Sheikh Muhammad's marriage to Princess Haya & her role in Dubai

[maryshawn]

I know the sleep thing all too well....and thanks to "falling back" today into or out of daylight savings time--I always get it wrong, I'm really confused today! Yes, you did point out that Haya has been involved in charitable endeavors, too!

I don't think a public photo exists of Hind. While I respect the culture, it would be nice to see one. I've heard she's very attractive and kind when one meets her in person.

Haya is in a complicated situation, one that invites comparisons, because she is not the only wife--in addition to the fact she is from Jordan, where customs are different. PH was raised to think nothing of having a camera pointed in her direction while obviously this is just not done in S Hind's case. It's kind of a shame because, in the west, people are going to know somewhat more about what PH is doing, while SH is anonymous. You've got to be doing something right to have the love and respect shown to her by so many......so it's going to be an uphill challenge for PH for awhile--or so it seems to me. It does help her husband is incredibly supportive. Had she not had that, I think her life would be very difficult.

My question is why is the privacy of Hind so important that not so much as a photo of her can be taken or published? From what is this tradition derived? Even her speeches, while they may be written by her, seem to be delivered by others, albeit I believe she is present. If anyone has any insights, they'd be greatly appreciated.

You're right, Sommone. What you posted was "Instead look at it as one more person who can contribute to the important issues like these." Sorry for putting words in your mouth. I think the essence is the same: One more person to help out where help is needed is a good thing IMO.

The little I know of Haya was better explained by Humera when she added that Haya has been involved in charitable endeavors before, so this is nothing new. It helps round out the picture.QUOTE]


I'm not offended, MS...thanks for helping to get my thoughts together. That conclusion was what I was going for, but I hadn't had much sleep the day I typed that post, and well, it just wasn't coming out right. Not to toot my own horn, but I also pointed out that Haya had previously done charity work in Jordan before leaving to pursue her horse related endeavors.

 

[maryshawn]

I always learn something from your posts, Saba; thank you. What is the age difference between Haya and her husband? I agree with the comparison between QN and PH, by the way. Taking it a step further, do you ever see a time when PH may be widowed and is in the position of wanting or being wanted around in the UAE? Or will her stepchildren want her out? I'm still not sure if QN is choosing to steer clear of Jordan for long periods of time or if she feels unwelcome there? I think it's her choice--for whatever reason. Now, like QN, PH has her husband to go to bat for her. What happens when that's no longer the case? I know you can't predict the future but would appreciate the insights you or others have on this matter.

Being the wife of a very popular and outspoken Crown Prince, Princess Haya is in no way shunned in places where it matters. With some people Haya just can not win; however for the next generation she will do quite well. Sheika Fatima bin Mubarak of Abu Dhabi is very outspoken and publicized for her charitable endeavors, always has been. Haya reminds me a lot of Queen Noor when she married King Hussein, (haya's father) it took awhile but she made a difference and Haya will as well in Dubai, her husband will make sure of it.

 

[julial]

the problem of marrying a much older man is that he usually passess away lot earlier than you.

 

[HRHAmy]

Do you think Haya really is happy with her descion to Marry the Prince? In this picture she looks like of somber and the prince looks mean. She seems like a strong willed woman and she probably wouldn't have married him if she didn't love him right? I hope they are happy. What do you think?

Image

 

[Humera]

are you talking about the last picture HRHAmy?

 

[manoula]

guys have u heared of the word LOVE???!!! maybe they wherer in love. but one question who is MO?? i understood that haya is a the king sister.

 

[Roshanah]

I believe that Haya inded loves her Husband and indeed like her Mother
she would have had to have felt completely sae at at ease with Muhammad is she was to marry him. I can only speak for mysel and say that I do not think that she is an unscrupulous Woman.

In addition to that I merely pointed out that she had to marry a Man not only with the aforementioned qualities but the ability to respect her in life. Not every male in the world can do so.

guys have u heared of the word LOVE???!!! maybe they wherer in love. but one question who is MO?? i understood that haya is a the king sister.

Sheikh Mumahammad bin Rasheed Al-Maktoum is the Al-Wali Ahad (Crown Prince) of Dubai and Distinguished Defence Minister of the United Arab Emirates. At present dubbed the Roshest Man on Earth.

 

[Iman]

I don't understand and confused about one thing:

How can sheikh Mohamed hide his first wife, nobody sees her in public so nobody can a photo of her. This in contradiction of his second wife princess Haya. She is walking with a lot of men and you can see the details of her body if she is wearing tight clothes. I image men are looking to her in these tight clothes, refering to the photo.

