logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2021
42m 23s

Shamsa, the forgotten princess

The Observer
About this episode
The reputation of Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai has been tarnished beyond repair by the way he treated his wife Haya and daughter Latifa. At least we know about what they went through. There's another daughter - Shamsa - who was the first to try to escape the Sheikh's clutches. She, and her story, have almost vanished.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Oct 29
Burnham's do no harm budget
The Chancellor has delivered the first budget of Andy Burnham's premiership. But what does it reveal about their vision for the UK? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 
34m 24s
Oct 27
Spiral
When The Observer’s Technology Editor, Patricia Clarke began investigating a new phenomenon initially dubbed ‘AI psychosis’, she found lives upended by long, intimate conversations with chatbots. But as she followed the evidence from a psychiatric ward in Bristol to the safety te ... Show More
42m 31s
Oct 23
The 30-Year veteran photographer attacked by settlers
Last week, a group of West Bank settlers attacked Palestinian farmers and veteran Washington Post photographer, Heidi Levine, who was there to cover the annual olive harvest. The assault left Levine in hospital with broken bones, but she is not the first foreigner to be caught in ... Show More
26m 35s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2024
The Runaway Princesses, Episode 2: Escape
Princess Latifa is desperate to help her sister Shamsa, who’s been captured, drugged, and imprisoned on her father’s orders. She makes a plan to flee Dubai. "The Runaway Princesses" is a four-part narrative series from In the Dark and The New Yorker. Subscribers to The New Yorker ... Show More
48m 1s
Mar 2023
77. Latifa: The Missing Princess (Pt.2) - UAE/India
Latifa was onboard a 100 ft yacht Nostromo. The ship had set sail from Muscat in Oman on February 24, 2018. The objective was to transport princess Latifa and her friend Tina to the shores of Goa, a coastal town in India. But although the seafaring voyage was meant to last a few ... Show More
41m 32s
Feb 2023
The Shamima Begum Story: 7. Trapped
Someone close to Shamima Begum is looking for a way out of the so-called caliphate.Reporter: Josh Baker Written by: Josh Baker and Joe Kent Producers: Josh Baker, Sara Obeidat and Joe Kent Composer: Firas Abou Fakher Theme music: Sam Slater Mix and sound design: Tom Brignell Prod ... Show More
32 m
Feb 2023
75. Latifa: The Missing Princess - UAE/India
This is the story of Dubai’s missing royal; this is the story of Princess Latifa. The best way to break a spell of awkward silence with your friends, is to ask this simple question: what would you give up for a billion dollars? That’s billion with a ‘b’. And this question takes m ... Show More
38m 24s
Feb 2024
The Runaway Princesses, Episode 4: Hostage
Secret recordings reveal what happened to Latifa after armed men stormed the yacht she was hoping would bring her to freedom. "The Runaway Princesses" is a four-part narrative series from In the Dark and The New Yorker. To read Heidi Blake’s reporting on the princesses of Dubai, ... Show More
49m 48s
Mar 2023
The Shamima Begum Story: 9. State of Mind
No longer a vulnerable schoolgirl, but a seemingly unrepentant adult. Shamima Begum enrages the British public and ends up stuck in Syria.A series of media interviews come to shape how she’s perceived - with long lasting consequences.Reporter: Josh Baker Written and produced by: ... Show More
37m 19s
Jan 2024
From In the Dark: The Runaway Princesses
The wives and daughters of Dubai’s ruler live in unbelievable luxury. So why do the women in Sheikh Mohammed’s family keep trying to run away? The New Yorker staff writer Heidi Blake joins In the Dark’s Madeleine Baran to tell the story of the royal women who risked everything to ... Show More
16m 22s
Jan 2024
The Runaway Princesses, Episode 1: Sisters
As sex workers flee Sheikh Mohammed’s U.K. estate bruised and weeping, no one is held to account. British authorities look the other way after one of the sheikh’s own daughters tries to escape. "The Runaway Princesses" is a four-part narrative series from In the Dark and The New ... Show More
43m 6s
Mar 2022
Powerful photos that honor the lives of overlooked women | Smita Sharma
In some parts of the world, girls are as likely to be married off or trafficked as they are to be educated. Photojournalist and TED Fellow Smita Sharma thoughtfully depicts overlooked girls and young women, while making sure not to disrupt the lives of her subjects in the process ... Show More
9m 54s