Princess Haya of Jordan to Sheikh Mohamad Bin Rashad Al-Maktoum of Dubai: 2004

[mariam]

Originally posted by trish79nl@Apr 11th, 2004 - 6:05 am

how many children???

Some say 12 some say 16.

[sky]

I don't know how many kids he has but here are ten.

10 children of HH Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum:
Sheik Rashid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum
Sheik Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum
Sheik Maktoum bin Mohammed Al Maktoum
Sheik Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Maktoum
Sheik Saeed bin Mohammed Al Maktoum

Sheika Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum
Sheika Sheika bint Mohammed Al Maktoum
Sheika Mariam bint Mohammed Al Maktoum
Sheika Fatima bint Mohammed Al Maktoum
Sheika Salamah bint Mohammed Al Maktoum

[syima]

I saw it on yahoo news.
Princess Haya got engagement to Dubai's Crown Prince and Defence Minister Mohammed bin Rashed al-Maktoum © at the palace in Amman, following their engagement.


I want to know, is it Princess Haya got marry or got engagement? There is different story on yahoo news.

Which?

[Alexandria]

Not commenting on the multi-wives of Sheik Mohammed (yet! ), but about the comments in this thread about him being much older than Haya, plenty of women marry men much older than themselves. King Hussein was 16 years older than Queen Noor. Ari Onassis was also at leat 10 years older than Jacqueline Kennedy. Even in present day royalty, Crown Prince Phillippe of Belgium (born in 1960) is 13 years older than his wife, Crown Princess Mathilde (born in 1973). Brother Laurent (born in 1963) is married to a woman 11 years older than him (Claire born in 1974). Age has nothing to do with anything if you are in love. I cannot say for sure that Sheik Mohammed and Haya are in love, but we can't discredit it just because he is much older than her.

In some psychological theories, it is known as the "Daddy complex," in which women who had difficult relationships with their father, whether they admired them too much, or if their fathers weren't around (abandoned them or otherwise), they feel the need to marry a father-like figure to take care of them and make them feel secure. (I am not saying that this is the case with Haya and Sheik Mohammed, or any of the women I mentioned, but it is a possible theory.)

As for the polygamous relationship Haya now finds herself in, while from a western perspective it is not something I can begin to understand and certainly would not want for myself, it is a practice, social, religious and otherwise, that is carried on in parts of the world. And there is no reason to look down upon it because we cannot understand it. It has historical context in some cultures for which the practice is not only widely accepted, but the sole way of life.

This is a poem I found on S. Mohammed's website. He wrote this poem, I wonder if he wrote this for P. Haya:

Swords of Beauty


Ease the ardour of my yearning, my lady
Reunite me with your vision

Erase the lines written by my tears
And with the ink of your kohled eye draw me

Oh, my life that sweetens my life
Oh, my hope for years remaining

Who gathered the winds for me and returned
The brightest years that slipped from my hands

Oh swords of beauty in eyes of oryx
You have so much – out of kindness give

The love from ever-sleepless eyes has faded
And my destiny, certain, this craving between us

Have mercy on the withered boughs
For love between lovers never dies

My love I proclaimed from peaks of highest mountains
Where, sadly, only echoes replied

With burning passion, only her name on my lips
Her I recall, and forget the existence of others

Heartbreaking my laments, yet neglected my grief
Though my words stir tears in the hardest hearts

Overwhelmed me, deep, bleeding wounds
Oh, oryx, from the pain of your wounds heal me

Leave me not with this fire – these regrets
Compassion and sympathy be yours – love is mine

[syima]

Was it arrangement marriage or her choose?
I am just curious to know that all.

[Layla]

I saw excerpts of the betrothal on an Arabic news channel (MBC) last night. Needless to say that I almost fell out of my chair.

What the reasons for this union are, only God knows. However, I guess we can safely say that it is a political match for whatever reason.

Now as to questions regarding whether this is a marriage or an engagement.... It is something called "Katb el kitab" in Arabic. This means that the Princess is now betrothed to the Sheikh. Technically she is officially his wife, but I guess a grand wedding will follow where the marriage will actually get consummated. So in summary, she is officially his fiancee now.

And as to Alexandria's comment, I do not find it offensive at all. On the contrary it shows the views of an open-minded person who does not always compare situations to a western perspective. Polygamy may not be practised in many countries, that is true. However, we cannot deny that it is not being practised at all, especially in the Gulf region. Countries like Morrocco have recently come up with many civil laws that prohibit a man from marrying more than one woman. That is to be commended, and I hope others will follow this example soon. Unfortunately that is not the case with the Gulf countries where it is still a very tribal society, especially the ruling family.

As a point of interest, this match has been greatly publicised in the media which is surprising. Being a very liberated man (I know it sounds ironic), I believe Sheikh Mo is also looking towards this match as a means of appearing with his wife in official visits etc. (something along the lines of the Qatari Sheikh and Sheikha Mozah), so as to encourage the same from the men/women of his society. His first wife is a cousin (very sweet I have heard) but keeps a very low profile due to social constraints.

[Dennism]

Originally posted by Layla@Apr 11th, 2004 - 2:19 pm

And as to Alexandria's comment, I do not find it offensive at all. On the contrary it shows the views of an open-minded person who does not always compare situations to a western perspective. Polygamy may not be practised in many countries, that is true. However, we cannot deny that it is not being practised at all, especially in the Gulf region. Countries like Morrocco have recently come up with many civil laws that prohibit a man from marrying more than one woman. That is to be commended, and I hope others will follow this example soon. Unfortunately that is not the case with the Gulf countries where it is still a very tribal society, especially the ruling family.

