Dubai’s sheikhs’ 12 mistresses forced to play Russian roulette – survivor becomes 5th wife

Dubai’s sheikhs’ 12 mistresses forced to play Russian roulette – survivor becomes 5th wife

A villa on the artificial island of Palm Jumeirah in Dubai became the setting for a dinner gathering of twelve women from different countries after five of them were dead and the three remaining women became the wives of the man who had forced them into a game of survival .

  This is not a fictional invention or a screenplay for a film. This happened in the summer of 2018, and the world only found out about it a year later when one of the survivors decided to break her silence.  Rashid Almaktum was 51 years old, owner of a chain of luxury hotels in the United Arab Emirates and a man with a fortune of about 2 billion dollars, which he had earned through real estate and the hotel business.

  His family came from an influential clan connected to the ruling dynasty of Dubai .  But Rashid himself held no official government positions and preferred to remain in the background, conducting his business through a network of shell companies and trusted associates.  He was officially married four times, which complied with Islamic law, which allows a man to have up to four wives at the same time, provided he treats them all equally.

  But Rashid did not limit himself to his official wives.  For the past eight years, he maintained a separate villa on the island of Palm Jumeirah, where twelve young women from different countries lived.  It was not a public harem in the historical sense of the word.  It was a carefully concealed system in which each woman had her own bedroom, her own car, a credit card with a monthly limit of $000, and a contract that forbade her from working, meeting with men, or leaving the country without permission .

The women were of different nationalities.  Oxana Kovalenko, 23 years old, from Ukraine, a former model, came to Dubai three years ago to  take part in a casting for an advertising campaign and stayed there after meeting Rashid.  Anastasia Petro was a 26-year-old Russian dancer  working in one of the clubs in Dubai when she was discovered by Rashidsmen.

  Isabella Silva, 28 years old from Brazil, a fitness trainer who came to work in one of Rashid’s hotels and became his lover two months later .  Rosa Reyes, 24 years old from the Philippines, worked as a nanny in a rich family in Dubai until she was lured to Rashid’s house with the promise of a better life .  There were also Amina from Morocco, Elena from Romania, Valeria from Colombia, Nina from Thailand, Natalie from Russia, Karina from Ukraine, Leila from Lebanon and Sophie from France.

They were all between 21 and 32 years old.  All the signed contracts were in English and Arabic,  obligating them to absolute secrecy, prohibiting them from contacting the press and their families without permission, and forbidding them from having any romantic relationships outside the home.  A breach of contract meant immediate deportation without compensation and possible criminal prosecution for defamation if they tried to report on their life with Rashi.

For most of them, this was a chance to escape poverty or simply to live a life of luxury that was unattainable in their home countries .  $000 per month.  Free accommodation in a villa with a swimming pool and its own staff. Cars, clothes from well-known brands, tore them apart if Rashid allowed it.  In return, they were always available to him, whenever he wanted.

  Rashid visited the villa several times a week, usually late in the evening, staying for a few hours, sometimes overnight.  He chose one or two women; the others remained in their rooms. The women communicated cautiously with each other. Some became friends, others saw each other as rivals.  Rashid encouraged this competition by sometimes openly comparing them, one of them complimenting the other in their presence, and selectively distributing gifts.

  He enjoyed the power he had over them, the fact that they  were financially and legally dependent on him, that their status in the country depended on his will.  In the spring of 2018, Rashid made a decision that changed the lives of all twelve women. He decided to marry a fifth wife .  From the perspective of Sharia law, this was a problem, as it only allows four wives at the same time.

  But Rashid planned to divorce one of his existing wives , the oldest, who was 58 years old and no longer interested him physically . The divorce was carried out quietly by a religious judge who was beholden to Rashid’s family and took less than a month. Now Rashid had a vacancy for a fifth wife and he decided to choose her from among the twelve lovers who lived in the villa.

  The problem was that he couldn’t decide who to vote for.  They were all young, beautiful, and obedient.  Each had its advantages. Oxana was the youngest and most naive, easy to control.  Isabella was experienced and knew how to please a man .  Rosa was quiet and submissive, the ideal image of a traditional wife.

  Anastasia was passionate and temperamental, which attracted Rashid. Rashid spent several weeks making a choice.  He met with each of them individually, spent time with them, and evaluated them.  But he could n’t decide.  He was by nature someone who couldn’t stand uncertainty , but at the same time he didn’t want to make a decision that might turn out to be wrong.

  He was a risk-taking person, loved taking risks in business and investments , played poker with friends for large sums of money, and it was precisely this character trait that led to what happened next.   In early June, Lutras Shid invited his closest friends to a private dinner at one of his hotels. Eight men, all from wealthy families in Dubai and other emirates, businessmen, investors, a member of the ruling family, a cousin of the emirate.