Is this man only jalous on his wife sheikha Hind and not on his wife princess Haya, men are looking to her?

I think this man has a strange/extreme behaviour.

For wich wife has this man respect?
For sheikha Hind or for princess Haya or for none?

 

[houri]

what you think about the role of princess Haya as a stepmother I know the children of MO don't need a mother but for sure they contact with her regularly especially the older children who share with her the same interest in horses and racing etc ...

 

[maryshawn]

It's a good question but I have no idea..... Perhaps someone from Dubai or the UAE or more familiar with PHaya and her husband and the whole family would know.

I think PHaya looks lovely. I've never seen a photo of Hind but, from all I've read, she does many great things--which makes her a lovely person in my book. As has been noted--last post I recall was Humera's and I agree--both ladies do independent, progressive things. They seem to have different interests and act accordingly by lending their support to the causes they care most about.

what you think about the role of princess Haya as a stepmother I know the children of MO don't need a mother but for sure they contact with her regularly especially the older children who share with her the same interest in horses and racing etc ...

 

[Roshanah]

I think that Princess Haya would make a great Step-Mother. I saw her when she conducted a Tour of my Country, where she aided little Children. She was the image of Motherhood, as she treated the Children she saw as if they were her own.

With regards to her Step-Children, indeed they odn't need a Step-Mother but it's a great stepping stone to forming a wonderful relationship with them. Moreover, Such a relationship would prove timeless in the future.

 

[lizz70]

Spent a lot of time in DXB and even the people that don't like Sheikh Mo, well they respect him and his achievements and his vision for the place.

Whether this will all backfire in a few years when DXB is overdeveloped Disneyland in the Desert is another thing but Sheikh Mo has had the foresight to try to develop the country as a top tourist destination for when the oil runs out.

I think DXB will become a parody of itself but as long as the Emiratis have one of the highest living standards in the world, I don't think Sheikh Mo cares.

Haya is a shrewd woman and at nearly 30, there weren't amny suitable men of a similar rank for her to marry. I don't think this marriage was purely financial, yes, I agree power and status come into it but also protection and security - things Haya was lacking in her life. Sheikh Mo can give that and also they have a genuine love of horses to share.

Must admit, I would love to be a fly on the wall in those royal palaces though...... wht really is the Hind/Haya situation?????

 

[Little_star]

"Haya is a shrewd woman and at nearly 30, there weren't amny suitable men of a similar rank for her to marry. I don't think this marriage was purely financial, yes, I agree power and status come into it but also protection and security - things Haya was lacking in her life. Sheikh Mo can give that and also they have a genuine love of horses to share."

I've always thought that, people generally claim she's a gold-digger but I've always thought there was more to it than that.

 

[lizz70]

"Haya is a shrewd woman and at nearly 30, there weren't amny suitable men of a similar rank for her to marry. I don't think this marriage was purely financial, yes, I agree power and status come into it but also protection and security - things Haya was lacking in her life. Sheikh Mo can give that and also they have a genuine love of horses to share."

I've always thought that, people generally claim she's a gold-digger but I've always thought there was more to it than that.

I spent a lot of time in the Middle East and even though a woman is royal, it is still tough to get along on one's own without being judged in some way as a single woman, I mean. You are always defined by your relationships with others.

I don't think Haya is a gold digger at all - I think she and Sheikh Mo have found genuine companionship. They were known to be seeing each other a lot and in some ways I suppose they had to marry to stop rumours and and disgrace but I don't think that takes away from the genuine admiration they have for one another.

We don't know what Sheika Hind thinks of it - I wonder what King Hussein would have thought of it.

Life is short and maybe Mo and Haya are taking their happiness where they can. I must admit when I heard, I was really shocked but I have gotten used to it now. I do wonder about Sheika Hind though, you see even if Mo hadn't married Haya, there have been plenty of other women over the years and whether Mo married again or not, he could have put Hind to one side. Either way, Hind was going to lose if you look at it that way. Mo was always going to be the winner in all of this. I hope this marriage gives Haya what she needs.

 

[julial]

I also think that PHaya at the age nearly 30, was probably very, very, old for ME standard-enter Sheikh Mo, old enough to make her look young-did actually rescue her. She probably plotted on meeting him one way or another so she could secure her future. Otherwise, she looked so invisible compared to Rania who became the Queen by her husband.

