Princess Latifa Al Maktoum

I think the media should continue to highlight this story. It's important to let these people know that their behaviour is unacceptable in a civilised society.

Sheikh Mohammed’s youngest wife is still in London too after escaping from her husband the other year. Was she mentioned in the programme?

He not only owns a huge racing stud here but large swathes of property and land in the UK.

I feel so sorry for this poor young woman. There was an excellent documentary about her escape attempt a year or so ago but what has happened to her is just the tip of an iceberg.

Our Royal Family have done a good job of making their children unhappy and disrespect for women is shown in all cultures. Women are paid less, educated less, they do more housework, low paid-low value work, are subject to male violence and trafficking. I'm sure this will be unpopular with some and of course it's a generalisation and won't apply to many who contribute on Gransnet but it doesn't take much research to discover this picture.

Like others, I cannot imagine why people want to go to Dubai. I have a friend who has a son living there, he has a wife and several children. They like it because they can live in an exclusive estate and have a servant/nanny and the wife doesn't have to work. Said friend is a former social worker and rampant liberal and lifelong Labour Party member. I find the cognitive sleight of mind interesting and I suppose it's how inequalities and injustice continues.

I have always tried to live a considered life and not to take advantage of others, I used to want to change the world but now I no longer know where to begin. I'm just thankful I was born into the family and life I have, with all its frustrations, at least I'm not Princess Latifa.

Wild horses wouldn't be able to drag me to visit Dubai again. We stayed there for 2 nights on our way to South Africa. I thought the place was awful as a holiday destination; nothing to see, just huge 8-lane carriageways and shopping malls and you can't really walk anywhere, it's all about cars. The only redeeming features for us were the beaches and the hotel staff were very friendly. Eating out was expensive, and if you like a glass of wine with your meal (alcohol is allowed in hotels) the cheapest bog standard table wine was £60+ (and that was 5 years ago!). I know that alcohol is banned as part of their culture, and you need to bear this in mind when visiting.

Just looked it up - 142, 000 migrant workers in Singapore infected ( 47% of total number) whereas only 4.000 non migrants tested positive. Behind so many apparently wealthy and successful countries is a dreadful story of exploitation. It’s the modern day equivalent of slavery really.

Sadly Dubai is not alone in that - the pandemic has revealed the plight of migrant workers living in dreadful conditions in other countries as well - I think Singapore is another example

Iam64

The silence from Princess Letifa does suggest at the least her mobile has been discovered or that she has been killed. I hope her supporters continue to keep this in the public eye. Avelibe makes a good point, the Sheikh won’t welcome the bad publicity.

I’ve never understood the pull of Dubai, Lis Vegas in the desert. Visitors and westerners employed there seem to forget, ignore, or be ignorant of the fact they are subject to its medieval criminal justice system. It’s too much to ask the “celebs’ to boycott this paradise in support of Letifa, any woman in the kingdom in fact

I absolutely agree with your second paragraph Iam, such a popular destination, sounds incredibly vulgar and over blinged imo wild horses wouldn't drag me there. It doesn't appear to have any of the pull factor as far as ancient sites and antiquities that other Arabic destinations offer. Wall to wall shopping malls might well have appealed in my younger days, but are my idea of hell now! Most concerning is the way Dubai appears to treat it's migrant work force, not much better than slaves allegedly

It’s about male dominance, power and supremacy- he has to win and be seen to win. Never mind, when racing’s allowed, he’ll be back in the Royal Box with the Queen at Ascot.

Why can't he just let her leave! I'm sure he could afford to give her an allowance to live anywhere she wanted to. It's just sheer bloody mindedness and cruelty.

Latifa's father has at least twenty five children Latifa has two older half-sisters with the same name. I think this tells us a lot about the low regard for a daughter.

The silence from Princess Letifa does suggest at the least her mobile has been discovered or that she has been killed. I hope her supporters continue to keep this in the public eye. Avelibe makes a good point, the Sheikh won’t welcome the bad publicity.

I’ve never understood the pull of Dubai, Lis Vegas in the desert. Visitors and westerners employed there seem to forget, ignore, or be ignorant of the fact they are subject to its medieval criminal justice system. It’s too much to ask the “celebs’ to boycott this paradise in support of Letifa, any woman in the kingdom in fact

She's not a British citizen and Raab was right to say that he doesn't have any actual right to do anything at this point. However, he was very concerned and is watching the UN to see what they are doing about it. Personally, I suspect that poor Princess Latifa is just one of many women detained in this way and forced to lead highly restricted lives for 'cultural and historic reasons' but we just don't hear about them. It stinks. It's not right.
I reckon all we can do as a country is to raise the topic frequently and publicly as a means to embarrass and hopefully humiliate the Sheikh. He really won't like that. On a personal level, ever since I first heard of this woman's plight, I would never take an Emirates flight or ever travel to or via Dubai. Its not much I know but its a start. If Dubai became an international place to avoid that would help.

Her father could eat her alive on TV and we’d still do nothing. It’s all about trade - we do a nice line in arms exports to them which come in handy killing defenceless civilians in Yemen. Meanwhile as said above our royal family hobnob with them ( unelected leaders club) and our royal family women have priceless jewellery gifted from this ruthless dictatorship locked in their safes. As if our Govt gives a flying fig ???

There are a great many countries still living in the 9th century. Underneath the facade of modernity the UAE is still one of them.
We even allow their antiquated justice system to operate in the United Kingdom so it is unlikely that our government will intervene.

No ones going to get involved - he’s too rich and well connected. It will be written off as a private family matter.

Yes there should be people in power unlike Dominic Raab to stand up to these regimes. And the Queen what use entertaining these types of people having banquets. No proper Head of State she has nothing to do with our constitution so does'nt speak out Just enjoys all the benefits and privilege.

What can be done about a princess trapped by her own father Al Maktoum to live like that?

I was also disappointed to see Mary Robinson's rather unconvincing effort to absolve herself from accusations that she had in some way facilitated Latifa's continuing imprisonment.

Even if it were the case that Latifa was vulnerable due to bi polar disorder (and that is very questionable), would that justify seizing her forcibly and locking her up in a building with no windows and where she was deprived of any human contact? As one commentator stated, such treatment is tantamount to torture.