$21 billion

Prince Al Waleed bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud

Prince Al-Walid bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud

The wealth of the ruling Saudi dynasty is not usually associated with business acumen, financial luck or hard work. The only exception is the multi-billion dollar fortune of Prince al-Walid bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud. Having become chairman of his own company at 14 and a billionaire at 31, Prince Al-Waleed, now 51, is a typical Western-style businessman who created himself and his capital, now estimated at $21 billion.

At the beginning of the 20th century, King Ibn Saud, with fire and sword, managed to unite the disparate tribes of the Arabian Peninsula into one state. The Saudi dynasty has been the ruling royal dynasty since 1932. Saudi Arabia and the keeper of one of the main common Muslim shrines - the Kaaba temple in Mecca. The al-Saud clan has over a thousand princes and princesses. The most famous of them - Prince al-Walid - stands out not only for the size of his fortune, but also for his high hierarchical position in the clan: he is the nephew of the current king of Saudi Arabia.

Al-Waleed was born in 1957 from the marriage of a Prince of the Blood royal family Saudi Arabia and the daughter of the first Prime Minister of Lebanon. The parents divorced when the child was three years old, and until his 11th birthday, the boy lived with his mother in Beirut. The young offspring of the royal family was sent to America to be educated. Here the prince graduated from Menlo College in San Francisco (has a bachelor's degree in business administration) and a master's degree in social sciences Syracuse University in New York.

An adherent and guardian of Wahhabism in America became addicted to morning jogging, fell in love with Coca-Cola, masterfully mastered the ability to wear business suits and, they say, was even an active participant in rampant student parties.

The prince began his business activity in 1979 with the provision of intermediary services foreign companies who wanted to do business with Saudi Arabia. Given the prince's proximity to the royal family and his informal influence in the region, the start was successful. In 1980, al-Waleed bin Talal established the Mamlaka Company (Kingdom in English). He himself says that he created the business with the help of $30,000 borrowed from his father and a $400,000 loan secured by a house donated by his parent. Al-Waleed continued to actively use his privileged position, obtaining lucrative construction contracts and buying at discounted prices. land for subsequent resale. However, according to al-Walid himself, his contracts and real estate deals in the Riyadh district were nothing more than a “glare on the radar screen.” The metaphor used by the prince cannot be called anything other than a Freudian slip: at that time, the prince was even more interested in war than in business.

The war in Afghanistan was sacred to devout Muslims. The Saudi dynasty, at the head of Wahhabism, could not remain aloof from the events in Afghanistan. And al-Walid actively helped the Afghan Mujahideen in the fight against Soviet Union. In 1981, the prince even had a chance to visit training camps in Peshawar, where the Mujahideen received combat training. However, after the withdrawal Soviet troops from the territory of Afghanistan in 1989 and began civil war in that country al-Walid stopped sending money there. According to him, he made his last donation to the Mujahideen in April 1990, giving them $5.4 million.

Although many of my compatriots still finance the Afghan Mujahideen today, I myself do not do this anymore,- the prince admitted in an interview with one of the American publications. Whose money the novice businessman spent to support the Mujahideen, however, still remains a mystery. According to official information, the turnover of his company was more than modest.

As a serious businessman, al-Walid became known only in 1988 after acquiring a large stake in the United Saudi Commercial Bank. But even this acquisition provided the prince with the status of a prominent financial player only within the kingdom. However, two years later, the prince took a step that allowed him to become a prominent figure on a global scale: he acquired a 20.8% stake in Citibank.

In the fall of 1990, America's largest bank found itself in a very difficult position: losses on lending to real estate transactions amounted to $ 1 billion, and the search for investors willing to help recapitalize was unsuccessful. Shares rapidly depreciated.

At the end of 1990, al-Waleed purchased a 4.9% stake in this corporation for $207 million ($12.46 a share). In February 1991, when the Americans received permission to use Saudi territory to deploy their troops in Operation Desert Storm, the prince managed to buy another stake in Citigroup preferred shares. By early 1994, the value of the company's shares skyrocketed, boosting al-Walid's wealth and bolstering his reputation as a successful businessman.

