So what REALLY happened to Dubai's Sheikh Rashid? How billionaire prince was hit by claims of cocaine, sex parties - and a 'roid rage' killing before he died at 33
- Dubai's Sheikh Rashid, 33, died of a suspected heart attack on Friday
- The prince was laid to rest on Saturday at the Umm Hurair Cemetery
- Rashid was in line to rule Dubai but crown prince title was stripped in 2008
- His younger brother, Sheikh Hamdan, 32, was made the heir in his place
- Leaked diplomatic cables accused Rashid of murdering an aide at the Palace
- Rumors of drug abuse have long circulated in Emirati high society
- The prince is thought to have been unmarried, as are his brothers...
He was the eldest son of Dubai's Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum - a handsome royal playboy with a glittering future ahead of him.
But on Saturday, 33-year-old Sheikh Rashid was laid to rest after apparently dying of a heart attack at home on Friday.
Now, Daily Mail Online can reveal that the untimely death of Sheikh Rashid has left many questions unanswered - in particular what caused an apparently healthy man to die at such a young age.
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Untimely death: Dubai's Sheikh Rashid died aged 33 of a heart attack at home on Friday morning
Although the official cause of death has been given as a heart attack, allegations of drug and steroid abuse and of several stints in rehab have long percolated through Emirati society circles.
Proud: Rashid, back row center, received a heroes' welcome on his return to Dubai from Qatar
Brothers: Rashid, right, pictured with his brothers Sheikh Majid (left) and Sheikh Maktoum in 2007
Brothers: Sheikh Makhtoum, left, and Sheikh Hamdan, right, carry their brother's coffin into Zabeel Mosque
Mourning: Sheikh Mohammed, fourth from left, and Sheikh Hamdan, sixth from left, pictured at Rashid's funeral
Future ruler: Sheikh Hamdan, the second son of Sheikh Mohammed and his principal wife Sheikha Hind, was named heir to Dubai in 2008
Then came a bombshell. 'It is alleged that Rashid killed an assistant in the Ruler's office,' continues Williams, 'thereby forfeiting his opportunity to be heir.'
Although the identity of the aide supposedly murdered by Rashid has never been revealed, commentators at the time suggested that the attack could have taken place during an episode of 'roid rage' – a reference to the steroids the prince was believed to have taken.
Further colorful allegations emerged in another cable, this time written in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh, which spoke of an underground royal party scene in which sex parties and drugs were common currency.
Written by Consul General Martin Quinn, the dispatch claimed that the underground scene was 'thriving and throbbing' but was only available to the very wealthy.
He also noted that 'cocaine and hashish use is common in these social circles', which, he added, were largely composed of aristocratic and princely members.
Among the fabulously wealthy guests to attend the parties, it has been alleged, were the Emirati princes - including Rashid.
Although the notoriously secretive Zabeel Palace has never commented on Rashid's alleged use of drugs, another illuminating episode came three years later in 2011 – shortly after the prince gave up his presidency of the UAE Olympic Committee due to his 'heavy workload'.
A British aide who had been working for the Al Maktoums at the sprawling Longross Palace in Surrey, England, brought an unfair dismissal case against the family in London and claimed he was sacked after refusing to spy on a dignitary staying there.
Glittering: Sheikh Mohammed's tenure has seen Dubai transformed into a glittering tourist destination
High profile: Sheikh Mohammed, pictured with Princess Haya at Goodwood Racecourse in Chichester, England, shares a love of racing with his sons, including Sheikh Rashid who owned a racing stables of his own
Choice: Emirs such as Sheikh Mohammed can choose their heir, although traditionally, the eldest son is chosen for the job. Sheikh Mohammed opted for his second son, Hamdan (pictured), instead
Staying silent: Sheikh Mohammed, pictured with the Queen in Abu Dhabi in 2010, has never commented on the allegations of drug use surrounding Rashid
Mr Ali, who claimed he 'regularly came into contact with the family', alleged that Rashid, far from having a heavy workload, was instead in the throes of drug addiction.
What's more, Mr Ali continued, the problem had become so acute that prince had been made to attend a rehab clinic by his furious family in 2009.
Other bizarre claims emerged, including accusations that staff working for the Al Maktoum family operated in a 'climate of fear'.
Another aide, Olatunji Faleye, giving evidence on behalf of Mr Ali, claimed racial abuse from 'my bosses' was commonplace and said he had repeatedly been called 'a black slave'.
He also claimed that colleagues had dismissed his Christian beliefs as 'inferior, rubbish and no good' and had told him to convert to Islam.
Most damaging for the family, if not Rashid himself, was the accusation that Mr Ali had been 'bullied, harassed and belittled' before being forced out of his £60,000-a-year ($93,000) job.
Although the tribunal ended in victory for the Al Maktoum family and Sheikh Mohammed himself was never accused of any wrongdoing, the family has never publicly denied the allegations put forward about Rashid.
Since then, little has been heard from or about the 33-year-old, although his brother Hamdan has made frequent public appearances alongside his father.
Until the announcement of his death on Friday, Rashid had been all but hidden away behind the scenes at the Zabeel Palace.
Now he is making headlines once more, with his memorial service and burial at the Umm Hurair Cemetery in Dubai covered faithfully by the local press.
A three day official mourning period has been declared, while Hamdan, who with Maktoum, 31, carried Rashid's body during his funeral on Saturday, has spoken movingly of 'losing my best friend.
For all that, it seems likely that Sheikh Rashid will become little more than a footnote in the United Arab Emirates' royal history.
But whatever the truth of his alleged penchant for drugs, there is no denying that the death of a young man in his prime is anything but a tragedy.