Without a veil: what the wives of Arab sheiks look like

Many believe that all Eastern women appear in public only in a veil, and many do not leave the house at all. There was an impression that their whole life is enclosed within four walls and their destiny is to raise children.
This is far from true! The wives of Arab sheiks lead an active life and even political activities.

Sheikha Haya Bint Hussain Al Maktoum

Sheikha Haya is the second wife of the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohamad Al Maktoum. Sheikha is of royal origin: her father is the king of Jordan. She was educated at Oxford. During one of the royal celebrations, she met Sheikh Mohamad Al Maktoum and won his heart.

Sheikh has two children, but she did not stay at home. This lady is actively involved in social work. One of her projects was a fund to fight hunger in Sheikha Haya’s native Jordan. In addition, the wife of the ruler of Dubai can often be found at the races, horses are her passion. Sheikh adheres to the European style of clothing, often attends social events, and is considered one of the most beautiful women in the Middle East.
Now the sheik and her son live in England. The woman filed for divorce, she is not upset by her husband’s attitude towards her children.

Queen Fatima Kulsum Zohar of Saudi Arabia

There is little information about her: the girl was born in a very simple family, she studied at the Dubai International College. She has a law degree and graduated from King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

No one knows how the poor girl managed to attract the king’s attention and become his wife. By the way, King Abdullah has been married more than 30 times, but none of the wives managed to ingratiate themselves with the royal person enough to stay in his chambers. Fatima succeeded. For many years, nothing was heard about her at all, but then the king’s wife unexpectedly started a Facebook page, which she maintains in English.

Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned

The second wife of the former Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, and the mother of the current ruler, Sheikha Moza, not only does charity work but also actively participates in political life. Sheikha became a special envoy of UNESCO, has some state and international posts, and even the title of lady commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Her style is admired by the whole world: the mother of SEVEN children, the sheikha has a perfect figure and a brilliant sense of style. Paying tribute to the traditions of her country, the sheikha dresses modestly and modestly, but at the same time in strict accordance with world trends.

Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan

Wife of King Abdullah ibn Al-Hussein Al-Hashimi of Jordan and mother of the heir to the throne Prince Hussein, the eldest of the couple’s four children, Rania is considered the most famous oriental queen in the world.

She does not sit at home, the woman has become an activist in the fight for women’s rights in the Middle East, she is a fighter for the right of women to open their own companies and enterprises, regardless of the opinions of her father or husband. The Queen insists on a gradual change in the traditional style of clothing: Rania herself loves jeans and shirts in men’s style, regularly appears in public with her head uncovered, and among couturiers, she prefers Giorgio Armani. In 2008, Rania became the first Arab queen to appear on the cover of Vanity Fair in a rather revealing dress for oriental culture.
And Queen Rania also has the rank of colonel in the Jordanian army: this rank was granted to her personally … by her husband.

Amira al-Taweel, Princess of Saudi Arabia

Ameera al-Taweel in Saudi Arabia is called a rebel and a crusher of the foundations of traditional society. The princess is not at all embarrassed by this: before marrying the prince, she graduated from the University of New Haven in the USA, has a degree in business administration, received an international driver’s license, and personally drives her car (unheard of audacity for Saudi Arabia).

Moreover, a few years after the marriage of Amir … she divorced her husband! The husband insisted on children, but she did not see herself as a mother. Gossips said that Amira was barren. After the divorce, Prince Al-Walid ibn Talal Al Saud never married, he often sees Amira, and they remain good friends and conduct joint charitable activities.

The 34-year-old princess is involved in humanitarian issues both in Saudi Arabia and around the world. Amira leads a foundation that supports programs and projects focused on poverty alleviation, disaster relief, interfaith dialogue, and women’s empowerment. Amira al-Taweel has visited more than 70 countries around the world, her missions are also aimed at improving the image of the Saudi woman.

Princess Amira, along with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, officially opened the Prince Al Waleed Ibn Talal Center for Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge, where she received the Prince Philip Award for outstanding philanthropic work. Amira subsequently led a relief mission to Somalia, where she and her ex-husband oversaw the distribution of the foundation’s funds.