Dubai Princess: The royal families of Dubai are back in the publicity spotlight with Princess Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, daughter of the Dubai leader and prime minister of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, officially dating Moroccan-American rapper French Montana. TMZ confirmed the news on August 27, 2025, and elicited a series of reactions around the world.
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A Royal Engagement in the Limelight
The couple is said to have formalized their engagement in June of 2025, a few months after Mahra had a very high-profile divorce with Sheikh Mana bin Mohammed Al Maktoum.
Their initial big public outing as a couple occurred at Paris Fashion Week in July, and rumors about their relationship started to spread.
To date, neither Sheikha Mahra nor French Montana has issued a direct statement, but those close to both families indicate that both families have accepted the engagement.
Who is Sheikha Mahra?
Sheikha Mahra is a 31-year-old woman who has established a name that surpasses her royal title. Her charitable efforts, especially in the areas of education and youth development, her love of horses and equestrianism, and her presence on Instagram, where she has a significant following, are known. Her exposure and outspoken personality have endowed her with one of the most apparent faces of the young royal family of Dubai.
Her personal life made headlines in July 2024, when she declared her divorce from Sheikh Mana via a noticeable Instagram post, accusing him of cheating. “Dear Husband, since you have other companions, I am declaring our divorce. I declare our divorce. I declare our divorce,” she wrote, and I have added: I divorce you, I divorce you, I divorce you. Take care. Your ex-wife.” The ex-couple has a child, a daughter, born in May 2024.
French Montana’s Global Fame
French Montana was born in Morocco and brought up in the Bronx, New York, and has more than 10 years in the rap industry. He was an international star with his 2017 single, Unforgettable, topping the charts, and has worked with world music giants like Drake, Swae Lee, and Nicki Minaj. Montana had been married to Nadeen Kharbouch, with whom he has a teenage son. This is his most high-profile relationship so far, the engagement to Sheikha Mahra.
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Reactions and Public Attention
The engagement, it is not surprising, has resulted in tremendous buzz on social media and in news media around the world. People observe a stark contrast between the culture and the way of life of the Dubai princess and the American rapper, and their marriage is a world-renowned point of discussion.
Even NBA star Paul Pierce discussed the news on his podcast The Truth After Dark, praising Montana because he settled with a woman in a foreign country and because such unions have other values than celebrity relationships in the United States. His remarks further fuelled debate around the engagement.
Looking Ahead
Although no official wedding news is out yet, the official engagement has already been rated as one of the most popular celebrity-royal weddings of 2025. At the moment, the world is keeping a close eye on the Dubai princess and the rapper as they move through a relationship that spans cultures, continents, and radically different worlds of publics.