London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Mar 14, 2026

Mansions, Race Horses, And Limitless Money: The Lavish Lifestyle Behind Dubai Royals' Record Divorce Settlement

Mansions, Race Horses, And Limitless Money: The Lavish Lifestyle Behind Dubai Royals' Record Divorce Settlement

The ruler of Dubai was today ordered by the High Court in London to pay his former wife around 550 million pounds as divorce settlement.

The legal battle between Dubai's ruler and his ex-wife has brought to forefront the lavish lifestyle of the the ultra-rich Middle Eastern royalty.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, was today ordered by the High Court in London to pay his former wife, Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, around 550 million pounds ($730 million) - reportedly the highest divorce settlement set by an English court.

The settlement amount will go towards the upkeep of Princess Haya's British mansions and to cover the future security costs of her and their children.

Here are the details of the royal couple's lifestyle that was listed in the ruling:

'Limitless' money in Dubai


Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, who is currently the vice-president and prime minister of UAE, got married to Princess Haya in 2004. The judgment states that she divorced her in 2019 under the Sharia law without her knowledge.

The Princess' lawyers told the court that when in Dubai, she and the children had access to 'limitless' money.

Princess Haya had access to over a dozen luxurious mansions, a 400 million pounds yacht, and a fleet of private planes, her lawyers told the court.

According to the ruling, she used to get 83 million pounds annually for her household, along with 9 million pounds spending money.

Blackmail using children's money


The 72-year-old ruler of the emirate of Dubai has long been locked in a bitter legal battle with his 47-year-old former wife, who lives in London with their two children, aged 13 and nine.

During one of the hearings, Princess Haya was questioned about a 6.7 million pounds payment she made to cover up her affair with one of the bodyguards. To make the payment, she used money from the children's bank accounts.

"I was very frightened," Haya said when asked why she had used money from the children's accounts to pay them off. "I was scared and that was the money that was available in that amount."

Mansions in London


Of the total divorce settlement, 251.5 million pounds would go towards the upkeep of Princess Haya's houses in London.

In 2016, Princess Haya bought a mansion near Kensington Palace for 87.5 million pounds and then spent 14.7 million pounds in getting it refurbished, the court was told.

The Dubai ruler has been ordered to make payments that would cover a 10-year refurbishment project of the house and also cover the salaries of five housekeepers.

"We always kept it to a very high standard and that is the amount of people needed to keep it as it is now," Princess Haya said.

She has also sought a yearly payment of 770,000 pounds for the maintenance of her Castlewood mansion in Berkshire.

400 racehorses


Princess Haya said that she and their children owned over 60 racehorses, for whom she sought 75 million pounds in compensation. While being married to the Sheikh, she bought nearly 400 racehorses.

"If I wanted a horse, I bought one," Princess Haya told the court.

Holidays and leisure


During her marriage, the family spent 631,000 pounds on one summer vacation in Italy, and on another occasion the bill for a hotel in Greece was 274,000 euros, the court said in its ruling.

Princess Haya would get money for two weeks of vacation in Britain and to travel abroad nine weeks every year.

Judge Philip Moor said that the annual award for holidays would be 5.1 million pounds a year, with 1 million pounds each for hiring private plane and food expenditure.

The court awarded Princess Haya a further 1 million pounds to spend on leisure. He also granted 277,050 pounds a year for spending on pets, including 25,000 pounds to buy horses and 12,000 pounds for toys, grooming, and training of unspecified animals.

Clothes and jewellery


Princess Haya in her testimony said that her ex-husband used to regularly spoil her with lavish gifts during their marriage, and was awarded 13.7 million pounds as compensation for what she claimed were missing jewellery and clothes. She had initially sought 52 million pounds for the missing items.

She said her collection of haute couture was worth about 74 million euros, and only the most basic items had been returned to her after she fled to Britain.

"If you put all the pieces in that room spread across this courtroom, it would be full," Haya said. "I was spoiled with wonderful gifts which I enjoyed very, very much at the time."

In a 23-minute video presented during the hearing, the judge could be seen walking into a safe in the Dubai palace where the jewellery was kept. The judge said that what was left in the safe seemed "standard fare".

