Dubai Princess Sheikha Mahra Appears to Divorce Husband in Instagram Post

Sheikha Mahra, daughter of the current ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, posted on Instagram on Wednesday seemingly announcing her divorce from her husband.

The post from Princess Sheikha Mahra bint Mihammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s verified Instagram account says she is ending her marriage: 

“Dear Husband, As you are occupied with other companions, I hereby declare our divorce,” the post reads. “I divorce you, I divorce you, I Divorce you. Take Care. Your Ex-Wife.”

The post is set against a plain black backdrop, with no caption. Her verified account has liked multiple comments supporting the post.

Her post seems to reference the Islamic practice of “triple talaq,” which has been outlawed in multiple countries including India, Saudi Arabia and Morocco,  and traditionally allowed a man to divorce his wife by saying or writing the word talaq—Arabic for “divorce”—three times.

Mahra’s husband Sheikh Mana bin Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mana Al Maktoum has not publicly commented, nor has her father Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The Dubai government media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Instagram post. 

Mahra and her husband have been married since April 2023. Five months after their wedding ceremony, the two announced their pregnancy with their first child.

“Just the three of us,” Sheikha Mahra captioned the photo of her ultrasound, tagging her husband, who re-shared it. In May, she posted multiple photos of her, her husband and their newborn child.

As of July 18, the princess has removed all photographs of her husband from her Instagram page.