It would seem that everything is logical and transparent. But a study by The Economist experts raised some doubts, firstly, about the reality of his success as a strategic investor, and secondly, about the sources of his main income. According to The Economist's analysis, at that time al-Waleed simply did not have the financial means to invest $797 million in shares of a foreign company.

Following his success in acquiring shares in Citigroup, Prince al-Waleed's empire expanded beyond Saudi Arabia and continued to grow rapidly. He has invested in media, telecommunications, information systems, banking and a chain of large hotels.

However, Citibank became almost the only successful investment of the capital of the Saudi tycoon. All of his other $3 billion investments outside of Saudi Arabia increased by no more than $800 million over the course of several years in the early 1990s! In the rankings of American investors, the prince would have ranked somewhere at the bottom of the list, and it is certainly out of the question to compare al-Waleed to Warren Buffett. Meanwhile, Time magazine called him the "Arab Warren Buffett" and Forbes one of the world's most astute investors. In 1995, Business Week predicted that by 2010 al-Waleed would be the most powerful and influential businessman on the planet.

The prince's most unsuccessful venture was his highly publicized attempt to save European Disneyland, as a result of which the shares he acquired depreciated by a quarter. The Sachs concern, the Planet Hollywood cafe chain, and the Proton company can be put in the same row.

Yet, against all economic laws, the prince's empire continued to grow. Since the mid-1990s, al-Waleed has spent about $4.5 billion annually. At the same time, al-Walid rarely sold his shares and denied the possibility of replenishing his fortune through inheritance or gifts from wealthy relatives. In this case, - the experts of the magazine "The Economist" argued, - possible sources of replenishment of the capital of the prince could be: a) the use of other people's funds; b) loans; c) income from investments; d) trade.

Investing other people's money in profitable projects is a fairly common practice in Saudi Arabia, especially among members of the royal family who do not want to shine in the business world once again. Meanwhile, al-Waleed brushes aside the suggestion that he is not investing his own money. As for loans, here the prince prefers to manage with his own funds. According to the prince, trade does not fascinate him either.

What remains is the return on investment. But even here the debit does not converge with the credit. By the end of 1999, al-Walid's fortune was estimated at $14.3 billion. His investments abroad amounted to 11 billion, and in Saudi Arabia - about 700 million. In addition, he held $1.1 billion in hard currency. According to experts, it turned out that 12.8 billion bring the prince $ 223 million in annual profits.

However, al-Walid declared that his annual profit at that time was 500 million a year. The experts were puzzled: Is it possible that most of the profit - 277 million - is brought by the remaining 1.5 billion dollars at the prince's disposal?! At the same time, it must be borne in mind that al-Walid's personal property in the form of a palace, aircraft, yachts, etc., which at that time was worth $ 550 million, did not bring any profit at all.

Needless to say, the Saudi prince asked international experts in the field of economics a riddle in the spirit of oriental fairy tales. Perhaps that is why most business publications prefer not to analyze the investment strategy of al-Walid, but to discuss the exotic features of his life and way of life. Thanks to glossy magazines, it is widely known that the prince does not drink or smoke, consumes no more than 130 calories a day and is still, as in student years doing daily runs. Correspondents of glossy publications are not embarrassed by the fact that, according to their own information, the prince works in a makeshift office equipped with satellite communications and half a dozen telephones under the shadow of a Bedouin tent in the Saudi desert. The imagination refuses to imagine Prince al-Walid jogging through the desert at night. However, it is quite possible that something like a running track was built especially for him in the desert, winding around the oasis ... What there is no doubt about is his ability to live in a big way. In 2008, Prince Al-Waleed became the first private individual to buy an Airbus A380. The liner was named "Flying Palace". 350 million euros were spent on tuning the aircraft and about two years of work. The aircraft has a marble dining room for 14 people, a bar decorated with canvases in the colors of the Arabian desert, a bathroom with a jacuzzi, and a sauna. There is also a gym on board the plane, which (according to confirmed information) definitely has several treadmills used by the prince and his guests.

The current mortgage crisis in the US has nearly bankrupted Citibank, of which al-Waleed is the largest shareholder. Saudi Arabia is also not the kind of country Western investors want to invest their money in, fearful of the country's harsh regulations and low transparency. Saudi stock indexes have been falling for the past two years. All these circumstances for a long time and, apparently, for a long time knocked the prince out of the leaders of the Forbes list.

