Diplomatic row as Emirati prince ‘defects to enemy state’ via London
AN EMIRATI prince has defected to Qatar, his country’s enemy, via its London embassy, according to sources close to the royal.
The incident threatens to escalate a diplomatic crisis between the two Gulf states, which are locked in a bitter dispute after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and four other Middle East countries launched a blockade against Qatar a year ago.
The prince – Sheikh Rashid bin Hamad Al Sharqi – is the son of the Emir of Fujairah, one of the seven kingdoms of the UAE.
A source close to the emir and a senior diplomatic source both said the prince, 31, fled to Doha three weeks ago, after he requested political asylum at the Qatari embassy in London.
As the eldest son of the emir, Sheikh Rashid was expected to be appointed crown prince of Fujairah. But his relationship with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the country’s leader, became fractious after Sheikh Mohammed demanded that Sheikh Rashid’s younger brother be appointed to the role instead, according to an Emirati palace source.
Sheikh Rashid then flew to London in April, and booked a room at the 45 Park Lane hotel, in Mayfair.
Yousef bin Ali Al Khater, the Qatari ambassador to the UK, became aware of Sheikh Rashid’s dispute with his country’s ruler, and reportedly tried to persuade him to defect.
As the son of an emir, the prince attended meetings of the Supreme Council, the governing body of the UAE, making him a potentially valuable intelligence asset to Qatar. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt all cut all ties with Doha on June 5, last year, accusing it of supporting terrorism and Iran.
The prince told friends he met with the ambassador and other Qatari officials over the next five weeks.
The Qataris are understood to have tempted him with a lucrative role as a mediator between the Gulf state and the UAE if he moved to Doha, including an alleged offer of £5 million in cash, and warned him he was not safe in London.
Eventually, the prince was persuaded and in May, after a 34-day stay at the hotel, he walked into Qatar’s embassy and requested political asylum.
A source close to the Emirati royal family said the prince was held at the embassy for three days, then driven in an embassy vehicle to Heathrow airport, where he flew to Doha using his Emirati passport.
Unable to contact Sheikh Rashid, officials at the UAE embassy in London contacted the Met police, claiming he had been kidnapped. The source said that officers from the Met’s diplomatic protection unit made inquiries at the hotel, but they were too late.
The police and the hotel refused to comment, while the Emirati embassy did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
The prince is now believed to be staying in a palace in Doha, and Emirati authorities are aware of the incident.
A senior diplomatic source confirmed Sheikh Rashid was in Doha, but said the prince flew to the country of his own free will, with no persuasion or assistance from Qatar.