Escape from Dubai: The mystery of the missing princess

[SoulSaver]

I've just watched this on BBC 2 and it is shocking. It looks into the disappearance of Sheikha Latifa, daughter of Sheikh Mohammed, who hasn't been seen or heard of since March this year.

Even though we're aware of the human rights abuses carried out in the Gulf countries, especially against women, to see it demonstrated on a personal level like this really hits it home. The worst thing is that nothing can or will be done about it.

Very depressing for a Thursday night!

[Sinead100]

I just watched this and felt so sad. I have visited the UAE numerous times. This programme has put me off returning.
And its not just the UAE, the Indian Govt were complicit too. Corruption everywhere.

[HestiaParthenos]

I hope she escaped from that helhole and lives happily in some other country, but that's probably very naive, considering she couldn't even have gotten on a plane without a male's permission.

If they aren't going to do anything about a missing princess, you really know how little they care about ordinary women, do you?

[VickyEadie]

I read about this last week. Disturbing.

[PierreBezukov]

Very, very sad. I read that she wanted to die on the boat rather than return.

The whole system is sinister and frankly evil.

[SoulSaver]

The BBC haven't been great recently, but at least they had the courage to show this documentary. I just hope it means more questions get asked at much higher levels and the UAE eventually have to bow down to international pressure.

Can't see that ever happening though...

[Bejazzled]

Horrific story. I wonder if she is alive but locked away like the first time, or have they killed her.

[adultFemaleElf]

In the programme they reported that Dubai is a top destination for British holidaymakers.
So we ordinary people can do something, however small. Just don’t go there, don’t support this regime.
The British royal family were portrayed as being very accepting of the PM (Latifa’s father) he is a big invester in British land, horses etc, they really should get themselves some integrity.

[ILuvBirdsEye]

Shocking story

But wasn't the bloke naive to think he could just sail out with her. He really didn't think it through. Men really don't like their women getting away.

[DancelikeEmmaGoldman]

Reducing the number of foreigners working in, or visiting the UAE would have an impact. As a country they some series structural issues with a citizenship who are heavily reliant on oil money, to the point that the completion of education and subsequent skilled employment by citizens is low in comparison to other countries. This is despite free education and preferential employment.

As the world moves away from fossil fuels, those countries will suffer - refusing skill labour and tourism could have a significant impact.

Unskilled foreign workers in the UAE and across the Arab Peninsula suffer terrible abuses - they are pretty much slaves, victims of endentured labour practices.

The building of the World Cup stadium in Qatar was a human rights scandal.

[AndhowcouldIeverrefuse]

This documentary made me sick... there was nothing new in it but it condensed it all in a powerful hour.

These are evil regimes. It is bad enough that we have to prop them up with every mile we drive - there's no alternative! But to fund them via luxury holidays seems obscene.

Anyone else picked on how the Cambridge police officer was practically sweating with fear? He was so careful with his words... "it would appear... evidence points to... a crime might have been committed". It showed clearly that the rule of law is nothing in front of money.

Nobody can protect these women because of their father's wealth... not even when one of them was on British soil

[ABitCrapper]

I heard something about this on the radio but couldn't hear it properly because of my kids. At first I thought it was some sort of far fetched drama!
I have friends working in Dubai and have heard some awful things from them

[Brocade]

I started a thread on this to ask people currently in Dubai what’s being said on the ground jut after the documentary ended. Nothing in the press that I’ve seen, but when I lived there — ten years ago now — there were lots of rumours about errant royals being ‘disappeared’ and punished within the family. It was always difficult to know what to believe, and nothing was reported, obviously.

Not one response to the thread, though.

And yes, would be very interested to her the FCO denying approaches from high-up UAE officials.

[brizzledrizzle]

I didn't see the programme so thanks for this thread.
AI have a short piece about her (and the others) on their webpage www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde25/8977/2018/en/

[ABitCrapper]

I haven't heard anything explicitly about this from my Dubai friends, but more about workers in the building industry.

[scepticalwoman]

A horrible story - one amongst a torrent of stories anout murdered and abused women in recent weeks.

[Tackytriceratops]

I tried to listen to it on WH yesterday, noisy baby, going to listen again. Can't get my head around it, completely shocking.

[FlippinFumin]

I was saddened by this. And that it had happened to her sister too. I hope she is well. but I very much doubt it.

[thereallifesaffy]

Have never fancied Dubai bc I suspected it of this kind of abuse. Now I know for sure, I won't even stopover there. Awful

[deepwatersolo]

I can already see Merkel‘s Twitter banning any mention of it in the name of being inclusive.
As for Latifa‘s inability to interest any media or kick start this ‚escape Dubai‘ NGO into action: I sure wonder how far the tentacles of the UAE reached there, preventing action.

[Charley50]

Such a sad story. Such abuse of women in the Middle East. The Egyptian celebrity (I think Actress) arrested last week on obscenity charges for wearing a see through long dress that showed her legs.
It's another world. Although it's pretty shit for women in the West too, in so many ways.

[beenandgoneandbackagain]

A friend of mine gave me some books to read about how life was for women in the UAE. I was in tears for most of it - young women drowned by their fathers in the family swimming pool for the sin of talking to a non-family man. Women locked in rooms and unable to see anyone for years and years and years for bringing some perceived shame upon their family. Girl babies buried alive in the desert for the shame of being born female. Girls having their clitorises and labia removed without anaesthetic so they could never have sexual fulfilment (I won't say FGM because that lessens the horror of it). Women being beaten and killed regularly and it being within the law because it was their own family doing it. I don't understand how anyone can go to such a country and support them through tourism.

[chickensaresafehere]

Why do people want to go there?!
Hideous country,shocking human rights.
Her story is heartbreaking. Women are the lowest of the low.
It just makes me very sad & angry.
Pil have just been on a holiday there & I have zero interest in their holiday stories 

[PierreBezukov]

not one response to the thread, though.

brocade there was a thread recently fullnof Mumsnetters who live in the UAE making out it's got a clean human rights record and all is fine and dandy there for women and foreign workers.

The wilful blindness was astonishing.

[Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow]

I am afraid that if anyone tells me they are visiting as a tourist, I assume they are a mindless and vacuous zombie.

[Katvonblackdeath]

DH was telling me about this programme this morning.
Grim