They drank expensive cognac, smoked cigars, and discussed business.  At some point the conversation turned to women and Rashid mentioned his problem with choosing his fifth wife.  One of his friends, Khalid, 46 years old, owner of a construction company, joked: “Rashid should hold a competition , like in the old days when women fought for the right to become the Sultan’s wife.

” Another friend, Said, 39 years old, an investor, suggested making it a game where the winner gets everything. Rashid listened, smiled, and drank. And suddenly he said that this was a good idea, that he would do just that. His friends initially thought he was joking. But Rashid was serious. He said he would host a special evening, invite all twelve of his mistresses, and hold a game where the winner would become his wife.

 When asked what kind of game it would be, Rashid thought for a moment. Then he suggested Russian roulette. He had seen it in American movies and read about similar cases where people risked their lives for money or thrills. He liked the idea.  A pure game of fate, where no one can cheat, where only luck decides who survives.

His friends were silent at first, then they started laughing, thinking it was just another drunken fantasy. But Rashid developed the idea further. He said it was the perfect solution. The women would know the stakes were high, that victory meant wealth and status, that the risk was justified .

 He proposed that any woman who agreed to play would be guaranteed a $50 million contract in the event of a divorce if she became his wife . That was a huge sum, enough to provide three generations with a carefree life. Khalid asked, “What happens if someone dies?” Rashid shrugged and said that was part of the game. The women had signed the contracts and knew they would be living by his terms.

 If they refused to play, he would simply deport them without compensation . The decision  He put it in their care. Said said that was madness. There could be problems with the police. Rashid laughed and replied, “The police wouldn’t find out about it.” Everything would take place in a private villa .

  There would be no witnesses but themselves, and the bodies, if there were any, would disappear into the desert .” The conversation lasted until 3:00 a.m. By the end of the evening, Rashid’s friends had agreed to participate in the event . Not all of them were enthusiastic about the idea, but no one dared to refuse. Rashid was an influential man on whom their business and connections depended.

PART2

Refusal would have been an insult to him, which could have consequences. Besides, some of them had become curious. The idea of seeing something so extreme, something so far removed from the normal lives of wealthy people , appealed to them. Rashid began making preparations. He bought a revolver through his bodyguard, who had connections to arms dealers.

 It was a Smith & Wesson Model 629. A classic revolver with a six-round cylinder, heavy and reliable. Rashid practiced with it several times at a private shooting range, learning how to load it, turn the cylinder, and perform the safety check. He also hired a doctor who was prepared  He explained that he would attend the party for $200,000 and a promise of silence .

 The doctor was to provide assistance should anyone survive the gunshot wound, although Rashid knew that a headshot at that close range was almost always fatal. The evening was scheduled for Saturday, June 23, 2018. Rashid invited all twelve women to dinner at the villa. He said it would be a special evening, with an important announcement to be made.

 The women took it as a routine event, thinking Rashid might announce new gifts or a trip. They dressed up in evening gowns, put on makeup, and styled their hair. The atmosphere was almost festive. Dinner began at 8:00 p.m. At the long table in the villa’s main hall, decorated with flowers and candles , waiters served food, wine, and champagne.

 Rashid sat at the head of the table, smiling, joking, and charming. The women relaxed, chatting, and laughing. Some thought Rashid would announce something that evening.  The question was, which of them would become his next wife, and each hoped it would be her . After dessert, around 10 p.m., Rashid stood up, raised his glass, and asked for attention.

 The women fell silent and looked at him. He began to speak about how much he valued each of them and how difficult it had been to choose just one for the role of his wife. He said that they all deserved this status, that they were all beautiful and worthy. The women listened, some smiling, waiting for the announcement.

 Then Rashid signaled to his bodyguards. Two men in black suits entered the room and locked the doors. The women looked at each other. The atmosphere changed. Someone asked what was going on. Rashid smiled, took a revolver from his jacket pocket, and placed it on the table. There was absolute silence. Rashid explained that he said he couldn’t  choose between them in the normal way and that he had decided to leave it to fate, that they would play a game that day, and the winner would be his fifth wife.  They would become women, receiving a

$50 million settlement in a divorce. Status, wealth, everything they had dreamed of. The women listened, not understanding. One of them, Elena, a Romanian, asked what kind of game it was . Rashid raised the revolver, showed it, and said, “Russian Roulette.” The reaction was immediate. Some women screamed, one began to cry, others sat there, unable to move, in shock.

 Oxana, the youngest, asked if this was a joke. Rashid shook his head and said it was serious. The rules were simple. Each woman spins the cylinder, holds the revolver to her temple, and shoots. Whoever survives advances to the next round. The game continues until only one or more winners remain. Anastasia, the Russian, stood up and said, “I refuse; this is madness.”  “She’s leaving.

” Rashid gestured to hold back the guards who were approaching her . He said calmly, “You can refuse, but then you’ll be deported tonight, without money, without compensation.” No recommendations.  Your contract will be terminated and you will return home with what you came with. With nothing. Anastasia stood there, trembling.

