Dubai royal's ex-wife begs for help as ex-husband wins custody of daughters

The former wife of a Dubai prince has made a plea to the city's Ruler, claiming she is terrified to leave home amid fears her daughters will be 'abducted' by her ex. Previously, Zeynab Javadli livestreamed what she claimed was an abduction attempt by the girls' father , Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who she divorced six years ago. It shows the former Azerbaijani gymnast apparently trapped in a car with her children - all aged under 10 - during a scheduled custody handover at a Dubai child protection centre. She has told friends that Sheikh Saeed's staff used cars to block her exit, only backing off when they saw she was livestreaming the confrontation.The parents' bitter courtroom battle finally ended last week when a judge granted him custody of their daughters. But Miss Javadli insists a 2022 legal agreement with his uncle, the Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, trumps this and gives her the right to retain custody until the girls are 18.