Maytha Bint Maktoum has spent much of her life away from the spotlight despite being a member of Dubai’s ruling Al Maktoum family. Known as Mia, the sheikha has built a life between the United Arab Emirates and Europe while largely keeping her private world to herself. Now, she is stepping into the public eye as she prepares to launch a new project focused on mental health, a field that has become an important part of both her personal and professional life.
Ahead of the launch, Maytha has given her first interview, opening up about her life and the deeply personal experiences that first drew her to mental health.
Her interest in psychology became personal after the death of her father, when she was just 19. Her mother, who worked in the mental health field and strongly believed in education, also helped shape her path, encouraging her from an early age to continue her studies. “I wanted to understand myself better… I needed to know who I was. I also wanted to understand why people behave the way they do at work, in relationships, in friendships and in life in general,” she told Tatler.
Maytha studied at the University of East London before pursuing graduate studies at the University of Huddersfield and the University of Roehampton. Even then, she was determined to keep her royal background private and did not tell her classmates that she was a member of Dubai’s ruling family.
Her career eventually took her inside a high-security psychiatric hospital, an experience that helped inspire the idea for MindFriend. The platform is designed to connect people with qualified psychologists, psychiatrists and therapists and, as Maytha has explained, “the goal is to make it easier to access reliable information about mental health.” As she prepares to launch the app, she has brought together a network of 300 mental health professionals who will be available through its directory.
© @miabintmaktoumInside her private life and friendship with Salma Hayek
Maytha comes from a remarkably large family. One of 20 siblings, she grew up between the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Dubai, an international upbringing that shaped the way she thinks about home. “I feel like the entire planet is my home,” she reflected in the interview.
Away from work, Maytha enjoys spending time with friends, attending charity events and pursuing her interests in art, cooking and nature. Among her close friends is Salma Hayek, whom she met years ago through her family. “We are very close friends,” Maytha said. The two also share an interest in philanthropy. “She is a force of nature when it comes to philanthropy,” the sheikha said of the actress.
© @salmahayekTheir friendship has also played out publicly. In 2025, Maytha was photographed with Hayek during a Cannes Film Festival dinner at Place de la Castre, where she was also seen with François-Henri Pinault and Nicole Kidman.
Although her social media accounts are public, true to her discreet nature, Maytha Bint Maktoum rarely shares content. On her Instagram profile, where she goes by her nickname (Mia) she has 1,029 followers and only five posts. She is much more active on LinkedIn, where she describes herself as a business psychologist, impact investor, and philanthropist.
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