Spying and Hacking: Businessman Battles Emirate at Trial (1)

What began as a legal dispute over a hotel has unfolded in a London courtroom in recent weeks into an extraordinary tale of royal intrigue, one that includes allegations of global undercover spying operation, hacked emails and a covert public relations campaign.

The investment authority of Ras Al Khaimah, one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, sued an Iranian-American aviation executive named Farhad Azima in 2016 for breach of contract in relation to the sale of a hotel in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Azima counter-sued, alleging that authorities in Ras Al Khaimah hired contractors who hacked ...