  Tears streamed down her face.  She looked at the other women, Rashid, the guards at the door.  She sat down again. Rashid asked who else wanted to decline. Two women raised their hands.  Sophie, a Frenchwoman, and Leila, a Lebanese woman. Both were older than the others, almost 30, more experienced, and understood what was going on .

  Rashid nodded and instructed the guards to take them to a separate room where they would wait until morning before being taken to the airport.  Both women left without turning around.  Ten remained .  Rashid looked at the remaining women.  He said that he respected their decision, that they had shown courage.  The winner would not only receive money and status , but also his respect.

This test would show who was truly worthy of being by his side .  He opened the revolver, showed that the cylinder was empty, then took out a cartridge, inserted it into one of the six compartments, closed the cylinder and turned it.  The metallic sound of the rotating drum echoed through the silence of the hall.

At that moment, eight of Rashid’s friends entered the room.  They sat down in armchairs along the walls, like spectators in a theater.  Everyone had a glass of alcohol and a cigar.  They looked at the women at the table with expressions ranging from curiosity to obvious excitement about the upcoming spectacle.

Oxana later recalled that at that moment she realized they would not be able to stop it.  No one would come to her aid.  That would actually happen. Rashid placed the revolver on the table in front of Oxana.  He said, “You’re the first.”  Oxana stared motionless at the weapon.

  Her hands were shaking so badly that she couldn’t lift the glass of water .  Rashid repeated: “Take him, this is your chance.” Oxana slowly reached out her hand and took the revolver.  It was heavy and cold.  She had never held a weapon before.  Rashid explained to her what she had to do. Rotate the drum to change the cartridge position, hold the muzzle to your temple, and pull the trigger.

  Oxana turned the drum with trembling hands .  The metal clicked when it was turned. She raised the revolver to her head.  The metal felt cold against her skin .  She closed her eyes and pulled the trigger.  One click, nothing. The drum spun, but there was no shot.  Oxana opened her eyes, lowered her hand, and began to cry with relief.

  Rashid took the revolver and handed it to the next woman, Isabella, a Brazilian. Isabella was calmer.  She worked in the fitness industry and was used to pressure and competition.  She confidently took the revolver, turned the cylinder, held it to her temple, and Sara immediately died.  She pulled the trigger.   Click .  Empty.

  Isabella placed the revolver on the table, leaned back in her chair and exhaled.  Next up was Rosa, a Filipina, small, petite, with long black hair. She prayed silently before taking the weapon .  As a Catholic, she crossed herself , whispered a prayer, and turned the drum.  She held the weapon to her temple, pulled the trigger, click, blank.

  Rosa burst into tears, put down the revolver, and hid her face with her hands.  The fourth was Karina, the second Ukrainian, 25 years old, blonde, with [music] blue eyes, a former medical student who had given up her studies to live in Dubai. She took the revolver, looked at it, and studied it.

  She methodically spun the drum.  She held it to her temple.  Everyone watched.  She pulled the trigger .  One shot.  The bang was deafening in the enclosed space. Karina’s head jerked to the side.  Blood splashed onto the [music] wall behind her, onto the women sitting next to her .  Her body slumped onto the chair, then slid to the floor.

  The revolver fell from her hand and landed on the table with a metallic clang .  Blood spread across the floor .  A dark red puddle grew larger. Screams.  The women at the table jumped up and tried to leave, but the guards at the doors did not move.  Some women cried hysterically.  [music] Anastasia stood up and shouted at Rashid.

  He was a murderer and she was going to call the police.  Rashid beckoned to a guard who grabbed Anastasia, pushed her against the wall, and covered her mouth with his hand.  Rashid approached her and said quietly, “One more word and you’re next. Not in the game. Just a bullet to the head. Here and now.” Anastasia fell silent and nodded.  The guard let her go.

  Rashid returned to the table and looked at the remaining women.  There were nine now, after Karina had died.  He picked up the revolver from the floor, wiped the blood away with a handkerchief, opened the cylinder, pulled out the used cartridge case and inserted a new cartridge. He closed the drum and turned it. Then he put them back on the table.

He said, “Keep going.”  The doctor, who was standing in the corner of the room, went to Karina’s body, checked her pulse, and shook his head.  Rashid ordered the guards to carry out the body. Two men lifted the dead woman and carried her out through the side door. The blood remained on the floor, a dark stain on the light marble.

  The fifth in the line was Amina, a Moroccan woman, 32 years old, the oldest of the rest.  She had two children at home in Morocco, to whom she sent money every month.  She had come to Dubai four years ago, worked as a maid, and then met Rashid.  Amina took the revolver and her face was calm.  She had a difficult life behind her, had seen death before, and had lost her husband in a car accident when she was 23.

