The UAE and Epstein Sex Files

For years, the Jeffrey Epstein files were a black box of redacted power—names of the wealthy and influential obscured behind heavy black lines, fueling speculation about who comprised the disgraced financier’s global network. In February 2026, that box cracked open. Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, U.S. Representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) gained two hours of access to the unredacted trove. In that short window, they emerged with six names. Among them was a titan of Middle Eastern commerce: Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the Emirati chairman and CEO of Dubai-based DP World. But the revelations from Dubai did not stop with its most powerful CEO. As the 3 million pages were scrutinized by journalists and lawmakers, two prominent Dubai-based women also emerged from the unredacted text: Hind Al-Owais, a senior UAE diplomat and human rights official who exchanged hundreds of emails with Epstein, and Caroline Stanbury, a reality television star whose name appears in Epstein’s infamous black book. Yet, as the world scans the files for the "who’s who" of global elites, one specific demographic remains conspicuously absent: Saudi nationals. Despite the Kingdom’s deep intersections with global finance and real estate, no Saudi figures have been identified in the current unredacted disclosures.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem is not a peripheral figure in Dubai; he is one of its primary architects. As the head of DP World, he oversees a logistics empire that handles roughly 10% of global container traffic. He also chaired Nakheel, the developer behind the iconic Palm Jumeirah. The files paint a portrait of a relationship with Epstein that was both personal and, at times, chilling.

The most incendiary piece of correspondence is an email from Epstein dated April 24, 2009. While Epstein was serving an 18-month sentence—but out on work release—he wrote to bin Sulayem: “Where are you? Are you ok? I loved the torture video”. For years, the recipient’s name was redacted. It is now confirmed as bin Sulayem. Congressman Massie has explicitly stated his belief that bin Sulayem sent the video to Epstein. Unlike many Western businessmen who distanced themselves from Epstein after his 2008 conviction, bin Sulayem’s correspondence continued well into the 2010s. In 2015, he described a sexual encounter to Epstein as “the best sex I ever had” regarding a woman he met at the American University in Dubai. In 2017, he arranged for a masseuse from Epstein’s “private spa” to obtain a job placement at a Rixos Hotel in Turkey. The international fallout has been immediate: the UK’s development finance agency and Canada’s pension fund La Caisse have suspended new investments with DP World.

If bin Sulayem represents Dubai’s commercial elite, Hind Al-Owais represents its diplomatic and humanitarian face, making her appearance in the files particularly jarring. Al-Owais is currently the Director of the UAE Permanent Committee for Human Rights (PCHR) and a former senior adviser at the United Nations, where she was the first Emirati to hold such a post since 1971. She has spoken publicly on the importance of investing in women, declaring: “Investing in women is not only the right thing to do, but it’s also the smart thing to do”.

According to U.S. Justice Department records, Al-Owais exchanged 469 emails with Jeffrey Epstein between 2011 and 2012. In January 2012, Al-Owais wrote to Epstein: “Are you in town?? My sister is here, and I have told her so much about you.... I want her to meet you.... Let me know when!” Epstein replied, suggesting lunch. Al-Owais responded: “I am so excited to see you and introduce you to my sister- she is even prettier than me!!!!!”. Two days later, she wrote again regarding the logistics of bringing two women to meet Epstein:“Getting one girl ready is difficult enough, two girls- you can certainly call a challenge... We might even be late!!!” The persistence of the correspondence—469 exchanges over two years—has raised questions among observers about why a senior diplomat focused on human rights maintained such extensive contact with a convicted sex offender.

The third Dubai-based woman to emerge from the files is Caroline Stanbury, a star of The Real Housewives of Dubai. Her name was found in Epstein’s black book—the contact directory of phone numbers, emails, and addresses Epstein kept of influential acquaintances. Records show Stanbury’s name appearing alongside Lisa Walker, who has admitted to meeting Epstein once in the company of Stanbury. The files do not suggest Stanbury engaged in any wrongdoing, but her presence in the black book places her within the orbit of Epstein’s social network. It is also noted that Stanbury dated Prince Andrew around 2000-2001, adding another layer to the intersecting circles of Epstein’s world.

For the UAE, the identification of bin Sulayem, Al-Owais, and Stanbury is a reputational challenge spanning three distinct pillars of its global presence: state capitalism, international diplomacy, and soft-power entertainment. It places Dubai at the center of a narrative involving torture videos, persistent contact with a sex offender by a human rights official, and reality television stars listed in a predator’s little black book.

Summary of Quoted Emails Currently in Public Domain:

Date	Sender	Excerpt Quoted in Media
Jan 2012	Al-Owais	"Are you in town?? My sister is here, and I have told her so much about you.... I want her to meet you.... Let me know when!"
Jan 2012	Epstein	"Any day until sun would you like to come to lunch on sat with her?"
Jan 2012	Al-Owais	"I am so excited to see you and introduce you to my sister- she is even prettier than me."
Jan 2012	Al-Owais	"Getting one girl ready is difficult enough, two girls- you can certainly call a challenge... We might even be late!!! Let Susan call me if you are on a tight schedule!!!"
Jan 2012	Epstein	[Asked if they could arrive closer to 11 a.m. so he could have] "more time with the two."
Jan 2012	Al-Owais	"Hi, already in discussion with [redacted] on time – I am so excited to see you and introduce you to my sister – she is even prettier than me!"