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Noof Al Maadeed (Arabic: الحياة المادية, 1995 – disappeared march 2023) was a Qatari young woman who attracted international attention after her disappearance in 2021.

Escape to United Kingdom

At, approximately 23-years old, Noof Al Maaded fled Qatar at the end of 2019 - accusing her family of spending years abusing her, curtailing her movements and beating her. She asked for asylum in Britain, documenting her trip in a TikTok video which went viral. Upon arriving in the UK, she promptly submitted an application for political asylum there, citing domestic violence and the authorities’ failure to provide her with protection.

In a podcast entitled “Fulfilling Dreams,” she discusses how she was able to achieve her dream of escape and survival, an experience she described as a miracle. She also emphasized the importance of maintaining hope and resolutely advancing toward one’s goal, despite the obstacles encountered along the way.

Womens rights activism

During her stay in the UK, Al-Maadeed presented herself as an advocate for Qatari women’s rights, shedding light on the detrimental impact of male guardianship; currently, Qatar is the only remaining country in the Gulf region with a male guardianship law. She explained how this system prevents women from working or traveling without a male guardian’s consent and leaves women who are victims of domestic violence with little protection.

In various television interviews and other video recordings, she expressed the loss of safety she felt in Qatar because of the prevalence of domestic violence and the existence of discriminatory laws affecting women’s employment and housing rights.

Al-Maadeed underscored that unmarried women over the age of 18 cannot travel outside the country, secure a government job, or obtain a loan for independent housing without the approval of a male guardian. She also mentioned the unfortunate fate of some young women who tried to assert their independence, as they were placed in mental institutions, prisons or safe shelters, which are similar to detention centres. Al-Maadeed withdrew her asylum request in the UK and left the country on September 30, 2021, with the intention of returning to Qatar. She explained that the Qatari authorities promised to provide her with the necessary protection and respect for her human rights upon her return.

Return to Qatar and disappearance

Al-Maadeed withdrew her asylum request in the UK and left the country on September 30, 2021, with the intention of returning to Qatar. She explained that the Qatari authorities promised to provide her with the necessary protection and respect for her human rights upon her return.

However, upon her return to Qatar, she reported receiving threats to her life and sought protection from the local authorities. Soon after, she voiced her concerns publicly about the lack of help.

A particularly alarming concern about her fate arose from a video on Instagram, which has since been removed. In the video, dated October 12, 2021, she mentioned that she had been subjected to assassination attempts by her own family.

On the evening of October 13, 2021, Al-Maadeed stopped reporting on social media and was not heard from for almost three months. This triggered widespread concerns and alarming reports that she might have been detained incommunicado or even killed.

International pressure, including efforts by human rights organisations such as the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR), coupled with the imminent opening of the 2022 World Cup, compelled Qatari authorities to take measures to uncover Al-Maadeed’s fate and protect her civil and human rights. On January 9, 2022, she posted a tweet containing a short video confirming that she was safe and in good health.

On March 18, 2023, Al-Maadeed released a series of videos on various social media networks, including her X (formerly Twitter) account, captioned with the following phrase, “The stupid one who returned to her homeland.” These video recordings provide substantial evidence of the widespread violations of her civil and human rights at the hands of the authorities, led by the notorious state security apparatus. This entity is known for its work outside the legal framework and its use of the Qatari judiciary as a tool to target innocent citizens. . In these recordings, Al-Maadeed appears visibly frail, emotionally distressed with tears in her eyes, and exhibits symptoms of severe depression. These recordings marked the final updates shared by Al-Maadeed, as all news or information about her completely stopped thereafter.

See also

• Women in Qatar
• Women in Islam
• Women in Arab societies
• Enforced disappearance

References

1. "timeline of Noof's escape and return to Qatar". Global Voices. 10 September 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
2. "Qatar: Events of 2018". World Report 2019: Qatar – Human Rights Watch. www.hrw.org. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
3. "Interview with AlHurra". Alhurra.
4. "Gulf Centre for Human Rights article on missing Qatari female". GC4HR. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
5. "widespread concerns about safety". The Independent. 21 October 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
6. < "missing social media activity raises concerns for safety". The guardian. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
7. "US state department summary of human rights in Qatar". Retrieved 8 January 2025.
8. "Article on the implications of the disappearance for statehood". ICSRF. 1 July 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2025.