safety.

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2. The Fear and Decision to Escape

Under increasing threats, Haya made the decisive move to flee Dubai. Vanessa Grigoriadis narrates:

"After all the provocation Haya says she received the threats and the messages and the intimidation, she decided enough was enough." ([05:52])

In April 2019, Haya chartered a private plane and escaped to London with her two children, a move fraught with risk given Sheikh Mohammed's extensive holdings and influence in the UK. Louise Callahan provides context on the diplomatic complexities:

"The relationship between Dubai and the UK is business, business, business. It is money. It is the millions of pounds that every year flow from one country to the other." ([06:44])

Haya strategically secured diplomatic immunity through her position as First Secretary at the Jordanian Embassy in London, which initially provided her some protection from legal actions taken by Sheikh Mohammed.

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3. Sheikh Mohammed's Media Assault

Shortly after Haya's departure, Sheikh Mohammed initiated a relentless media campaign to tarnish her reputation. As Vanessa explains:

"Sheik Mo began an all out media war. More than a thousand articles about her were published in less than a month." ([07:09])

These articles included unfounded allegations, such as Haya being an agent of Hamas intent on overthrowing Jordan, and sensationalized claims about her personal life, including an alleged affair with a security guard. Haya responded by relinquishing her diplomatic immunity to actively defend herself in the UK courts.

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4. The High-Stakes Legal Battle

Haya’s legal team, led by Baroness Fiona Shackleton, presented a compelling case portraying her as a victim of intimidation and abuse. Vanessa details the courtroom drama:

"The court essentially backed up the Princess's claims that Sheikh Mohammed had conducted a campaign to intimidate and frighten her." ([15:21])

Eventually, the High Court ruled in Haya's favor, believing her accounts of coercion and harassment. As a result, Sheikh Mohammed was ordered to pay a settlement exceeding £730 million—one of the most expensive divorces in British history. Additionally, the court found that Haya and her attorneys' phones had been compromised using the Pegasus spyware, implicating Sheikh Mohammed in unauthorized surveillance.

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5. The Struggle for Freedom: Latifa and Shamsa

While Haya secured her freedom, the plight of her daughters, Latifa and Shamsa, remained dire. The episode recounts Latifa's failed escape attempt in 2018, detailed in Haya’s video messages where Latifa speaks of her captivity:

"Every day I am worried about my safety in my life." ([18:31])

Despite efforts by activists and Human Rights advocates like David Haig to bring international attention and pressure, Latifa's situation remained unresolved. In February 2021, Haig and his team released video clips showing Latifa purportedly proclaiming her status as a hostage, further exposing the UAE's alleged human rights abuses.

"The UAE had lied to the world. Probably lied to Mary Robinson, we don't know." ([18:36])

Sheikh Mohammed continued to deny involvement, attributing Latifa's actions to manipulation by others. However, evidence suggested a pattern of coercion and control within the royal family.

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6. Ongoing Struggles and Global Implications

The podcast highlights that the issues faced by Haya, Latifa, and Shamsa are not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of oppression within the UAE's royal circles. Natalie Rogamid underscores:

"There are so many more strange cases involving Emirati royals, cases that have never really gotten any attention." ([25:29])

Examples include Sheikh Mohammed’s ex-wife Randa Al Banna, who has been denied access to her daughter, and the abduction of Sheikh Mohammed’s cousins from London in 2000—mirroring Shamsa’s disappearance.

The episode emphasizes the global complacency towards such human rights violations, attributing it to the immense power and wealth of the royal family.

