Dubai princess Mahra Al Maktoum tells husband she is divorcing him in Instagram post

A Dubai royal took to social media this week to let her husband know that she is intending to divorce him, in an Instagram post that shocked many.

Princess Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is an entrepreneur in the business and tech sectors, revealed she intended to break off her marriage to Sheikh Mana bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, another Dubai royal.

"I hereby declare our divorce," the daughter of UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum said on Instagram.

"I divorce you, I divorce you, and I divorce you. Take care. Your ex-wife."

By repeating three times that she was divorcing her husband, Sheikha Mahra seemed to be using an Islamic means of bringing about the end of a marriage not normally used by women.

According to Islamic Sunni law, a Muslim man can divorce his wife by saying the Arabic word for divorce three times. 

She had married Sheikh Mana in 2023 and the pair later had a daughter three months ago.

US newspaper The Washington Post said the two seemed to have "scrubbed all photos of each other from their respective Instagram pages" after the princess's divorce announcement.

Sheikha Mahra's father Mohammed Al Maktoum rules Dubai, one of the most prominent emirates making up the UAE.

When she wed her husband, the "beautiful bride Sheikha Mahra radiated in an embroidered dress", Harper's Bazaar Arabia reported last year.

"She complemented her attire with exquisite diamond jewellery and a diamond watch. The bride chose to leave her long hair flowing and adorned it with a graceful, embroidered tulle veil."

Sheikha Mahra currently has 728,000 followers on Instagram.

The New Arab contacted Sheikha Mahra and Sheikh Mana for comment via direct message on Instagram but did not receive a response before publication.