 

[lizz70]

I also think that PHaya at the age nearly 30, was probably very, very, old for ME standard-enter Sheikh Mo, old enough to make her look young-did actually rescue her. She probably plotted on meeting him one way or another so she could secure her future. Otherwise, she looked so invisible compared to Rania who became the Queen by her husband.

I don't think Haya is a gold digger. Sure she wasn't super wealthy like the Gulf royals but if there was trade off, I don't think it was all one way.

Sheikh Mo may be rich beyond belief but Haya is a Hashemite Princess with the blood of the Prophet (PBUH) in her veins - something no amount of money can buy

I don't think Haya is invisible. Rania is a beautiful woman (even though I agree she had a bit of discreet help) and a strong woman but she is only where she is because she is married to King Abdullah. If he divorced her tomorrow and took another wife - what then????

Haya may not be conventionally beautiful but she is vivacious and natural and lots of people in the ME have a soft spot for her, she comes from the heart, which is not really a feeling one gets with Rania, who although giving immaculate and polished performances, seems a bit more in her head generally speaking.

I like both women very much but they are very different.

Also, I don't think Sheikh Mo is so stupid as to be taken in by silly plots. I don't think that man is naive at all, in any sense of the word. His majlis is awash with intrigue and gossip, he grew up with it. He is not at all stupid.

 

[Little_star]

"I spent a lot of time in the Middle East and even though a woman is royal, it is still tough to get along on one's own without being judged in some way as a single woman, I mean. You are always defined by your relationships with others."
The Middle east is not the only society to judge women who are 30 and alone, every culture appears to do so.

"I don't think Haya is a gold digger at all"
I don't think money was her only objective in marrying Mo, but it was definitely one of them.
"- I think she and Sheikh Mo have found genuine companionship. They were known to be seeing each other a lot and in some ways I suppose they had to marry to stop rumours and and disgrace but I don't think that takes away from the genuine admiration they have for one another."
I think that was noticeable after the marriage, I remember the wedding photo and while Haya was radiant, they were stilted and awkward together.

 

[lizz70]

"I spent a lot of time in the Middle East and even though a woman is royal, it is still tough to get along on one's own without being judged in some way as a single woman, I mean. You are always defined by your relationships with others."
The Middle east is not the only society to judge women who are 30 and alone, every culture appears to do so.

"I don't think Haya is a gold digger at all"
I don't think money was her only objective in marrying Mo, but it was definitely one of them.
"- I think she and Sheikh Mo have found genuine companionship. They were known to be seeing each other a lot and in some ways I suppose they had to marry to stop rumours and and disgrace but I don't think that takes away from the genuine admiration they have for one another."
I think that was noticeable after the marriage, I remember the wedding photo and while Haya was radiant, they were stilted and awkward together.

I agree little star, it is tough being a woman alone anywhere in the world!!! I wasn't singling the ME out for special treatment, I love the ME.

Also, Emirates is very conservative place and so they couldn't relax or be familiar in front of the cameras - anyway, they must have known what everyone was saying about them. I don't think I would have relaxed either.

 

[ZZZ]

Also, Emirates is very conservative place and so they couldn't relax or be familiar in front of the cameras - anyway, they must have known what everyone was saying about them. I don't think I would have relaxed either.

please explain what you mean by emirates?

 

[lizz70]

I mean the United Arab Emirates.

 

[ZZZ]

I mean the United Arab Emirates.

i know what the emirates is...... i mean what do you mean in your post - what do you mean by the "Emirates is very conservative place and so they couldn't relax or be familiar in front of the cameras - anyway, they must have known what everyone was saying about them. I don't think I would have relaxed either" ??

 

[julial]

i know what the emirates is...... i mean what do you mean in your post - what do you mean by the "Emirates is very conservative place and so they couldn't relax or be familiar in front of the cameras - anyway, they must have known what everyone was saying about them. I don't think I would have relaxed either" ??

That they were dating pre-marriage for a while-now if he did not marry her, then she would be disgraced. That was my understanding...

 

[lizz70]

Thank you Iman - you understood what I was getting at. I meant that amongst a lot of Emirati society ( an d I mean Emirati, not ex-pat Western or even ex-pat Arab) were very disapproving of this marriage and situation. Haya and Sheikh Mo knew what was being said about them behind their backs, they also know what the feeling is nowadays amongst most of muslim society about having more than one wife at a time, that it is looked down upon.

It must have been very difficult to be a carefree couple in public with the weight of such disapproval on your shoulders, not only in UAE but also other countries too.

