DUBAI: A Dubai princess who announced in a video published in March she wasfleeing the emirate has since been “brought back”, a source close to theDubai government said Tuesday.
“What I can confirm is they took her and she was brought back,” the sourcetold AFP by phone on condition of anonymity.
The source said he did not know where the royal – 32-year-old SheikhaLatifa bint Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum – was tracked down or by whom,only that she was now “with her family” and “doing excellent”.
Sheikha Latifa, a daughter of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin RashidMaktoum, first appeared in a YouTube video in March, announcing she wasabout to flee.
“I’m making this video because it could be the last video I make,” shebegan.
Dressed simply in a t-shirt with her hair pulled back and sitting by acurtained window, the young woman appeared to be filming the video herself.
She said she was the daughter of the Dubai ruler and an Algerian mother,Horriya Ahmad, and that she had tried to escape in years past – before shehad access to the internet.
“Pretty soon I’m going to be leaving somehow and I’m not so sure of theoutcome, but I’m 99 percent positive it will work. And, if it doesn’t, thenthis video can help me because all my father cares about is hisreputation,” Latifa said.
She said her leaving was “the start of me claiming my life, my freedom”.
Over the past month, Latifa’s cause has been taken up by a UK-based groupcalled Detained in Dubai, which claims to assist victims of injusticeacross the United Arab Emirates.
The group said the young woman attempted to flee Dubai by ship, but thevessel was intercepted on March 4 – less than 50 miles off the coast ofIndia.
Detained in Dubai has since launched a vocal media campaign on behalf ofthe royal.
The source close to Dubai’s government said it was a “private matter” thathad been “exploited” – accusing rival Qatar of fueling the campaign.
“It is a domestic issue that transformed into a soap opera that transformedinto a rampaging scheme to tarnish the reputation of Dubai and SheikhMohammed,” the source said.
He said Latifa’s three main companions who participated in the escapeattempt – a Finnish woman and two French men, one with dual US citizenship- were wanted in Dubai on previous charges.