"Arab women specifically. A demographic the world likes to use as a symbol of oppression when convenient, rather than humanized with the depth reserved for other people." ([25:42])

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7. The Quest for Justice and Freedom

As of the episode's release, Latifa remains unaccounted for, despite sporadic appearances suggesting she might still be under duress. David Haig reflects on the fragile state of her freedom:

"We always thought that somebody might kill her. The guards would do things like put razor blades under her bed and things. I mean, it was horrific what was going on." ([21:15])

The podcast concludes by highlighting the ongoing struggle for justice and the personal toll it takes on activists and those involved in supporting the princesses. Vanessa Grigoriadis poignantly remarks:

"Latifa's voice in my head from that original 2018 video... Freedom means something different to everyone, and we definitely don't all have it." ([27:20])

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Conclusion

The final episode of "Dubai's Missing Princesses" encapsulates a harrowing tale of power abuse, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of freedom. It sheds light on the dark underbelly of Dubai's glittering facade and challenges listeners to consider the real human cost behind headlines and high-profile divorces. By weaving together personal testimonies, legal developments, and investigative journalism, "Infamous" offers a comprehensive and emotionally charged narrative that underscores the urgent need for accountability and human rights advocacy in the face of immense power.

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Notable Quotes:

• Natalie Rogamid: "Some wives can practically be their husband's property, but they can also quickly become not their property." ([00:50])

• Princess Haya: "I found a gun left on her bed with the safety catch off. A provocation, a threat." ([01:05])

• David Haig: "The UAE had lied to the world. Probably lied to Mary Robinson, we don't know." ([18:36])

• Natalie Rogamid: "There are so many more strange cases involving Emirati royals, cases that have never really gotten any attention." ([25:29])

• Vanessa Grigoriadis: "Freedom means something different to everyone, and we definitely don't all have it." ([27:20])

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Production Credits: Created and executive produced by Gabriel Sherman and Vanessa Grigoriadis. Co-hosted by Natalie Rogamid. Produced by Heather Schwering, Natalie Winkelman, Lily Houston Smith, and Grace Here. Managing Producer and Editor: Shoshi Shmulovitz. Sound Design by David Devereaux. Recording by Ewan Lai Trimuin. Fact-Checking by Matt Giles. Voices by Rajeev Gola and Lily Houston Smith. Executive Producers at Campside Media: Josh Dean, Adam Hoff, Matt Sher, and Vanessa Grigoriadis. Operations Team: Doug Slaywin, Ashley Warren, and Destiny Dingle.

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Connect with Infamous: To engage with Infamous's creative team and access behind-the-scenes content, join the community at Campsidemedia.com/join.

Support the Show: If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review "Infamous" on your preferred podcast platform. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and continue uncovering the most compelling stories of our time.

Transcript

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Meghan Trainor, laundry retrainer.

[Natalie Rogamid]

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[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

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[Natalie Rogamid]

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[Louise Callahan]

Toss like this.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Cause I toss like this. I wash like this. It's a no miss laundry bliss. Arm and hammer power sheets. More power to you.

[Natalie Rogamid]

Campsite Media.

[Jonathan Van Ness]

Hey, infamous listeners. This is episode four of our series on Dubai's missing princesses. If you haven't listened to the first three episodes, you can scroll down in your feed and listen to those now.

[Natalie Rogamid]

So, a while ago, we talked about how in the uae, some wives can practically be their husband's property, but they can also quickly become not their property.

[Latifa]

I divorce you. I divorce you. I divorce you.

[Natalie Rogamid]

Now, we don't know for sure if this is what Sheikh Mohammed did with Haya, but under Sharia law, that's all you need to say to divorce your wife. And on February 7, 2019, without Haya knowing about it, he ended their marriage. It may have been a deliberate date. It was the anniversary of her father's death. And after that, according to Haya, things got really scary. She says she found a gun left on her bed with the safety catch off. A provocation, a threat. Then one afternoon, Haya and the kids were at home in their Dubai palace when one of the sheikh's helicopters unexpectedly touched down in the yard. The passengers, a pilot and a few security guards allegedly climbed out. One said he had come to take a passenger to Alawir, a prison in the desert. Then Haya claims a guard sent to.

[Latifa]

Her son, Bubba, is angry with Mama. He's going to send her to the jail in Abir. That's all there is there.