 

[Amina]

I don't understand and confused about one thing:

How can sheikh Mohamed hide his first wife, nobody sees her in public so nobody can a photo of her. This in contradiction of his second wife princess Haya. She is walking with a lot of men and you can see the details of her body if she is wearing tight clothes. I image men are looking to her in these tight clothes, refering to the photo.

Is this man only jalous on his wife sheikha Hind and not on his wife princess Haya, men are looking to her?

I think this man has a strange/extreme behaviour.

For wich wife has this man respect?
For sheikha Hind or for princess Haya or for none?

I believe what it is, is that SHind performs duties but is not photographed doing to in public. I think the wives of rulers in the UAE are NEVER photographed in public. PH being from a different country she would not want to be not photographed.

I don't feel that the clothes PH wears are tight at all. She often wears kaftans (is that what they are called?) and covers her head when performing duties in Dubai. Sheikh Mo has respect it seems to me, for BOTH wives. PH is an intelligent woman and if SMo was desrespecting her in anyway she would have left him a long time ago!

 

[SheriBeri]

Why is it so HARD for some people to accept PH when everyone seems to know there are other women in Sheik Mohammad's life, past and present? Why can't they accept her and the lovely things she brings to the Emirates? What has she done that is so terrible? She seems gracious and a credit to representing him or Dubai when called upon to do so. AND if she is a descendent of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), why can't people give her a little more respect since religion is a large part of the culture here? I guess I just don't understand.

Actually it is kind of a shame that they are not able to be photographed together more often. At the Dubai World Cup races he just walked and she had to keep up. He seems to be all business, although I think it is tender the way he acts around children (at those schools he recently visited).

 

[MoonlightRhapsody]

Question, and this is no way to provoke any disagreements, but I've noticed that she's almost never referred to as the Sheik's second wife. She's referred to as "his wife", with a conotation that she's the only one but that's not true. I was wondering if that's just the Western view or that's the overall view of the media.

 

[bbb]

Why is it so HARD for some people to accept PH when everyone seems to know there are other women in Sheik Mohammad's life, past and present? Why can't they accept her and the lovely things she brings to the Emirates? What has she done that is so terrible? She seems gracious and a credit to representing him or Dubai when called upon to do so. AND if she is a descendent of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), why can't people give her a little more respect since religion is a large part of the culture here? I guess I just don't understand.

I think PH is lovely and is working very hard for her (new) country and its people. Not being from the culture and as such not understanding some customs i just assume its none of my business as long as she's happy and she certainly looks radiant in these photos. I mean no disrespect to anyone.

 

[SheriBeri]

It would seem that PHaya has had to take on additional responsibilities as the wife of ShMo with various charities, much like Princess Diana did when she married Prince Charles. It is part of what royalty does. They have alot of exposure and thus are able to accomplish more than a regular person simply because they are of public interest and influence. Did you ever think that perhaps there are days she would like to stay home and put her feet up with a good book, but she has obligations and responsibilities and these must come before her personal wants. I think she is a great spokesperson for women in the UAE and thank goodness she is allowed to be photographed at her various functions. She is very sweet and sincere looking and I'll bet she is proud of what she has been able to do for people in the UAE.

She does look radiant. What a beautiful woman. And not arrogant looking either. Very down to earth.

 

[ZZZ]

I think she is a great spokesperson for women in the UAE and thank goodness she is allowed to be photographed at her various functions.

Spokesperson for UAE women?what do you mean?she has not spoken for them not even once and I dont think that UAE women will appreciate her to speak for them, because they have there own royals to do that....

About being photographed, I wish and hope she will get a stylist soon, because it seems she has been dressing in anything that comes along...

what she has been able to do for people in the UAE.

What has she done for the UAE people?Donated money?Helped with rebuilding homes?she has just atteneded few functions in dxb

 

[SheriBeri]

PHaya Accomplishments

I see this is a touchy subject. I am not from here so I tend to look at her accomplishments more universally. (i.e. did not know she did not "represent" UAE women, my apologies). As to donating money, would that not be ShMo who would endow her the $$ to donate? don't know. How about the time she spends in promoting the various charities (especially the children related charities - even Sh Mo does that, doesn't he?). Please enlighten me. I also think her looks are lovely. Very regal. Don't know what you would expect her to wear. She evidently doesn't wear abayas, so what would you suggest? It seems she doesn't stand a chance with some of the people here in UAE, is that correct? Why?