But he still surprises the world with the size of his spending, and glossy magazines still do not skimp on the praise of Prince al-Walid. Now it is described as long term investor global thinking, thanks to his instinct for successfully investing in promising companies underestimated by others.

Despite the fact that in the coming years the prince does not shine to take the place of Warren Buffett or Bill Gates, he worked one hundred percent as a PR project for the Saudi royal family. At least for the subjects of the monarch and friends of the family, the glory of the prince should be a source of satisfaction. The extravagance and greed of the Saudis for a long time caused confusion among Western businessmen who tried to deal with them. Now they have a source of pride - a decent and generous offspring, who demonstrates an amazing ability to earn capital "thanks to his mind and hard work."

This text is an introductory piece. From the book The Richest People on Earth. big twenty author Samodurov Vadim

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Childhood

Prince Al-Waleed ibn Talal ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud was born on March 7, 1955 into a royal family, the rank, rank or occupation of each member of which is truly impressive.

His father, Prince Talal ibn Ab-del Aziz, was the Minister of Finance; in the 60s he opposed the current government of King Faisal as part of the liberal movement. His grandfather - Riad As-Solh famous political figure, former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Al-Walid's uncle Salman is the reigning king of Saudi Arabia, and his maternal cousins ​​are the princes of Morocco - Moulay Hisham Angle and Moulay Ismail.

The kid was not yet four when his parents decided to divorce. Prince Al-Walid stayed with his mother, Princess Monica, and soon they moved to Beirut, where the guy spent his childhood.

Education

As befits children in royal families, Al-Waleed received a prestigious education. He went to study in America, where Menlo College in San Francisco was chosen for training. Here he received a bachelor's degree, after which he went to Syracuse University in New York. Here he studied with world-famous teachers in the social sciences.

Life in America was to the taste of the young prince - here he quickly got used to it, fell in love with business style clothes, fast food and Coca-Cola. It seemed pointless for a young, active and educated young man to return to his homeland.

The beginning of a business career and its successful continuation

My commercial activity Prince Al-Waleed started in 1979. Taking out a loan of $350,000, he began providing intermediary services to foreign firms that planned to cooperate with Saudi Arabia. Thanks to the close relationship of the prince with quite influential people in the country, his debut in the business world turned out to be quite successful. In addition to mediation, Al-Walid was engaged in the purchase and resale of land. In 1980, Al-Waleed bin Talal founded the company "Kingdom".

One of the prince's most famous and successful investments was Citibank. In the 1990s, Al-Waleed acquired a significant stake in Citibank, which at that time was in extremely difficult financial position. By investing virtually all of his investments in Citibank, he saved it from total collapse. In the future, more than half of Al-Walid's fortune is precisely this company, which he once saved from falling.

The next successful acquisition for the prince was a block of preferred shares of Citigroup. Having bought the company's shares for next to nothing, Al-Walid did not fail - in early 1994, the shares literally soared in price, which significantly increased Al-Walid's capital.

The prince has been seen collaborating with Bill Gates and Microsoft, and is also known for his lavish investments in media companies.


"Arabian Warren Buffett"

Prince Al-Waleed is often compared to another successful businessman— Warren Buffett, referring to his impressive acumen when it comes to investing. However, these two investors do not have much in common: Al-Waleed, if you look at it, has very few high-profile investments, and the most successful of them is still Citigroup. Buffett is famous for dozens of big deals.

These two businessmen are very different in their attitude to luxury. Warren Buffett lives in a house worth just over $30,000, while the prince owns a luxurious palace valued at over $100 million. Also, Al-Waleed, like most Eastern billionaires, has a weakness for expensive cars, private jets and luxury yachts. In 2012, the prince once again reminded of his love for luxury by purchasing the only instance of an elite aircraft to date. Al-Walid now owns a private Airbus-380 aircraft.

Forbes scandal

The annual rating published by Forbes magazine in 2013, as usual, consisted of people whose fortune has long been estimated in the billions. An Arabian businessman also appeared on the list. But if, according to the editors of the publication, the prince's assets amounted to 20 billion (he took 26th place in a hundred), then he himself announced a figure of $ 29 billion. A difference of almost ten billion could significantly affect his place in the rankings.

