A lawyer revealed that the former wife of the Dubai ruler's grandson has disappeared along with her children, with no contact since Tuesday, amid a fierce custody battle with her ex-husband.
On Thursday, 4 Jun 2026 GMT+7, David Haigh, a British human rights lawyer, disclosed that Zainab Jawadlee, the former wife of the Dubai ruler's grandson, has mysteriously vanished, with no contact since the previous Tuesday. Meanwhile, BBC reported that her home in Dubai was locked and empty.
Jawadlee had consistently expressed concerns about her safety, as she was caught in a prolonged, intense custody battle with her ex-husband, Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, lasting several years.
BBC reached out to multiple officials in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for comment on the situation but had received no response so far.
Jawadlee's friends began to sense something was wrong and raised an alert after calls and messages to her on Tuesday went unanswered.
Haigh, the British lawyer and activist, said he last spoke with Jawadlee on Tuesday night, and since then she has “vanished” with no one seeing or hearing from her or her three young daughters.
He told BBC that no authorities have given “a single answer” about what has happened to her.
Jawadlee's mother, who recently arrived in Dubai to visit, went to Jawadlee’s home later and found the house empty, with the locks on the doors changed.
BBC reported that Jawadlee's mother has now contacted Dubai police and the Azerbaijani consulate, as Azerbaijan is Jawadlee’s country of origin.
Reports further stated that for months, Jawadlee rarely left her home, fearing security officials might abduct her children or detain her.
Last year, her ex-husband filed a police report accusing her of abducting their daughters.
This incident occurred amid a fierce custody dispute in which the children have frequently moved between their parents, with each side accusing the other of kidnapping the children.
Jawadlee, a former national gymnast, also faces possible arrest on electronic crime charges in the UAE after she livestreamed a confrontation in 2025.
In a video sent to David Haigh, who advocates for her rights, Jawadlee explained, “I knew it was my last chance to be with my children because they would never let me see them again. I firmly believe this was my last opportunity, so I decided to livestream and call for help.”
Meanwhile, during custody hearings, the lawyer for Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum accused Jawadlee of being an unfit mother, alleging she did not send her daughters to school, took them to unsuitable places while staying in hotels, and endangered the health of the youngest daughter.
However, Jawadlee denied these allegations, and her legal team has submitted evidence to refute the claims in court.
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Source:bbc