Sheikha
Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...
Shamsa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, شمسة بنت محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم, ''Shamsā bint Muḥammad bin Rāshid al-Maktūm''; born 15 August 1981)
is an Emirati princess and a member of the
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
ruling family. Her father, Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم, links=no; ; born 15 July 1949) is the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, vice president, prime minister, and minister of defence of the United Arab Emir ...
, is the prime minister of the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
, and her mother, Huriah Ahmed al M'aash, is from
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
. She is the full sister of Sheikha
Maitha
Maitha is a village in Kanpur Dehat district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India.Maitha is founded new tehsil in Kanpur Dehat district and comes under Kanpur Metropolitan Area
Maitha Village
Maitha village is situated from Maitha Railway ...
(born 1980), Sheikha
Latifa
Latifa or Lateefa is a feminine Arabic (لٓطِيفٓة) given name which means "gentle" or "pleasant". It corresponds to the masculine Latif.
Notable persons Lateefa
* Lateefa Al Gaood, Bahraini politician
* Lateefah Simon, American activist
...
(born 1985) and Sheikh
Majid (born 1987).
In July 2000, whilst on holiday in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, she fled her family and stayed with friends in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. In August 2000, she was snatched by men working for her father off the street in
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
, and taken back to Dubai on a private jet. In 2020, a
UK family court found that her father orchestrated her abduction.
Disappearance in 2000
In summer 2000, Shamsa was in the United Kingdom on holiday with her extended family residing at their
Longcross
Longcross is a village in the Borough of Runnymede in Surrey, England, approximately southwest of central London. Its name is thought to come from a marker, placed where the parish boundaries of Chertsey, Chobham and Egham met.
From the start ...
estate near
Chobham
Chobham is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Surrey Heath in Surrey, England.
The village has a small high street area, specialising in traditional trades and motor trades. The River Bourne and its northern tributary, the Hale, ...
in
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
. In an attempt to seek a better future for herself and escape restrictions on her life in Dubai, she used the opportunity to flee from her family in mid July 2000. After her escape, she stayed with friends for a few weeks in a London flat before being found by her family.
In August 2000, Shamsa was forcefully picked up by what she describes as four Arab men carrying guns from the streets of
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
while walking out of a bar and taken back to Dubai on a
private jet
A business jet, private jet, or bizjet is a jet aircraft designed for transporting small groups of people. Business jets may be adapted for other roles, such as the evacuation of casualties or express parcel deliveries, and some are used by pub ...
. In March 2001, after having been contacted by a British solicitor who had spoken to Shamsa, Cambridgeshire police began investigating the incident. During inquiries, people close to Shamsa in the United Kingdom substantiated her story of escape, and the matter was raised in Parliament; the police investigation stalled, however, which was alleged at the time as being due to denial of access to her by Dubai authorities and non-cooperation of the Longcross estate staff.
According to the
Foreign Office
Foreign may refer to:
Government
* Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries
* Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries
** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government
** Foreign office and foreign minister
* Unit ...
, Sheikh Mohammed himself tried to intervene with the British government over the police investigation.
, Shamsa has not been seen in public, after her disappearance.
2018 revival of investigation
In March 2018, Shamsa's sister
Latifa
Latifa or Lateefa is a feminine Arabic (لٓطِيفٓة) given name which means "gentle" or "pleasant". It corresponds to the masculine Latif.
Notable persons Lateefa
* Lateefa Al Gaood, Bahraini politician
* Lateefah Simon, American activist
...
also attempted to escape and was also forcefully recaptured and brought back to Dubai. Her video-statement corroborating story of Shamsa's attempted escape, her own abuse and their imprisonment in a family-owned compound brought the almost two decades old incident back into media focus, as has a
BBC Panorama
''Panorama'' is a British BBC Television current affairs documentary programme. First broadcast in 1953, it is the world's longest-running television news magazine programme. ''Panorama'' has been presented by many well-known BBC presenters, ...
documentary of 16 February 2021 about Latifa's plight.
Appeals by various
human rights group A human rights group, or human rights organization, is a non-governmental organization which advocates for human rights through identification of their violation, collecting incident data, its analysis and publication, promotion of public awareness ...
s and campaigners seeking release of the two sisters made a
United Nations special rapporteur to seek official response from the United Arab Emirates as well.
A few months later in 2019,
Princess Haya
Princess Haya bint Hussein ( ar, الأميرة هيا بنت الحسين; born 3 May 1974) is the daughter of King Hussein of Jordan and his third wife Queen Alia, and the half-sister of King Abdullah II.
She is a graduate of the University ...
had to leave Dubai with her children reportedly due to feeling threatened after inquiring about the sisters on her own.
In December 2018, the police investigation on Shamsa's disappearance was reopened after testimony of Shamsa's cousin Marcus Essabri (then Fatima Essabri) living in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, and their mutual correspondence before her disappearance made her wishes for freedom apparent.
Her cousin, Marcus Essabri, called for the release of both Shamsa and Latifa from Dubai and Sheikh Mohammed's prison. He also features on the BBC Panorama documentary that was originally broadcast on 16 February 2021.
2019 court proceedings
In December 2019, a United Kingdom family court ruled that – on the balance of probabilities – Sheikh Mohammed orchestrated the abductions of Sheikha Latifa and Sheikha Shamsa and subjected Princess Haya to a campaign of "intimidation"; the findings were published in March 2020.
''Re Al M''
019
Nineteen or 19 may refer to:
* 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20
* one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019
Films
* ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film
* ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film
Music ...
EWHC 3415 (Fam)
Police have subsequently said that the lapsed investigation into Shamsa's disappearance is to be reviewed.
See also
* List of people who disappeared
Lists of people who disappeared include those whose current whereabouts are unknown, or whose deaths are unsubstantiated. Many people who disappear are eventually declared dead ''in absentia''. Some of these people were possibly subjected to enfo ...
Ancestry
References
{{authority control
1981 births
2000s missing person cases
Emirati people of Algerian descent
Emirati princesses
Maktoum family
Missing person cases in Asia
Possibly living people
United Arab Emirates–United Kingdom relations
Women from Dubai
Daughters of monarchs