  She turned the drum, held the weapon to her temple without closing her eyes.  She pulled the trigger, one shot fired.  The second death within five minutes. Amina fell forward, her face on the table.  Blood flowed from the wound on her temple, flooding the plates containing the remains of the dessert.  Her hand twitched for a few seconds, then froze.

  The women at the table screamed again, but more quietly and in shock, unable to fully comprehend what was happening.  Oxana sat there, her head in her hands, rocking back and forth. Isabella stared into space.  Her face was pale, her lips moved in a silent [musical] prayer.  Rashid gave the order again to remove the body .

  The guards carried out the order .  The doctor didn’t even come this time .  It was obvious that Amina was dead.  Rashid reloaded the revolver and repeated the ritual.  A cartridge, the turning of the drum, a metallic sound that now sounded like a verdict.  The sixth was Elena. a Romanian woman, 27 years old.  She was a hairdresser in Bucharest, came to Dubai on a tourist visa and met Rashid at his hotel, where she  styled the hair of one of his official wives.

  Elena was practical, rational, and always planned ahead.  She took the revolver, looked at Rashid and asked, “If I refuse now, will you kill me?”  Rashid replied: “No, I will only deport you.” Elena nodded.  He placed the revolver on the table and stood up.  She said, “I refuse.”  Rashid looked at her for a long time and then nodded to the guard.

  Elena was led out of the room.  Eight women remained.  Rashid passed the revolver to the next person.  Valeria, Colombian, 26 years old, former student of economics in Bogota.  She came to Dubai, [music] to do an internship at a bank , and met Rashid at a business lunch.  He invited her on a date .

  [music] A month later she moved into the villa. Valeria was intelligent, ambitious, and dreamed of starting her own music business.  50 million dollars could make them independent for the rest of their lives .  She took the revolver, spun the drum [music] methodically, as if she had done it before.  She held it to her temple and looked up at the ceiling.

  She pulled the trigger.  There was no shot fired. The drum stopped on an empty cell .  Valeria exhaled and passed the weapon on.  The seventh was Nina, a Tiger, 22 years old, the smallest and quietest of them all.  She spoke almost no English, communicating with gestures and simple sentences.  She had come to Dubai to work as a masseuse in a Spar salon.

  Rashid was one of her clients.  Nina took the revolver with both hands.  He looked enormous in her small hands.  She spun the drum, closed her eyes, and held the weapon to her temple.  She could n’t pull the trigger for long; her finger was trembling.  Rashid said, “Do it yourself or I’ll do it for you.

”  Nina pulled the trigger, a shot was fired.  The third one is dead. Nina fell off her chair.  Her small body hit the ground.  Blood flowed from the wound and mixed with Karina’s already dried blood on the marble.  Her eyes were open and staring into space.  The women at the table stopped shouting.  They sat there paralyzed, in a state that went beyond fear.

  It was something different, a shutdown of emotions as a protective mechanism of the psyche.  Seven women remained.  Rashid continued his reloading ritual. His friends watched in silence. Nobody drank or smoked anymore.  The atmosphere had changed, even for her.  Some looked pale, one left the room.  He could be heard vomiting in the hallway, but nobody stopped Rashid.

  Nobody said it was enough .  The eighth was Anastasia, a Russian, 26 years old, the one who  had tried to protest after the first death.  She worked as a dancer in a club, was strong, independent and not used to submitting to authority .  But now her face was expressionless, as if she had withdrawn into herself to get through it .

  She took the revolver without looking at it and mechanically turned the cylinder.  She held it to her temple and pressed the trigger without hesitation.  There was no shot fired.  She passed the weapon on without changing her facial expression .  The ninth was Oxana again, her second round.  She had done it before , had survived, but that didn’t make the process any easier.

She took the revolver, which was now warm from the many hands, turned the cylinder and listened to the familiar metallic sound.  She held it to her temple. Thoughts of her family in Ukraine flashed through her mind .  To her mother, who didn’t know what her daughter was doing in Dubai and thought she was working as a model.

Oxana pulled the trigger.  There was no shot fired.  She placed the revolver on the table.  Her hands were shaking so badly that she couldn’t control them. Isabella was the tenth for the second time .  The Brazilian woman seemed calmer than the others.  Her experience in the fitness industry, where she had become accustomed to pain and the limits of her body, helped her to maintain control.

  She took the revolver, turned the cylinder, held it to her temple, and pulled the trigger.  The drum turned onto an empty cell.  She handed it to Rosa. Rosa, Filipina, second round.  She was still praying and whispering words in Tagalog, her native language.  She took the weapon, turned the drum, and held it to her temple.

  Her face was covered in tears.  She pulled the trigger.  The weapon did not fire.  Rosa lowered the revolver and thanked God [music] loudly.  The twelfth was Valeria, a Colombian. Second round.  She confidently picked up the revolver, just like the  first time.  She turned the drum, held the weapon to her temple, and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

  The cartridge did n’t work.  The drum stopped at an empty cell.  She placed the weapon on the table.  Anastasia’s 13th was in the second round.  The Russian woman took the revolver.  Her movements were automatic, like those of a robot.  She turned the drum, held the weapon to her temple, and pulled the trigger.  A shot was fired.  The fourth death.