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Middle East War Highlights Strategic Importance of Strong UK–Ireland Cooperation
Weak Growth Signals UK Economy Was Faltering Even Before Middle East Energy Shock
Marks & Spencer Tops UK Fashion Retail Rankings as Most Considered Brand
United States Launches Trade Investigation Into Allies Over Forced Labour Practices
United States Launches Trade Investigation Into Allies Over Forced Labour Practices
Russia Accuses Britain Over Storm Shadow Strike as London Reaffirms Ukraine’s Right to Self-Defence
Russia Accuses Britain Over Storm Shadow Strike as London Reaffirms Ukraine’s Right to Self-Defence
Royal Navy to Acquire Twenty Uncrewed Surface Vessels for Autonomous Warfare Testing
Russia Summons British and French Envoys After Ukrainian Storm Shadow Strike on Strategic Facility
Starmer Confirms Britain Will Maintain Sanctions on Russia Despite U.S. Policy Shift
UK Moves to Refine AI Definition in Investment Security Reform
UK Economy Stalls in January as Growth Unexpectedly Falls to Zero
Asian Energy Security Tested as Strait of Hormuz Disruption Threatens Oil Supplies
Iran Sets Three Conditions for Ending Regional War as Diplomatic Efforts Intensify
Tesla Secures Approval to Supply Electricity Directly to Homes Across Britain
Prince William Delivers Tribute to Australia’s Naval Alliance Amid Renewed Royal Spotlight on the Country
UK Foreign Secretary Travels to Saudi Arabia to Reinforce Support for Regional Allies
Putin’s ‘Hidden Hand’ May Be Assisting Iran in Conflict With Trump, UK Defence Secretary Warns
UK Sets April Deadline for Tech Platforms to Strengthen Online Protections for Children
Elon Musk Moves Into Britain’s Energy Market as Tesla Wins Licence to Supply Power
UK Watchdog Warns Fuel Retailers Against Profiteering Amid Iran War Price Surge
Report Claims Iran Used UK Charity Network to Expand Influence
United States and United Kingdom Establish Joint Standards for Counter-Drone Technology
Iran May Be Laying Naval Mines in Strait of Hormuz, UK Warns Amid Escalating Gulf Tensions
US Deploys Bunker-Buster Bombs to UK Airbase as Iran Conflict Intensifies
British Troops in Iraq Intercept Iranian Drones Targeting Coalition Base
Release of Mandelson Files Raises Tensions as UK Seeks Stable Relations With Donald Trump
UK Documents Reveal Starmer Was Warned About Mandelson’s Epstein Links Before Ambassador Appointment
Nearly Five Hundred UK Mortgage Deals Withdrawn in Two Days as Market Volatility Forces Lenders to Reprice
Three Cargo Ships Hit Near Iran as Attacks Spread to Strategic Strait of Hormuz
Why British Police Repeatedly Declined to Investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s UK Links
UK Parliament Ends Hereditary Seats in House of Lords, Closing Chapter on Centuries of Aristocratic Lawmaking
EU and UK Urge Israel to Act Against Rising West Bank Settler Violence Amid Regional Tensions
US Senator John Kennedy Says Keir Starmer Should Not Be Trusted for Military Advice Amid Iran War Debate
UK High Court Rejects Attempt to Revive Terrorism Charge Against Kneecap Rapper
Revolut Secures Full UK Banking Licence After Multi-Year Regulatory Wait
Kentucky’s Bench Boost Powers Wildcats Past LSU in SEC Tournament Opener
British Couple Die After Being Pulled From Water at Australian Beach During Family Visit
Global Energy Agency Announces Record Release of 400 Million Barrels to Stabilize Oil Markets Amid Hormuz Disruption
British Airways Suspends UK Repatriation Flights as Middle East Travel Disruption Deepens
US Forces Prepare Ordnance at RAF Fairford as Strategic Bombers Deploy for Middle East Operations
Nigel Farage Faces Criticism After Saying Britain Should Stay Out of Iran War
Landmark UK Trial Begins Over Sony’s PlayStation Store Pricing
UK High Court Rejects Bid to Challenge Britain’s Chagos Islands Agreement With Mauritius
Finnish Duo Triumphs in England’s Annual Wife-Carrying Race, Winning a Barrel of Ale
How U.S. and UK National Security Strategies Are Reshaping the Global Business Landscape
Green Party Gains Momentum as Labour Shifts Toward the Political Centre
Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Dragon Sets Sail for Eastern Mediterranean as Regional Tensions Rise
UK Homebuilder Persimmon Warns Iran Conflict Could Dent Property Buyer Confidence
Roman Abramovich Signals Legal Fight if UK Seeks to Seize Chelsea Sale Funds
×