A long-time fan and personal friend of
American pop legend
Michael Jackson, Abdullah had loaned Jackson $2.2million to assist in the singer's legal fees after he was
tried for child molestation in
California (2005); after a successful defense, and the subsequent dismissal of all charges, Abdullah invited Jackson (with his children and personal entourage) to vacation in Bahrain. Jackson took him up on the invitation on 30June 2005. Following the 2005 tragedy of
Hurricane Katrina, and wanting to help revive Jackson's music career, Sheikh Abdullah suggested that Jackson record a song (which Abdullah had written lyrics for) as a Katrina charity single, entitled "I Have This Dream". Jackson attended recording sessions for the track in London; however, the single was never officially released through the Sheikh's co-owned
record label, 2Seas Group. Jackson then left Bahrain in May 2006 for
Ireland. In November 2008, after trying to recover from Jackson £4.7million in fees that the singer had said were "gifts", Abdullah sued him through the mutually agreed
High Court in London. Abdullah claimed that, despite having paid the $2.2million (£1.5million) cost for Jackson to record a song intended to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina, the singer failed to show at the studio for the final recording session, and thus song was never released. Bankim ThankiQC (representing Abdullah) told the High Court that, the day after Jackson's criminal trial ended in California, he recorded a song which Abdullah had wanted released as a charity single to help the victims of the
Indian Ocean tsunami, and that Abdullah felt "a strong sense of personal betrayal" after forming "a close personal relationship" with the singer. ==Marriage and children==