Cultural relativism is often put down as a viewpoint that is bad because in the extreme a person would say "Well, it is their culture and we have to respect that" no matter what the thing is, honor killings for example. But in truth, it is a very good thing to respect the cultures of other peoples and societies. But alas, the tribal aspects of the Gulf states and Arab countries continue to be in conflict with some things in Islam. Polygamy and the role of women in Arab countries for example.

[madonna23]

just on a side note, i remember i read an interview with princess haya in which she stated that she always wanted to be a queen like her mother, Queen Alia. perhaps that's her motivation to marrying the sheik...she wants to remain royalty...

[Chanel]

WOW! Does this mean that she will not mother any of his children? Maybe I am confused by a few of the posts above, but, is that what people are saying? Or is she wife #1 and will she have some children, and will those children be his successors?

Interested, yet disappointed.....

[Layla]

I am sure she will mother some children. The interesting thing is that the Sheikh (who is the Crown Prince of Dubai and who in reality is running the whole show) has the right to choose his successor. You never know.... Haya's son might become the next successor.

[tayoobeh]

I saw her wedding ceremony on the tv
Her dress is soo simple I loved it
She didn’t really have a wedding party
Her close family just sat down and talked because her husband is “shekh” She looked so pretty.
is she 32 or 29!! i thought she's older than Ali and ali is now about 31

[Humera]

Originally posted by bluetortuga@Apr 11th, 2004 - 6:41 am

~Humera~ I agree with most of what you said except the point on Q. Noor. P. Haya hasn't wanted much to do with Q. Noor since K. Hussein died. As a matter of fact, on P. Haya former website (teamharmony.net no longer exists), she did not even mention Q. Noor by name once. P. Haya's a big woman and capable of making her own decisions. I don't think P. Haya would have wanted Q. Noor's advice anyway. If I were Q. Noor, and my former step-child treated me like that, I'd allow them go off on their own too.

I know queen noor doesn't have a good relationship with Haya but its still sad dont you think? I mean, now her stepchildren will treat her the same way she treated Queen Noor. I wouldn't say I'd blame them. Its a sad cycle.
Although i do agree that Haya's quite independant and wouldn't have let anyone dissaude her from marrying this guy. Its a sad reality but there are so many women out there who make foolish matches for one reason or another. Besides, she wouldn't have married him if she didnt think she had more than a few reasons to do so.

[Humera]

Originally posted by tayoobeh@Apr 11th, 2004 - 5:06 pm
I saw her wedding ceremony on the tv
Her dress is soo simple I loved it
She didn’t really have a wedding party
Her close family just sat down and talked because her husband is “shekh” She looked so pretty.
is she 32 or 29!! i thought she's older than Ali and ali is now about 31

yeah thats another thing I was disappointed with. She should've had a beautiful wedding celebration. I thought she looked absolutely angelic in the white dress.
But i suppose her husband has had enough wedding parties and didn't want to have another one.

[Amira]

I am really shocked!!!!! such a beautiful girl with an old man like Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ...my god!!!!!

I know queen noor doesn't have a good relationship with Haya but its still sad dont you think? I mean, now her stepchildren will treat her the same way she treated Queen Noor. I wouldn't say I'd blame them. Its a sad cycle.
Although i do agree that Haya's quite independant and wouldn't have let anyone dissaude her from marrying this guy. Its a sad reality but there are so many women out there who make foolish matches for one reason or another. Besides, she wouldn't have married him if she didnt think she had more than a few reasons to do so.

I have to agree with you. The situation is a sad one for P. Haya. She'll be integrated into another clan with no blood relatives around. And I'm sure there'll be hard feelings because S. Mohammed will have to raise her profile at the expense of his other wives. She's the daughter and sister of prominent kings; he will treat her differently than if she was just any other woman. I hope her marriage works out and that she will find happiness.

I think P. Haya married S. Mohammed to have a father figure in her life again and for protection. That is understandable given her circumstances: losing both natural parents at young age. Of all of K. Hussein's children, Abeer, Haya and Ali are orphans - no parents. These three must have felt extremely vulnerable after losing their dad in 1999. S. Mohammed, while alive, will fill that void for P. Haya. He's a fatherly figure, and will protect her because I'm think he loves her dearly. I hope that some day she and Q. Noor can work out their differences.

[Jacqueline]

I hope that Haya and Queen Noor can work out their differences as well. They seemed to have a very good relationship at one time. Haya once said that she owed many of her endeavors in life to Queen Noor supporting her. It's sad that the two are no longer very close. I do have hope, however, that they will become close again.

Haya is somewhat entering a situation very similar to that of the one that Queen Noor entered when she married King Hussein. She had many pass wives and their memories to contend with along with many stepchildren. Queen Noor knows what it is like to not be a first wife (of course King Husseins marriages had been disolved by divorce and Queen Alia passed away) and to be a step mother. Queen Noor was also very close to Haya's age when she took on all of these things and even moved to another country as has Haya.

I think that it would serve both women well to be close once again, especially Haya. I think that there is much that she and Queen Noor can share about these subjects.

[madonna23]

how old are the sheik's kids? i think haya is closer in age to them then she is to him...

[didem]

Princess Haya is 29
Crown Prince Shiekh Mohamad Bin Rashad Al-Maktouam is 55

[Dunya]

I don't know why everyone is talking like that about Haya. It was her choice to get married with the sjeikh if that makes her happy. His first wife accepted her husbands choice to take another wife. Haya accpeted to be in this position. That's all about being 'modern'. Having the right to make your own choices. I don't think you can judge her because of that. We all grown up and can do what we think is good for us.
And Haya doesn't need to look for a father figure. She had a father till recently. And she is not a 'orphan' because she has a big family who support and love her.