[Natalie Rogamid]

Chaya's son clutched her leg. She assured him the men were only joking. But she later said she thought if Zayed were not there, they would have taken her. In fact, one of the guards in this very same helicopter had allegedly abducted Shamsa from England way back in 2000. Sheikh Mohammed claimed the helicopter landed in the yard by mistake, but Haya felt that she and her children were in danger. And what was she going to do about that? Run? From Campside Media and Sony Music Entertainment, this is infamous.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

I'm Vanessa Grigoriadis.

[Natalie Rogamid]

And I'm Natalie Rogamid.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

You're listening to Dubai's Missing princesses, the fourth and final episode. Now, last episode, we met Princess Haya, and we heard about how she first spouted the party line when it came.

[Natalie Rogamid]

To latifa we also learned about Haya's affair and Sheikh Mohammed's apparent anger about that affair.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Now this episode, we're going to find out what happens when a third princess tries to make her escape. That's coming up after the break.

[Tina]

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[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

You're listening to Infamous from Campside Media. So after all the provocation Haya says she received the threats and the messages and the intimidation, she decided enough was enough. In April 2019, she chartered one of the family's private planes. I can imagine her walking up the air stair, her kids in tow, looking over her shoulder. And just like that, she left Dubai.

[David Haig]

Now the 45 year old princess along with her two young children, has fled to London.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Haya landed in the uk, which was a risky choice. Sheikmo not only owned horses there, but he owned so much property and had so many ties.

[Louise Callahan]

The United Arab Emirates is one of Britain's closest allies in the Gulf and particularly Dubai.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Here's journalist Louise Callahan.

[Louise Callahan]

The relationship between Dubai and the UK is business, business, business. It is money. It is the millions of pounds that every year flow from one country to the other.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Haya had ties there too. I mean, she wasn't a relatively unknown Dubai royal like Latifa or Shamsa. She was the princess from Jordan, a royal twice over, the Arab Princess Di. She set up shop in one of the most expensive homes in the entire city, A big brick house looming behind a fence. Haya also put her political might to work. The Jordanian Embassy in London gave her the title of First Secretary. That gave her diplomatic immunity, making her exempt from UK law, which was a real smart move because less than a month after her escape, Sheikh Mohammed launched legal action in the UK courts. He wanted his kids back and Shakemo was very used to winning.

[David Haig]

Blue Point, the all blue far side.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Behind those soldiers corner.

[David Haig]

Then comes Mabs Cross. Blue Point. All out dream of dreams is thrusting Blue Point near Sai Blue Point right.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

After Ascot, Hai's legal team says Sheik Mo began an all out media war. More than a thousand articles about her were published in less than a month. One of them suggested Haya was an agent of Hamas who intended to overthrow Jordan. British papers were suddenly filled with reports of the affair she'd had with a security guard. The leaked information is coming from both sides. There were later hearsay accounts that made Haya out to be the aggressor. She showered the bodyguard with gifts like a $15,000 watch and a vintage shotgun that cost nearly $60,000 plus. Worried that he'd say something publicly, she supposedly paid the bodyguard roughly $1.2 million. Even diplomatic immunity couldn't save her reputation now. So she gave up her diplomatic immunity to fight back together.

[Latifa]

No longer. Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum and his ex wife, Jordan's Princess Haya. Now fighting a custody battle in the High Court.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Chaya presented herself as a battered wife just trying to protect her children.

[Natalie Rogamid]

Princess Haya was in family court today.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

She's hired the same lawyer as Prince Charles in his divorce from Diana. She alleged that Sheikh Mohammed wanted to marry off one of her young kids and she filed an injunction, usually reserved for victims of domestic abuse. But Haya had a trump card up her sleeve. Two, actually. Shamsa and Latifa. Now it seemed like Haya was going to play them to play Mohammed. That's after the break.