  Anastasia fell backward.  Her chair tipped over, and her body hit the floor.  Blood gushed from the wound and flooded her blonde hair.  Her eyes were open and staring at the ceiling.  The guards came , picked up the body and carried it away.  Rashid sucked the revolver. Six women were still left.  Oxana, Isabella, Rosa, Valeria and two others who did not make it through the second round .

  Natalia, the second Russian, 29 years old, was next. She worked as a manager in a travel agency in Moscow, came to Dubai on a business trip, met Rashid, who suggested she stay. Natalia was pragmatic, cynical, and said that love was a myth and only money mattered.  She took the revolver, turned the cylinder, and held it to her temple.  She said 50 million.

She pulled the trigger, a shot was fired.  The fifth death.  Natalia fell forward onto the table.  Her blood mixed with food scraps and broken glasses. The body convulsed for several seconds , then froze.  The guards removed the body.  Rashid reloaded the weapon.  Five women remained , but one of them had not yet passed the second round.

It was the last one, the 15th in total.  Her name was Larisa, she was Ukrainian, 28 years old, worked as a translator and was fluent in four languages.  She came to Dubai for a conference, met Rashid, he hired her as his personal translator and after a month she moved into the villa.  Larisa was educated, read books and was interested in philosophy.

  She took the revolver, looked at him, then at Rashid.  She asked: “Do you understand that what you are doing will change you forever?”  Rashid smiled and replied, “I have already changed.”  Larissa nodded, turned the drum, held it to his temple, and pulled the trigger.  There was no shot fired.  Now all five remaining women had completed at least two rounds.

  Oxana, Isabella, Rosa, Valeria, Larisa.  Rashid looked at her and said: “Third round reached Oxana’s revolver. Oxana took the weapon for the third time. Her hands were no longer trembling. She was in a state of shock, beyond all fear.” She turned the drum, held the weapon to her temple, and pulled the trigger.  The cartridge was not fired.

  She handed the weapon to Isabella. Isabella, third round.  She turned the drum, held it to her temple, and pulled the trigger.  The weapon did n’t work.  She handed them to her in pink.  Rosa, third round.  She prayed, turned the drum, held it to her temple, and pressed down.  The drum stopped when the chamber was empty.

  I passed it on to Valeria.  Valeria, third round. She confidently turned the drum, held it to her temple, and pressed down .  The revolver did not fire.  I passed it on to Larisa.  Larisa, second round for you.  Third in the overall sequence.  She turned the drum, held it to her temple, and pulled the trigger .  There was a gunshot.

  The sixth death.  Larisa fell forward.  Her face hit the table.  Blood sprayed in all directions, splashing the other women.  Her body slid off the chair and fell to the floor in a prayer-like position, her head pressed to her chest, her arms stretched out. The guards carried the body away.  Rashid sucked the revolver.

  Four women were still left.  Oxana, Isabella, Rosa, Valeria.  All of them had survived three rounds .  Everyone had survived. Rashid looked at his watch.  It was almost midnight.  The game had lasted two hours.  Six women were dead, four were still alive.  He said: “Last round. Whoever survives will be my wife.” All four of them, if they’re lucky.

  But he changed the rules.  He took a new revolver out of the box that the guard had brought.  He opened the drum and showed that it was empty. He inserted two cartridges instead of one. He closed the drum and turned it. He said: “Now the odds are 1:3 instead of 1:6. We’re increasing the stakes.” The women looked at him, unable to protest.

  They were beyond words, beyond emotions.  Oxana took the new revolver.  It was heavier than the previous one.  She turned the drum and held it to her temple. In her head there was teacher, no thoughts, only mechanical action.  She pulled the trigger.  There was no shot fired. She survived for the fourth time.  Isabella took the revolver, turned the cylinder, held it to her temple, and pressed.

The cartridge didn’t work.  The fourth time she survived. Rosa took the revolver and prayed even more intensely.  Her lips moved quickly, the words merging into an uninterrupted stream.  She turned the drum, held it to her temple, and pulled the trigger.  The revolver did not fire. She had survived the fourth time.

Valeria took the revolver, the last of the four.  She looked at Rashid, then at the other women.  She turned the drum slowly, as if she wanted to prolong the moment .  She held it to her temple.  Her finger remained on the trigger.  She stared straight ahead into the void.  She pulled the trigger.

  The weapon did n’t work.  All four women survived.  Rashid looked at her, then smiled.  He said, “Fate has decided. You four are all worthy. But I only need [music] three women so as not to completely violate Sharia law. Therefore, we’ll do one more round, just one shot between the four of you.” The women looked at him in horror.

