Dubai princess’s Instagram account announces divorce

The daughter of the ruler of Dubai appears to have announced her divorce on social media.

A post from Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s verified Instagram account said she was ending her marriage, reading: “I hereby declare my divorce.”

The BBC has contacted officials in the country to find out more about the issue.

There has been no public comment from Sheikha Mahra’s husband, Sheikh Mana bin Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mana Al Maktoum, or her father.

The post begins with “Dear husband”, ends with – “I divorce you, I divorce you, and I divorce you”, seemingly using the Islamic practice known as triple talaq.

This practice has been banned in many countries, but often allows a husband to quickly divorce his wife by saying “I divorce you” three times.

“Be careful. My ex-wife,” the Instagram post added.

All images of Sheikha Mahra’s husband appear to have been deleted from her account. Sheikh Mana’s account also appears to have been deleted of images of his wife.

The couple married in April 2023 in a lavish ceremony and their first child was born two months ago.

Some Instagram users have speculated that Sheikha Mahra’s account may have been hacked. There has been no official indication of this. At the time of publication, her divorce announcement post was listed as one day old.

The Dubai government and the UAE embassy in London did not immediately respond to requests for comment.