Ponies, armoured cars and jewellery: What Princess Haya gets from Dubai's Sheikh Mohammed
Dubai's Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has been ordered by the High Court in London to provide a British record of up to £550m to settle a custody battle with his ex-wife over their two children.
The bulk of the massive award to Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, half-sister of Jordan's King Abdullah, and the couple's two children, is to ensure their lifetime security, not least to address the "grave risk" posed to them by the sheikh himself, said the judge, Philip Moor.
The judge said: "she is not asking for an award for herself other than for security" and to compensate her for the possessions she lost as a result of the marital breakdown.
He directed Sheikh Mohammed to make a one-off payment of £251.5m ($333m) within three months to the princess and provide a bank guarantee of £290m ($384m) to cover the children's maintenance and security as adults.
Princess Haya's lawyer, Nicholas Cusworth, said her demands should be seen in the context that Sheikh Mohammed had, for example, a £2m bill for buying strawberries one summer for his country estate, northeast of London.
"I remind myself that money was no object during the marriage," Moor said in approving Haya's claim for £1.9m to be spent on a kitchen extension, pizza oven, and kitchen curtains at her London home.
Below Middle East Eye breaks down some of the other jaw-dropping financial details of Tuesday's ruling.
Jewellery and haute couture
Moor awarded Princess Haya more than £13.5m for jewellery regarding her claim for property lost as part of the end of the couple's marriage.
The princess said she had left several precious items behind when she left Dubai as she did not want to be accused of theft.
Her jewellery, in total valued at £20m, would fill the courtroom if spread out, she had earlier told the judge.
Princess Haya also requested £63m of haute couture clothing to be returned to her but was awarded £1m for the items.
Leisure activities
The judge also awarded more than £1m a year for the children’s leisure.
The princess was given a budget of more than £277,000 for the children’s animals, including a horse and two ponies.
Moor said: “I do, of course, accept that the children should have ponies to ride.”
Security
The bulk of Princess Haya's financial award will go on security, according to the details of the settlement.
This was to keep the children safe from being abducted by their own father, the ruling said, including cash for a fleet of armoured cars which would be replaced every few years.
Holidays
Moor ordered a total holiday package for Princess Haya and the two children of £5.1m, including seven international holidays, three long weekends in Jordan, and two weeks in the UK.
This article is available in French on Middle East Eye French edition.
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