Prince Al-Waleed reportedly sent a letter to CEO Forbes, in which, in an uncompromising form, he asked that his name no longer appear in the publication's rating. Not this year, or any other. Then he openly stated that he did not trust the publication, and the methods of assessing the state used by journalists are absolutely wrong and incorrect.

Forbes management did not tolerate such tricks that undermine the authority of the publication. Literally a few days later, a detailed article about Al-Walid was published on the official website of the magazine, in which a different point of view on the current situation was stated. According to the publication, the prince is too fixated on his own image, so long before the publication of the list, Al-Walid's PR managers demanded that the prince's fortune be assessed based on the data of his personal lawyers.


Charity

In 2015, the news spread around the world that the Prince of Saudi Arabia, Al-Walid, who was in his seventies, donated almost all of his life fortune to charity. According to preliminary estimates, about 32 billion were written off from the accounts of the billionaire. He admitted that Bill Gates, who also generously “shares” his personal fortune with his brainchild, the Gates Foundation, became an example for him. “This is my duty to humanity,” the prince said, mentioning that charity is an inalienable honor of his faith, Islam.

Donated funds will be used to build hospitals, schools, orphanages, to help countries affected by natural Disasters, helping single mothers and other needy groups of people.

Personal life

Not much is known about the personal life of Prince Al-Walid: he was married three times, but this moment is not married. From the first wife named Delal, the prince has a son and a daughter. His next chosen one was Iman al-Sudairi, in this marriage Al-Walid did not have children. The third wife was chosen by Amir Al-Tawil - a very outstanding personality, although not of royal blood. Amira became the first princess in Saudi Arabia to refuse to wear the traditional dress of Saudi women - the abaya. The princess actively supports organizations and projects fighting for women's rights around the world.

Unfortunately, in the winter of 2014, the marriage of Princess Amira and Prince Al-Walid was annulled. Rumor has it that the spouses entered into a marriage contract, according to which Princess Amira could not have children. Most likely, this was the main reason for the divorce.

This weekend in Saudi Arabia, there were mass detentions of members of the royal family and people associated with it. Among those suspected of corruption was Prince Al-Waleed, who tried to establish ties with Russia

Al Waleed (Photo: Philippe Wojazer/Reuters)

“Putting personal interests above the public”

On the evening of November 4, King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia issued a decree to combat corruption and announced that he intended to completely put an end to abuses in the country's power structures. As the monarch explained, in the highest government circles there were people “who put their personal interests above public ones” in order to enrich themselves illegally.

Shortly thereafter, the Al Arabiya TV channel reported mass arrests: 11 members of the Saudi royal family, four current and "dozens" of former ministers were suspected of corruption. Among them are Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and former head Ministry of the National Guard Prince Mitab bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. What exactly the representatives of the Saudi dynasty did is not explained. However, Bloomberg reported that Al-Waleed, in particular, was detained at his desert camp.

On Monday, November 6, a senior Saudi official told,. Billionaire Al-Walid is suspected of money laundering, bribery and extortion from officials. Prince Mitab bin Abdullah is accused of embezzlement, hiring dead souls, transferring government contracts to his own companies, among which is a $ 10 billion deal for the supply of walkie-talkies and bulletproof vests. former minister Finance Ibrahim al-Assaf is accused of embezzlement in the expansion of the Great Mosque of Mecca. In addition, he is suspected of using his official position and confidential information in transactions with land. The ex-governor of Riyadh, Prince Turki ibn Abdullah, according to the authorities, also provided contracts to his own companies, and also committed abuses during the construction of the subway.

prince vs prince

Against the background of fragmentary data from Saudi Arabia appeared different versions, what was the goal pursued by the 81-year-old monarch. According to Bloomberg, the detentions only fueled rumors that King Salman is clearing the way to the throne for his 32-year-old son, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud. It was his supporter Khaled Ayyaf who replaced Mitab as head of the National Guard Ministry. Interlocutors of the agency pointed to the fact that in recent months it was people from the environment who occupied responsible posts. crown prince, and Mitab hardly held his position.


Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (Photo: Yuri Kochetkov / EPA)

Middle East expert Hani Sabra told Bloomberg that the strengthening of the crown prince's position has previously caused discontent among many influential Saudis. Now, with Khaled Ayyaf in charge of what was considered the stronghold of the former King Abdullah's clan, it is almost impossible to predict the reaction within the royal family.

Experts took great surprise at the detention of Al-Walid, who repeatedly expressed his loyalty to both King Salman and his son. For example, in September, a huge portrait of the monarch was displayed on the skyscraper Alwaleed Kingdom Tower in honor of the national holiday. However, Market Watch indicates that the prince may have been reminded of his relatives. If Al-Walid himself did not claim a leading role in government, then his father Talal bin Abdul Aziz actively opposed the promotion of Prince Mohammed. The sources of the publication associate a quick purge within the ruling dynasty with Salman's alleged decision to retire at the end of this or early next year.

Facing Iran and back to Trump

The detention of Al-Waleed caused surprise among his business associates. According to The New York Times, it was no coincidence that he was called the Middle Eastern Warren Buffett. Forbes estimates the fortune of Prince Al-Waleed at $ 18 billion, which allows him to occupy the 45th line in the ranking. the richest people peace. He owns a 95% stake in Kingdom Holding and is the largest shareholder of one of the international financial conglomerates Citigroup (more than 6% of the shares). He also owns shares in companies such as Four Seasons (together with Bill Gates they own 95% of the shares), Twitter, 21st Century Fox, Disney. He also owns the George V hotels in Paris and the Plaza in New York.

According to The New York Times, the arrest of the prince was made against the backdrop of a strengthening friendship between Prince Mohammed and US President Donald Trump. Al-Walid, despite the difficult relationship between Riyadh and Tehran, was going to invest in the Iranian economy a few years ago and abandoned this idea because of King Salman's tough stance. Mohammed, in his views on Tehran, does not contradict Trump in any way.


Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and Donald Trump (Photo: Mandel Mgan/EPA)

At the same time, it should be noted that Trump did not have a relationship with Al-Waleed. Even during the election campaign in the United States, businessmen exchanged barbs. Prince named Republican candidate "

The wealth of the cosmopolitan investor, the nephew of the Saudi king, increased by $6.1 billion last year. Two-thirds of his capital is a 95% stake in the Kingdom Holding Company investment fund. For the five weeks prior to the cut-off date (on which capitalization is calculated for Forbes rating), the company's shares rose by 49%. Al-Waleed and Kingdom Holding Company own 3.5% of Citigroup, as well as large stakes in the Four Seasons and Fairmont hotel chains. In February, News Corp. acquired 9% of Al-Waleed's media company Rotana, valued at $770 million. His palaces and properties are worth more than $3 billion. He owns a jewelry collection worth $730 million and four aircraft, including an Airbus A380.

Al-Waleed ibn Talal is a member of the Saudi royal family. He is the son of Prince Talal, whose parents were the founder of Saudi Arabia, Abdul Aziz Alsaud and Princess Mona El Sol.

Al-Waleed ibn Talal received his education in the USA, first with a bachelor's degree in business management, then - a doctor of science and a doctor of law. His property is the investment empire Kingdom Holding Company. He owns the largest stakes in many well-known companies. Among them are Worldcom, Motorola, AOL, Apple, etc. The prince's interests also include real estate. These are stakes in hotels in New York, Monaco and London, as well as a chain of entertainment complexes in France. His work schedule allows him to sleep only five hours a day. It is said about him that despite being related to the ruling king, Alwaleed Alsaud tries not to get involved in politics.

Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal is actively involved in philanthropy, among other things, annually donates more than one hundred million dollars to organizations in the Middle East, Asia and Africa that deal with the needs of the needy. He organizes educational centers in the Middle East for American students, and in the USA for Islamic students. Donated twenty million dollars to the Louvre two years ago to build a new wing dedicated to Islamic art. In the same year, the prince transferred twenty million dollars each to American universities at Harvard and Georgetown. This donation is among the 25 largest at Harvard and the second largest for Georgetown. The university administration said that these charitable contributions will be used to improve curricula, as well as to expand the faculty in this area.

Prince Alwaleed promotes equal rights for women, the first in the country to hire a woman as an airplane pilot.