 Oxana screamed, “No, that’s enough!”  We survived.   ” They promised it.” Rashid replied calmly: “I promised that the winners would become my wives .”  But I didn’t say how many winners there would be.  Three or four, I’ll decide that now. He loots the revolver again, this time with a single cartridge.  He turned the drum, and Oxana reached him.

Oxana refused to accept it, shook her head and cried.  Rashid ordered the guard to come closer, and the guard held a knife to Oxana’s throat.  Rashid said, “Either you play along or I’ll kill you right now. Make up your mind.” Oxana took the revolver with trembling hands. She turned the cylinder, held it to her temple, and pulled the trigger.

 It did n’t fire. She handed it to Isabella and wept. Isabella took the gun. Her composure finally crumbled. Tears streamed down her face. She turned the cylinder, held the gun to her temple, and pulled the trigger. The cartridge didn’t fire. She handed it to Rosa. Rosa took the revolver, praying aloud and shouting prayers.

 She turned the cylinder, held the gun to her temple, and pulled the trigger. The revolver did n’t fire. She handed it to Valeria. Valeria was last. She took the revolver and gazed at it for a long time. Then she looked at Rashid. She said softly, “When I die, you’ll regret it.” Rashid laughed and replied, “I never regret anything.

” Valeria turned the  She held the drum to her temple. She closed her eyes. She pulled the trigger. The gun did n’t work. All four women had survived again. Rashid looked at them, then at the revolver. Then he laughed, a long, loud laugh. He said, “The fate is clear.”  You four will be my wives. I’ll take four instead of three.

  The rules were made by people.  I can change them.  The women sat there, unable to react.  Shock, exhaustion, trauma.  They were alive.  But something inside them had died that night. Rashid ordered the guards to take them to separate rooms and give them water and sedatives.  A doctor examined each one and gave them sedatives.

The bodies of the six dead women were removed that same night .  Rashid’s guards took them to the desert, to a place only they knew. There, the bodies were burned in specially prepared pits, and the ashes were scattered in the sand.  No traces, no graves, nothing that could be found .  Four women spent the rest of the night in separate rooms of the villa under guard.

  The doctor gave each of them sedatives strong enough to allow them to fall asleep despite the horror they had experienced. On the morning of June 24th, Rashid gathered them in the living room.  They sat pale and with empty eyes on the sofas in the bathrobes that had been given to them .  The floor in the dining room, where the game had taken place, had been mopped.

  There were no traces of blood or broken dishes left. Everything looked as if nothing had happened.  Rashid explained his plans. He will marry all four of them within the next two months.  The official ceremonies would be held separately for each one.  While adhering to Islamic traditions and legal formalities. Each would receive a prenuptial agreement  guaranteeing her $50 million in the event of a divorce.

  They would live in a villa, each in their own part of the house with separate staff.  Rashid would visit them one after the other , as prescribed by Sharia law in the case of polygamy.  But there was one condition.  They had to sign a non- disclosure agreement that forbade them from  telling anyone about the events of the night of June 23.

  If even one of them breaks her silence, the contract of all four will be voided. They will be deported immediately without compensation and Rashid will use all his connections to prosecute them for defamation and breach of contract . He also suggested that the women’s families could suffer if the information became public.

  The women signed the documents.  They had no choice.  They were in a foreign country without money, without connections, under the control of a man with enormous power and influence.  A rejection would have meant returning home empty-handed after everything they had been through .  The signing meant acquiring wealth, but also living with the memories of six dead women.

  The weddings took place from August to October 2018.  Oxana was the first to be married.  The ceremony took place in a private residence with the participation of a religious dignitary who received a generous reward for concealing the fact that this was the fifth wife and not the fourth.  Isabella got married in September, Rosa and Valeria in October.

  Each ceremony was registered separately in different emirates to avoid questions from the authorities regarding the number of wives.  Officially, four women became wives of Rashid Almaktum. The contracts were drafted by lawyers .  Each document guaranteed $50 million in the event of a divorce, plus monthly alimony payments, housing, cars, and domestic staff.

On paper, it looked like a fairy tale about poor girls who became princesses.  In reality, it was a cage built from trauma and fear.  In the first few months after the wedding, the women had hardly any contact with each other.  Each lived in her own part of the villa, met with Rashid according to a fixed schedule, and fulfilled her role as a wife.

  But at night they were plagued by nightmares.  Oxana woke up from dreams in which she saw Karina fall to the ground with a bullet in her head, and blood flooding the table .  Isabella could no longer look at any metal objects without panicking.  Every metallic sheen reminded her of the revolver.  Rosa prayed for hours every day, trying to atone for the guilt of the survivors .

  Valeria began taking high doses of sleeping pills to avoid seeing the faces of the dead women .  Rashid acted as if nothing had happened.  He was attentive, generous, bought gifts, and organized trips.  For him, the game was over.  He got what he wanted.  and continued. His friends, eight men who had been present that night, also remained silent.