[Natalie Rogamid]

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[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

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[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Edu this is infamous from Campside Media. So far, Haya hadn't done anything publicly to support Latifa or Shamsa. In fact, she'd loudly insisted Latifa's escape was a private family matter and she'd orchestrated that whole weird lunch with Mary Robinson to prove it. Despite being a UN messenger of peace, she'd never even mentioned Shamsa. But I imagine if Haya could prove that Sheikh Mohammed had a pattern of allegedly mistreating his children like Shamsa and Latifa, she'd have a better chance at winning her own custody case. So that summer, reports emerged that she'd recently learned disturbing facts about Latifah.

[Louise Callahan]

So Haya's narrative that she's building up is that she didn't understand how bad everything was in the later months of 2018 after Mary Robinson's lunch visit. Then she started figuring out that, oh wait, something actually, something really bad is happening with Latifa. Now, a lot of people who've known her or I've spoken to have questioned that series of events. I mean, Chaya is by all accounts very intelligent. She's very clued in, knows lots of people within the family as well. She's not separated from the kind of inner workings of the dynasty. She knew all of it.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Whether she finally had learnt the truth about Latifa or whether she was using Latifa's story to bolster her own. Those escapes were about to form the backbone of Haya's argument. The court's hearings and fact findings covered both Shamsa and Latifa's stories in a lot of detail. And it all leaked out. She was directly contradicting everything she'd said previously. Sheik Mo obviously felt he had to respond to all this. He insisted that he believed Latifa was manipulated by Herve Joubert, who he claimed had asked for money. Sheik Mo said that he feared Joubert was holding Latifa under ransom. Here's an actor for Sheikh.

[Latifa]

I feel compelled to say that with respect, I do not consider that this honorable court is in a position to investigate the security and intelligence issues that arose. To this day, I consider that Latifah's return to Dubai was a rescue mission.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

The allegation that Joubert asked for money is unproven. Gilbert denies that he ever asked for a ransom or that he kidnapped Latifa. As for Shamsa, Sheikh Mohammed dismissed her disappearance. It was little more than a small misunderstanding. He said Shamsa felt constricted by the security measures that were in place around her.

[Latifa]

The age of majority in Dubai is 21. From our point of view, Shamsa was still a child. I emphasize that. Her mother and I jointly decided to organize a search for her. And when she was found, I remember our feeling of overwhelming relief that she was safe and had not come to any harm.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Lateefa did not appear in court in London and neither did Shamsa. Why? Here's what Sheikmo said.

[Latifa]

Both Shamsa and Latifa were adamant that they did not want to do this. I gave them both the opportunity to take independent legal advice so that they could take an informed decision about whether and how to become involved in these proceedings.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Haya had spent many days getting in and out of a black Town Car outside the courthouse. Sometimes she wore an emerald dress, sometimes a floral one. But she was always with her attorney, Baroness Fiona Shackleton. Don't let that fancy name fool you. As a lawyer, the baroness was a shark. Finally, the judge indicated he was making his decision.

[David Haig]

The court essentially backed up the Princess's claims that Sheikh Mohammed had conducted a campaign to intimidate and frighten her.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

He ruled in favor of Haya. He believed the extensive accounts of threats made against her. A senior judge ruled that the Rule.

[David Haig]

Of Dubai abducted two of his daughters.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

And he believed Sheikh Mohammed had orchestrated the abductions and the detentions of both Shamsa and Latifa. Finally walking out of court out into the London day, Haya must have felt so vindicated. She would later receive a roughly $730 million settlement from her divorce with Sheikmo, making it one of of the most expensive British divorces in history.

[David Haig]

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Been ordered by the High Court in.

