Dubai Princess Sheikha Mahra's Instagram Divorce

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Overview

Dubai Princess Sheikha Mahra's Instagram Divorce refers to a viral post by Princess Sheikha Mahra of Dubai in which she declares a divorce from her husband over his cheating. In the post, she repeats the phrase "I divorce you" three times, invoking the controversial "triple divorce," a practice in some Muslim countries that claims a man can instantly divorce his wife by declaring the divorce three times in a row. The post was made in mid-July 2024 and inspired discussions online, with many showing support for Mahra.

Background

On July 16th, 2024, Princess Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the daughter of UAE Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, made a post on Instagram^[1] targeted at her husband, Sheikh Mana Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, announcing that she wants a divorce. The post, which consists of white text over a black background and gained over 411,000 likes in three days, reads:

Dear Husband,

As you are occupied with other companions, I hereby declare our divorce. I divorce you, I divorce you, and I Divorce You.

Take Care.

Your ex-wife.

The three-times repetition of the phrase "I divorce you" is known as "triple divorce," a controversial practice in Muslim countries that claims if a man declares divorce three times in a row, he is instantly divorced from his wife. The practice is banned in some countries.^[2] Reportedly, she also deleted all photos with Al Maktoum from her Instagram page.^[3] The couple were married in 2023 and have a daughter.^[4]

Online Reactions

The story gained worldwide attention and was reported on by numerous media outlets and social media pages over the following days. On July 18th, 2024, X^[5] page @PopBase reported on the story, garnering over 361,000 likes and 40,000 reposts in a day. The post inspired numerous responses, with many in favor of the Princess's method of divorce (examples shown below).^[6]^[7]

Also on July 18th, TikToker^[8] @officialogkayano posted a video in which he talks about how Mahra's husband "fumbled the bag" and urges men to do better in 2024, garnering over 80,000 views in a day (shown below).