  They were bound by a shared secret that could destroy their lives if it became public.  But Oxana could n’t live with that.  She was the youngest, 23 years old, and the trauma destroyed her from within. Six months after the wedding, in February 2019, she began looking for a way out .  She couldn’t just go to the police.  She had no evidence.

  The bodies had disappeared.  There were no video recordings.  The other parties involved would deny everything.  It would be her word against the word of one of the most influential men in Dubai. Oxana began to consider different options .  She knew she needed proof.  something material that could not be denied.

  She remembered seeing one of Rashid’s friends film Said with his mobile phone during the game. She wasn’t sure if it was a video or just photos, but it was her only chance.  In March 2019, Oxana contacted a hacker via an encrypted app, whom she  had found through an acquaintance from Ukraine.  The hacker, who goes by the pseudonym Siri Praxovau, agreed to  hack Said’s mobile phone for $000.

  Oxana paid Rashid from her monthly alimony, which he transferred to her account.  The process took two months.  The hacker used a phishing attack and sent Said a fake message from the bank containing a shard code.  When Said opened the link on his phone, the program gained access to the files. The hacker copied the entire contents of the phone, including photos and videos from the past year.

Oxana received the files in May 2019.  Among thousands of photos and videos, she found what she was looking for.  A video file with a length of 2 hours and 17 minutes.  Recorded on June 23, 2018, starting at 9 PM.  The quality was mediocre.  The phone was held in the hand, the picture sometimes shook, but everything could be seen and heard.

  The video showed the entire game from beginning to end.  Rashid explains the rules.  The women take the revolver one after the other. Shots are fired.  Karina, Amina, Nina, Anastasia, Natalia and Larisa die.  Screams, crying, blood on the table.  Rashid and his friends sit in armchairs and watch.  Comments, laughter, bets among themselves about who will survive [music].  Everything was recorded.

Oxana copied the video onto several USB sticks and hid them in different locations.  Then she started thinking about what she should do with it.  Going to the police in Dubai was risky.  Rashid had connections to the police.  The story could have been buried and Oxana would have disappeared.

  She decided that she had to make it public, so public that the authorities could not ignore it.  In June 2019, Oxana set up an anonymous email address via a service that protects the confidentiality [of music] .  She sent the video to several international media outlets simultaneously.  The Guardian in Great Britain, Aljazira in Qatar, New York Times in the USA, Der Spiegel in Germany, Lemont in France.

  In her letter, she briefly described the situation, named the people involved, the date of the incident, and the location.  She did not reveal her identity and signed as a witness. Aljasira was the first to react.  The journalists checked the video for authenticity and made sure that it had not been edited or altered .

  They identified Rashid Almaktum by his face and confirmed that it was indeed him.  On June 23, 2019, exactly one year after the incident, Alja published an article on his website titled ” Billionaire from Dubai forced women to play Russian roulette to become his wife”.  The video was released with the victims’ faces blurred to protect their identities , but the faces of Rashid and his friends were clearly visible.

  The article was accompanied by an investigation in which journalists established the identity of some of the deceased women by comparing them with missing persons reports. The families of Karina, Amina, Nina, Anastasia, Natalia and Larisa were located and interviewed.  They all confirmed that their daughters had been working in Dubai and disappeared in the summer of 2018 [music].

  The reaction was immediate and worldwide.  The video went viral and garnered 50 million views in the first 48 hours. The hashtag Rashida became a global trend on social media.  Human rights organizations called for an investigation.  The governments of several countries from which the deceased women originated made official requests to the authorities of the VA.

  The authorities in Dubai were under enormous pressure.  It was an international scandal that threatened the emirate’s reputation as a safe place for tourists and expats.  On June 25, police arrested Rashid Almaktum at his home.  At the same time, eight of his friends who were present at the villa that night were arrested.  The investigation was conducted behind closed doors.

  The authorities of the VE tried to inform the public as little as possible, but information leaks continued. It was revealed that the bodies of six women had indeed been destroyed in the desert .  The location was  found based on statements from one of Rashid’s bodyguards, who agreed to cooperate with investigators [music] in order to  obtain a reduced sentence.

Bone fragments and teeth were found at the site and  identified as belonging to the missing women based on dental records .  Rashid’s four surviving wives were questioned by the police .  Oxana, Isabella, Rosa and Valeria gave detailed statements and confirmed everything that was seen in the video .

  Their statements were identical in every detail.  The doctor who was present at the villa was also arrested and gave a statement admitting his role.  The trial against Rashid Almtum began in October 2019 before a special criminal court in Dubai.  The trial was not open to the public, but information leaked out through lawyers and journalists who had sources within the justice system.