Prince Al-Waleed ibn Talal

Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal is the nephew of the current king of Saudi Arabia. He earned his fortune on investments, he owns the Kingdom Holding Company. Through this company, he carries out all his investments. The prince began to engage in investments, which later brought him fabulous money, back in the late seventies, taking a loan of three hundred thousand dollars. He is one of the richest people in the world.

He is said to sleep five hours a night, that's how long it takes to control investments. He owns large stakes in AOL, Apple Computers, Worldcom, Motorola, News Corporation Ltd, etc. In 1990, Al-Waleed ibn Talal acquired a controlling stake in Citicorp, which at that time was going through hard times. Now the shares owned by the prince are worth ten billion dollars.

He spends a lot on charity. After the terrible tragedy on September 11, he offered New York a donation of ten million dollars. The proposal was rejected by the mayor of the city. In 2002, Prince Alwaleed donated half a million dollars to the Bush Senior School Scholarship Fund. In December of the same year, he donated twenty-seven million dollars to the government of Saudi Arabia to pay the families of Palestinian suicide bombers. After the earthquake in Kashmir in 2005, he donated goods and funds in the amount of 5.3 million US dollars to support and restore goods and funds. Among other things, he is going to sell five percent of his Kingdom Holding Company to the public. The company's value is estimated at 17.6 billion dollars. The shares will be offered at $2.73 each. If the shares are in demand, the offer can be expanded to fifteen percent of the company's shares.

According to Al-Walid ibn Talal, modern world issues of tolerance and understanding between East and West are among the most important. He builds bridges between the Western and Islamic communities, organizes educational centers for American students at universities in the Middle East and for Islamic students in the United States.

The prince likes to spend money on beautiful and expensive things. He has luxurious cars, and usually he buys them in two copies: one for himself, and exactly the same for his bodyguards.

Although Prince Al-Waleed ibn Talal usually did not interfere in politics, in Lately he began to make critical statements about excessive traditionalism in Saudi Arabia, promoting free elections and equal rights for women.

The East is not alive only by Sheikh Moza. In hot and desert Saudi Arabia on November 6, 1983, Princess Amira Al-Tawil, the wife of Saudi Prince Al-Walid bin Talal, was born.

Princess Amira is the wife of Saudi Prince Al-Walid bin Talal. She is Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Al Waleed bin Talal Foundation, an international non-profit organization that supports programs and projects to combat poverty, disaster relief, women's rights and interfaith dialogue. The princess is also on the board of trustees of Silatech, an international youth employment organization.

Princess Amira is a graduate of the University of New Haven (USA) with a degree in business administration. She defends the rights of women, incl. and the right to drive a car, get an education and get a job without having to ask permission from a male relative. Amira herself has an international driver's license and drives a car on all foreign trips herself. Known for her impeccable taste in dress, Amira is the first Saudi princess to refuse to wear the traditional abaya in public like other women in the kingdom.

Lecture at the business school in Barcelona

The Princess is Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Al-Waleed bin Talal Foundation, an international non-profit organization that supports programs and projects to combat poverty, the consequences of disasters, women's rights and interfaith dialogue.

Opening of the Forum of Arab Women Leaders

With husband

Amira is the first Saudi princess to refuse to wear the traditional abaya in public, like other women in the kingdom. The princess herself is not of royal blood.

Amira's husband Prince al-Waleed ibn Talal ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud, better known as Prince al-Walid, is a member of the Saudi royal family, an entrepreneur and an international investor. He made his fortune on investment projects and buying shares. In 2007, his net worth was estimated at $21.5 billion (according to Forbes magazine). Al-Walid ibn Talal al-Saud ranks 22nd in the list of the richest people in the world.

The prince does not hold public office, he is the grandson of King Abdulaziz and the nephew of the current king. In addition, he became famous as the most progressive Saudi prince, stands for equal rights for women in Saudi Arabia.

Prince al-Waleed ibn Talal ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud, on board his own yacht with son Khaled and daughter Reem. 1999

According to various sources, Amir is his 3rd or 4th wife (the only one at the moment, he never had several wives at the same time). They have no children, the prince has two children from his first marriage. They say in their marriage contract it is written that the princess cannot have children. How true this is, but such information often accompanies the discussion of this couple.

