Emirati Prince Flees To Qatar, Publicly Criticises Abu Dhabi

An Emirati prince is seeking asylum in Qatar after fleeing the UAE saying he feared for his life because of a dispute with the rulers of oil-rich Abu Dhabi.
Sheikh Rashid bin Hamad al-Sharqi, 31, is the second son of the emir of Fujairah, one of the seven monarchies making up the United Arab Emirates. He arrived in Doha on May 16. Sheikh Rashid accused Emirati rulers of blackmail and money laundering but did not offer evidence to back up his claims.

He also spoke of tensions within Emirati elites over the UAE's commitment of troops in the war in Yemen. Sheikh Rashid said there had been more UAE war deaths than the 100 that have been reported publicly and said "there have been more deaths from Fujairah than anywhere else". UAE minister for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash made a veiled reference to "conspiracy against this or that ruling family by those who lack courage and instead resort to leaks and interviews".

Along with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates cut all ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing Doha of supporting Islamist groups and being too close to Gulf archrival Iran. Qatar, the world's largest exporter of liquified natural gas, denies the accusations.