  The prosecution brought six charges of first- degree murder.  Coercion to participate in a dangerous game, illegal possession of weapons, destruction of evidence and other crimes. Rashid’s defense attempted to challenge the video by claiming it had been manipulated.  The women participated voluntarily, and it was a game to which everyone had agreed.

However, an investigation confirmed the authenticity of the video, and the statements of the surviving women refuted the claim that they had participated voluntarily.  They described threats of deportation, knives at the throat, and an atmosphere of terror. The trial lasted four months. The verdict was delivered on February 27, 2020.

Rashid Almdum was found guilty on all charges. The judge sentenced him to life imprisonment without the right to early release. It was not the death penalty that the victims’ families and international organizations had demanded, but in the VE, death sentences are extremely rare for people from influential families .

  Eight of Rashid’s friends received various prison sentences of between 10 and 25 years for aiding and abetting a crime, failing to render assistance, and concealing evidence.  The doctor was sentenced to 15 years .  The guards who were directly involved in disposing of the bodies received prison sentences of between 7 and 12 years.

  After the verdict was announced, the four surviving women left the VA.  Their prenuptial agreements were declared invalid by the court.  The promised $50 million for each of them was not paid out, as the contracts had been entered into under duress and were part of a criminal plot. Rashid’s assets have been frozen.

  A large portion of this went towards compensating the victims’ families. Oxana received asylum in Norway, where she had a distant relative.  The Norwegian government granted her compensation of one million dollars for the trauma she suffered and paid for her psychological care.  Isabella returned to Brazil, where she received similar compensation from the Brazilian government and protection from possible persecution.

  Rosa went to Canada, where the Filipino community helped her settle in [music] and find work.  Valeria settled in Spain, where the Colombian government provided for her safety and financial support.  All four women gave various media interviews and told their stories.  They talked about how they had fallen into the trap of vultures and naivety , how their dreams of wealth had led them into a nightmare, and how they had survived thanks to luck and not their personal qualities .

  They talked about the six women who had died and how no amount of money was worth a human life. The families of the deceased women filed a class action lawsuit against the assets of Rashid Almdum [music]. In July 2020, the court decided  to pay each family $20 million in compensation.  A total of $120 million.  The money came from Rashid’s frozen assets, including the sale of his hotels, his villa on Palm Jumeirah, and his investment portfolios.

The story has been extensively covered in documentaries and books.   In 2021, Netflix released a documentary series titled The Shakesbad, in which surviving families of the victims, investigators, and women’s rights experts were interviewed.  The series sparked discussions about the situation of migrant women in the Persian Gulf countries, about the Kafala system, which gives employers enormous power over foreign workers, and about the culture of impunity for rich people.

  Under pressure from the international community, the government of the United Arab Emirates made changes to the law [music]. Regulations concerning the control of private homes and residences where people can be held against their will have been tightened. The police set up a special unit to investigate cases of human trafficking and forced labor.

Stricter penalties were introduced for crimes against foreign workers , but for the four surviving women, no laws could bring back what was lost. Ana said in a 2022 interview with The Guardian that she wakes up every night from nightmares in which she again holds a gun to her temple, hears the metallic sound of a spinning drum and sees the faces of the dead women, that no amount of money, no amount of justice can erase the memories of that night .

Isabella returned to her job as a fitness trainer in Rio de Janeiro, but admitted that she cannot stay indoors for long  because she panics, that she sometimes sees men on the street who resemble Rashid or his friends and is overcome with fear. Rosa has dedicated her life to working with victims of domestic violence and human trafficking in Toronto and says that helping others helps her cope with her own trauma.

  Valeria has written a book about her experiences , which became a bestseller in Spain and has been translated into twelve languages .  The families of the six women who were killed have used the compensation they received in different ways .  Karina’s parents in Ukraine founded a non-profit fund that    helps young women who want to go abroad to work by providing information about the risks and legal support.

  Amina’s family in Morocco built a school for girls in their village and named it after their deceased daughter.  Nina’s parents in Thailand used the money for the education of their younger children and for aid projects in their community.  Rashid Almaktum is serving a life sentence in a high-security prison in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

  Reports indicate that he will be placed in solitary confinement for security reasons , as other inmates have threatened him with violence. His family has publicly distanced themselves from him, stating that his actions are a disgrace to the family and contradict Islamic values .  His former official wives divorced him and received compensation according to their prenuptial agreements.

  The story of twelve women invited to a dinner party, where half of them died in a game invented by a rich man, became a symbol of the extremes to which power and wealth can lead when not restrained by morality or laws. It showed the dark side of a world full of luxury and privilege, where human lives are used as stakes in a game where fate is decided by turning a revolver cylinder .

For the surviving women, the story did not end with the verdict or the compensation.  They continue to live with the consequences of what they have experienced. But they also became voices speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves.  and remind the world of six women whose lives  were ended because of the perverse whim of a single man, and that justice, even if it comes late, is still possible if one has the courage to stand up for it despite fear.