The New York Times (NYT) reported an interview with the 31-year-old Emirati Prince, Sheikh Rashid bin Hamad al-Sharqi who fled the UAE to Qatar in May 2018. The prince revealed secret disputes among Emirati rulers, Abu Dhabi’s involvement in money laundering cases and the UAE’s sponsorship of Qatari royals in exile.
Prince Rashid bin Hamad al-Sharqi, the son of Fujairah ruler, had been running Fujairah's pro-government media operation until he split up in May 16, when he, surprisingly, arrived at the Doha airport asking for asylum fearing for his life, after a dispute with the UAE ruler.
The prince revealed tensions between UAE rulers that are existing beneath the surface, especially regarding Abu Dhabi’s leadership of the UAE’s military operations in Yemen.
He claimed that the rulers of Abu Dhabi did not consult any of the other rulers before launching the military attack on Yemen. Now after three years, large number of Emirati soldiers who were killed in Yemen originated from the small emirates such as Fujairah. According to the Prince, this has been ignored by the media.
The prince also revealed how Abu Dhabi hosted exiled members of the Qatari royal family and promoted them as alternative leaders.
Additionally, Sheikh Rashid also accused Abu Dhabi’s intelligence agencies of threatening him and of releasing embarrassing personal videos about him, which he described as fabricated or prejudical.
He also confirmed Abu Dhabi’s involvement in money laundering activities, as they pressured him to transfer “tens of millions of dollars on their behalf to people he did not know in other countries,” in a clear violation of Emirati and international laws.
On his aim behind having an interview with the NYT, the prince said he wanted to attract the public attention to his case which would protect his family in Fujairah from pressure by Abu Dhabi. The prince also hoped to threaten the royal family at UAE of revealing more disclosures, saying he is “the first member of the royal family to leave the UAE and tell everything about them”.
On the other hand, Qatari source closes to the royal family told the newspaper that Qatar allowed the Sheikh to stay. A governmental spokesman declined any request for a comment. According to analysts, Qatar fears escalations with the UAE if discovered to be sponsoring a royal in exile.
The story was shared cautiously among Emiratis and the people from the Arabian peninsula in general, as the GCC governments impose strict restrictions on media and speech freedoms.
Many Emiratis as well as Saudis rebuffed alleged claims stated by the prince, with others accusing Qatar of fabricating the story to distort the UAE image, especially after the latest crisis sparked between Qatar and other Gulf states.
Translation: “Why would a mature ruler consult a 31 year old guy in war and peace? Also how does the war in Yemen relate to Qatar?”
Some people went to accuse the prince of corruption and money laundering, and his desire to flip the table before he is indicted.
Translation: “He is involved in money laundering activities. He fled and claimed to be opposition according to what Qatar orders him.”
Asaad Alshareey, a Yemeni activist reacted to the story by observing that he used to attack all Emirati rulers without realising that the problem is only with Abu Dhabi and Dubai’s rulers.
Translation: “It seems we made a mistake when we criticized all UAE rulers because the problem appeared to originate from Abu Dhabi and Dubai only. Rashid bin Hamad al-Sharqi, the son of Fujairah ruler who split up and seeked asylum in Qatar, said that Abu Dhabi rulers did not consult other rulers before sending their soldiers to the Yemen war.”
Other users went to confirm the report saying the prince has been absent of the public stage since April 2018.
Translation: “What is the secret behind Rashid bin Hamad al-Sharqi disappearance? The son of Fujairah ruler and he is a public figure. He holds a PhD in Economics from London and has many secrets about the UAE.”
The shocking report over Sheikh Rashid came few months following another scandal hit the Emirati royal family around the disappearance of Sheikha Latifa al-Maktoum, the daughter of Sheikh Muhammad al-Maktoum, Emir of Dubai. The princess raised concerns of human rights organizations over reports that she was forcibly returned after fleeing United Arab Emirates in March.