[David Haig]

London to pay his sixth wife and.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Their two children more than half a billion pounds. Courts also ruled that the phones of Haya and two of her attorneys had either been compromised or hacked through the use of spy software called Pegasus. And while it's unclear which country ordered the hacking, one court found the surveillance was carried out with Mohamed's express or implied authority. Now, he denied that he was involved in any hack, but today Haya, it seems, is free. Now, Tina felt this was a victory too. She felt this could be just the momentum she needed for the Free Latifa campaign. I was kind of hoping Latifa to be free soon after. I was thinking it would create a big change. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. I was quite disappointed. I don't know whether the pandemic that was just starting around that time is the blame or what happened. But the news disappeared very soon and there was no actual change to Latifah's situation. By then, Tina had been in touch with Latifa for more than a year. Luckily, the they hadn't lost contact yet. She was working with David Haig, the businessman turned human rights advocate. But in July, David says he was texting with Latifa on WhatsApp when suddenly his messages stopped going through.

[David Haig]

It was messages from me saying things like, where are you, young lady? Where are you trouble? And, you know, funny little ones like that. And then it got to hi, hi, hi, and now we're really worried.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

David wanted to think that something had just happened to Latifa's phone and she'd find some other way to reach out. But the days turned into weeks and weeks into months.

[David Haig]

As each day went past, we got more and more worried. We thought, is it the right time to do something? What can we do? We'd had all these videos, we had all this evidence. We didn't want to release everything because it could be dangerous. But it got to the stage and felt time had come. We had to do something.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

In February 2021, clips from those videos were released to the world.

[Louise Callahan]

I'm a hostage.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Latifah is curled up against a wall.

[Louise Callahan]

Every day I am worried about my safety in my life. The police threaten me that I'll never.

[David Haig]

See the sun Again, it showed that the UAE had lied to the world. Probably lied to Mary Robinson, we don't know. Lied to the un, lied to Britain, lied to America, and then not only lied, tried to spread fake news about the people that were telling the truth, and then tried to cover it up and spent lots of money trying to cover it up.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Now, for the first time, world leaders began recognizing Latifa's situation. Like then Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

[David Haig]

That's something, obviously that we are concerned about.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Even Mary Robinson apologized. I made a mistake. I went to help a friend. I was naive. A United nations committee demanded proof that Latifa was alive. But the UAE responded with a weak statement. So in May, David and his team asked Britain to freeze Sheikh Mohammed's assets. And then the unexpected happened.

[David Haig]

Pictures of Latifa with some women were put on an Instagram account.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Nobody had heard from Latifah in months. Yet here was this photo of her sitting at a table at the Mall of the Emirates, just sitting there between two women. The picture appeared to be recent. Behind them, there was an ad for a movie that was released that year. The two women were smiling brightly, both leaning an arm on the table. But Latifa wearing all black, she looked less comfortable. She kept her hands in her lap and she seemed kind of scared. Sort of like how she looked in that old photo with Mary Robinson. Since the summer of 2021, more photos of Latifa have turned up. One of her in a restaurant with a woman from the first photo. She also posted a picture with Latifa at an airport in Spain. The caption reads, great European holiday with Latifa, smiley face emoji. David Haig accepted all these photos cautiously.

[David Haig]

We'd been there before with Mary Robinson. The UN is asking for proof of life, an independent verification of proof of life and immediate release. And is a picture at a cinema or is a picture in the arrivals hall at Madrid Airport? That. No.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

But the photos weren't nothing. The last time he talked, she'd been a hostage.

[David Haig]

We always thought that somebody might kill her. The guards would do things like put razor blades under her bed and things. I mean, it was horrific what was going on. So from that to her being in Madrid Airport or being at a cinema outside of the jail, however long that would last, it was obviously a better situation than before because when she effectively went missing, we thought that she was dead.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

David and Tina made a choice to end the Free Latifah campaign. Now, to me, that doesn't necessarily mean the Latifa is free, but Some compromise may have been reached where she can travel outside of Dubai. There was also a picture of her in Spain. As far as Haya is concerned, it seems only rational to think that she was led astray in the Mary Robinson incident and that she either felt that she needed to defend the Sheik's honor or because that's what a good wife does. Or, connecting the dots, she may have been fearful for her own children and her own safety. Regardless, the disposition of the court case seems to mean that she did get what she wanted. She is free. And the Sheikh? He is the absolute ruler of Dubai, a descendant of the family that's been in power since it was a country of pearl divers, not real housewives. Everyone in the west benefits from his leadership. Europe, the United States. We need a force to combat Islamic fundamentalism in the Gulf region. And you could say that a capitalist, expat, friendly culture like Dubai functions as a spear. But a German contractor reaping millions building multi star hotels in Dubai seems to live a very different life than some of Dubai's citizens, especially some of the royal family's women. It's hard to feel bad for princesses, I know, but these princesses seem as though they want more than a closet of handbags. They want justice.