Princess Amira came to New York for annual meeting under the Clinton Global Initiative. It was founded by Bill Clinton to combat such global problems as poverty and disease. She and her husband have done something that she believes will help bridge the gap "between faiths and cultures." Family Foundation Al-Walida helped open the Islamic art wing at the Louvre in Paris, donating approximately $20 million to the project. "Art opens people's minds in a different way," says Princess Amira.

She likes to open minds. In her homeland of Saudi Arabia, which is notorious for banning women from driving, dating men, and until recently banning them from voting, Amira is a vocal advocate for women's rights. She says that divorced women in Saudi Arabia are required to give up custody of their daughters, and that female lawyers are not allowed to speak in court.

According to her, she drives a car "in the desert", where she gets away with it. “Women in rural areas have much more freedom than women in the city,” she notes. - They can drive. They don't wear an abaya." She herself put on a yellow jacket for the meeting, her dark hair not covered by anything.

Amira says she is friends with Saudi activist Manal Al-Sharif, who is famous for boldly posting videos of her driving a car on YouTube. For this, she was jailed for a week. The princess calls Manal a "fearless woman" and believes that driving rules should be changed.

“I think it's enough for the king to say, 'Women can drive. Those who don't want to don't have to do it,” she says. The Princess calls King Abdullah's recent decision to allow women to vote in municipal elections very courageous. At the same time, she notes that many religious figures were against it. “He believes in empowering women,” the princess says. "I think he's the right person to do it."

Amira, 30, denies that her activism gets her into trouble in public spheres. “Everyone knows me,” she says. - I communicate with extreme conservatives and with extreme liberals. My goal is not to create a negative attitude, but unity.”

In her opinion, the West often gets the wrong idea about Saudi Arabia. Amira notes that only bad news and the good ones are not. “56% of university graduates are women,” she says. - We watch the television series "Seinfeld", "Friends", presidential d:) you - America is loved by many people in Saudi Arabia. I swear to God, if you come, you will see that the Saudis are watching American TV.”

The princess refers to a recent feature in Newsweek about a conservative woman in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing: “She doesn't represent all women… she's extremely conservative. And seventy percent of the people of Saudi Arabia are people from the golden mean.” However, Amira says she respected the article because it showed the extreme conservatism of the woman's family. And she loves that one of the photos shows young Saudi college girls laughing in trendy sunglasses.

With Sheikha Moza

Princess Amira studied literature at the University. King Saud in Saudi Arabia, as well as management at the University of New Haven in Connecticut, although she lived in her homeland while studying at an American university. According to Amira, she was familiar with the professor of this university, and the learning process was in the nature of close cooperation with numerous phone calls and visits.

"What's important about American education is that you're exposed to a lot - classical music, comparative religion... you learn about Hinduism and Buddhism," she shares her impressions. But the princess refuses to talk about her personal life. According to her, she comes from a middle class family and her mother is divorced.

Her latest project was the Opt4Unity initiative, which is being implemented through the Al Waleed Foundation. Like the Clinton Global Initiative, its idea is to bring together an "extraordinary team" of business leaders, investors and philanthropists to address the world's employment, food and education challenges. “We are all talking about people who can make a difference,” says Princess Amira. "Let's do something"

Princess Amira receives the 2012 Woman Leader of the Year award at the 11th Middle East Women Leaders Awards in Dubai.

Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud


P.S.
On October 10, 2013, Dubai hosted a large-scale and unprecedented event for the UAE - Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience, organized by the Italian edition of Vogue and the investment company Emaar Properties.

The event was held at The Dubai Mall and consisted of three parts. The first of them included fashion shows, exhibitions, movie screenings and much more. Guests of the mall could admire the collections of more than 250 world brands. Next, the guests were treated to a gala dinner, which was also attended by celebrities from the world of fashion and art, and Italian operatic tenor Vittorio Grigolo and American Ballet Theater dancer Roberto Bole presented their performances.

The third part of the evening was a charity auction with unusual items: from a gold Versace pendant to a customized Valentino dress or a weekend at the Armani Hotel. The event ended up raising around $1.4 million in a full day of sales, which will be donated to Dubai Cares, a charity that educates children from developing countries.


Princess Amira Al-Taweel was also present.