by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

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Princess Haya of Jordan

Princess Haya bint Al Hussein of Jordan was born on May 3, 1974. She is the daughter of King Hussein of Jordan and his third wife, Queen Alia (the former Alia Baha Ad-Din Touqan). Just a few months before her third birthday, her mother died in a helicopter crash. Haya and her siblings were raised by her father and his fourth wife, Queen Noor, who were married in 1978.

Haya has a younger brother and an older adopted sister:

• Prince Ali (born 1975), married Rym Brahimi, a former CNN journalist, had two children
• Abir Muhaisen (born 1972, adopted in 1976), Abir had been orphaned when her mother was killed in a plane crash at a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan

 

Haya has a number of half-siblings from her father’s other three marriages.

From her father’s first marriage to Sharifa Dina bint ‘Abdu’l-Hamid (Queen Dina):

• Princess Alia (born 1956), married (1) Lieutenant-Colonel Nasser Wasfi Mirza, had one son, divorced  (2) Sayyid Mohammed Al-Saleh, had two children

From her father’s second marriage to Antoinette Avril Gardiner (Princess Muna):

• King Abdullah II (born 1962), married Rania al Yassin, had four children
• Prince Feisal (born 1963), married (1) Alia Tabbaa, had four children, divorced (2) Sara Bassam Qabbani, no children, divorced (3) Zeina Lubbadeh, had two children
• Princess Aisha (born 1968), married (1) Zeid Saadedine Juma, had two children, divorced  (2) Ashraf Banayoti, no children, divorced
• Princess Zein (born 1968), married Majdi Farid Al-Saleh, had three children

From her father’s fourth marriage to Lisa Najeeb Halaby (Queen Noor):

• Hamzah bin Al Hussein, formerly Prince Hamzah of Jordan  (born 1980), married (1) Princess Noor bint Asem bin Nayef, had one daughter, divorced  (2) Basmah Bani Ahmad, had five children
• Prince Hashim (born 1981), married Fahdah Mohammed Abunayyan, had five children
• Princess Iman (born 1983), married Zaid Azmi Mirza, had one son, divorced
• Princess Raiyah (born 1986), married Ned Donovan

Princess Haya was educated in England, attending the Badminton School and the Bryanston School, before enrolling at St Hilda’s College, Oxford University. She graduated with an Honors Degree BA MA, in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE).

 

A skilled equestrian, Princess Haya was the first female to represent Jordan internationally in show jumping. She won individual bronze at the 1992 Pan Arab Games (becoming the first female ever to have won a Pan-Arab medal in equestrian sports). She was named Equestrian Personality of the Year in 1996, by the Spanish Equestrian Federation. In 2000, she competed in the Sydney Olympic Games and was also flag-bearer for the Jordanian athletes. In 2002, she became the first Arab woman to qualify and compete in the equestrian world championship when she competed in the FEI World Equestrian Games. During this time, in order to be able to transport her horses herself, she became the first Jordanian woman to obtain a license to drive heavy trucks. She was also the first Jordanian athlete to turn pro, signing a commercial contract with an Italian designer in May 2000.

In 2003, Princess Haya founded and became Chairperson of Tkiyet Um Ali – the first food aid NGO in the Arab World, in honor of her mother, Queen Alia. She also served as World Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador from 2005-2007, the first Arab, and the first woman, to serve in this role.

Since 2006, she has served as President of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), serving two terms. In August 2014, she announced that she will not seek a third term.

2007 saw the Princess take on several new roles. She was appointed Chairperson of the International Humanitarian City (IHC) and became a member of the International Olympic Committee. In September 2007, she was named a UN Messenger of Peace by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. And the following month, former Secretary-General Kofi Annan chose her to become a founding member of the Global Humanitarian Forum.

Princess Haya also serves as Global Patron for the World Academy of Sport, President of the UAE Nursing and Midwifery Council, Chairperson of Dubai Healthcare City Authority, President of the Princess Haya Biotechnology Center at Jordan University of Science and Technology, and Honorary President of the Queen Alia Foundation for Hearing & Speech. In addition, she works closely with the World Food Programme and UNICEF.

 

Princess Haya became the junior wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Emir of Dubai, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, on April 10, 2004. The couple had two children:

• Sheikha Al Jalila bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (born 2007)
• Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (born 2012)

Sheikh Mohammed divorced Princess Haya under Sharia Law in February 2019 but he did not inform Haya. In the early summer of 2019, Princess Haya took her two children and fled to London where she sought political asylum. Haya now lives in London and as an envoy of the Embassy of Jordan, she is able to remain in the United Kingdom and was granted diplomatic immunity and protection under the Geneva Convention. In March 2020, the High Court in London ruled that Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum inflicted “exorbitant” domestic abuse on his wife and granted Princess Haya sole custody of their children. In 2021, Haya was granted full custody of her children by a British court.  In March 2022, the British High Court declared that Haya had been a victim of “domestic abuse”, and she was announced as the sole person in charge of the children’s schooling and medical care.

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Princess Haya with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and their two children at Royal Ascot in June 2018

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