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 by 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.

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.