[Natalie Rogamid]

There have been more photos, more meetings with UN representatives, but questions remain. Despite all of the attention Latifa's escape received, no one has been brought to justice for attacking the boat near India or for the treatment Tina and the rest of the crew say they received. Latifa's sister, Shamsa, the one who ran away back in 2000, has still not been seen in public for decades. And the thing is, there are so many more strange cases involving Emirati royals, cases that have never really gotten any attention. For one, Sheikh Mohammed has another ex wife who claims he kept her from her child. Randa Al Banna, a Lebanese woman who married him in the second 70s, told the Sunday Times she hasn't been allowed to see their daughter since she demanded a divorce nearly 50 years ago. Then there's Sheikh Mohammed's brother, the late Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al Maktoum. Back in 2000, the same year Shamsa was allegedly abducted. Her cousins, Maktoum's kids, were also living in England. They were in this giant rooftop above apartment in the fancy London neighborhood of Knightsbridge when all of a sudden, four Emirati bodyguards allegedly swooped in and escorted them away. Their nanny called the British police. She thought they'd been kidnapped. In the press at the time, the incident was chalked up to a disagreement between the Sheikh and his wife over where their kids should go to school. He wanted them to return to Dubai while she wanted them to study in London. But it all sounds eerily similar to Shamsa, her abduction and her desire to study abroad. And sadly, this alleged treatment isn't a thing of the past.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

We are hostages in our home.

[Natalie Rogamid]

As recently as October 2022, Sheikh Mohammed's nephew's ex wife alleged that she faced abuse, her harassment and intimidation during a bitter custody battle.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

My children and I are terrified and.

[Natalie Rogamid]

Frightened for our lives. It seems like the same thing just keeps happening over and over. I mean, Latifa is just out there supposedly doing okay, but we don't really know. It's almost like the world isn't watching this situation or doesn't care. And maybe that shouldn't be surprising because this is a story about women seeking their freedom. Arab women specifically. A demographic the world likes to use as a symbol of oppression when convenient, rather than humanized with the depth reserved for other people. And in America, we like to think that we're better than all that, that we really are free. But freedom means something different to everyone, and we definitely don't all have it. For some, it's the right to work. For others, it's the ability to have guns. Of course, it doesn't help that the people alleged to have done wrong in this story are incredibly powerful and incredibly rich. People in my life were even worried about me being involved in in this series, that I might disappear the next time I visit Dubai, just be hauled off at passport control and never seen again. Or that something might happen to my family. Thinking about all this, it's hard not to hear Latifa's voice in my head from that original 2018 video.

[Louise Callahan]

Freedom of choice is not something that we have. So when you have it, you take it for granted. And if you don't have it, it's very, very special. I don't know how I'll feel just waking up in the morning and thinking I can do whatever I want today. That'll be such a new, different feeling. That would be amazing.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Thank you so much for listening to our story. We hope that the next time you hear about things like Beyonce playing a concert in Dubai for millions of dollars, you think about the power behind that money. Next week on Infamous, we'll find out what happens when a guy from South Dakota falls in love with a possible Russian spy. Infamous is created and executive produced by Gabriel Sherman and me, Vanessa Gregoriadis. This episode was co hosted by Natalie Rovamed who wrote it with Heather Schering producing by Heather Schwering, Natalia Winkelman, Lily Houston Smith and Grace here. Princess Haya 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 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 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 whodunit 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 Residents now only on Netflix.