Ameera al-Taweel

Saudi Arabian philanthropist and former princess

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(m. 2008; div. 2013)​
Khalifa bin Butti al-Muhairi
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(m. 2018)​
Children1 (with Khalifa)FamilyTribe of Otaibah (by birth)
House of Saud (by marriage)

Ameera bint Aidan bin Nayef al-Taweel al-Otaibi (Arabic: أميرة بنت عيدان بن نايف الطويل العصيمي العتيبي; born 6 November 1987) is a Saudi Arabian philanthropist and ex-princess.[1] Born into the Tribe of Otaibah, she became affiliated with the House of Saud after marrying al-Waleed bin Talal al-Saud in 2008. She was the vice chairwoman of the al-Waleed bin Talal Foundation, a charity in Saudi Arabia, for the duration of her royal marriage, which ended in a divorce in 2013. Ameera is currently a member of the board of trustees at Silatech, a youth employment organization in Qatar. She has been a long-standing advocate for Saudi women's rights.[2][3]

Biography

Al-Taweel was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.[4] Her father is Aidan bin Nayef Al-Taweel Al-Otaibi. She was raised by her divorced mother and her grandparents in Riyadh. At age 18 she met Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, a man 28 years older than her, while conducting an interview for a school paper.[4] Eventually, they married in 2008[5] and were later divorced in November 2013.[citation needed] Since her divorce of prince Alwaleed bin Talal al Saud, she is no longer a princess and also does not belong to the royal house of her ex-husband, al Saud.[citation needed] Al-Taweel is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of New Haven with a degree in Business Administration.[4]

Al-Taweel married Emirati billionaire Khalifa bin Butti Al Muhairi in September 2018 in Paris.[6] They have a son, Zayed, born in 2019.[7]

Philanthropic career

Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal al Saud appointed his wife Ameerah as vice-chairperson and head of the executive committee of the Alwaleed bin Talal Foundation in Saudi Arabia, the Alwaleed bin Talal Foundation - Global, (now known under the name Alwaleed Philanthropies),[5][8] and chairperson of Time Entertainment.[citation needed]

Al-Taweel has inaugurated the Alwaleed Bin Talal Village Orphanage in Burkina Faso[9] and traveled to Pakistan to provide aid and relief to the country's flood victims and to support education.[4] Together with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Ameera also formally opened the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre of Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge,[4] where she accepted, from Prince Philip, an 800th Anniversary Medal for Outstanding Philanthropy.[10] Most recently she has spearheaded a relief mission to Somalia, where she and her ex-husband, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, oversaw the distribution of Foundation-sponsored aid.

Al-Taweel has spoken out publicly in the United States on NBC's Today, CNN International[11] and NPR, as well as in Time magazine and Foreign Policy magazine in support of both women's right to drive in her country of Saudi Arabia and the broader issue of women's overall empowerment to contribute fully to Saudi society.[12] She has been featured in Newsweek, The Daily Beast, and The Huffington Post,[4] and was interviewed by Piers Morgan. She spoke in a special session at 2011 Clinton Global Initiative titled "Voices for Change in the Middle East & North Africa," in which she discussed her views on the current movements for change in the region with U.S. President Bill Clinton.[13]

Her self-described approach to reform is one of "evolution, not revolution".[4] In her speech, she said:

"People take their voices to the streets when they are not heard by their governments. If we want stability in the region, we must build institutions of civil society so people can channel their demands through these institutions. If we want prosperity in the region we must invest in young people through encouraging enterprise."[14]

She also says she wants to be among the first women to drive on Saudi roads. In 2012, Ameera was interviewed by Charlie Rose on Bloomberg and spoke about her work for equal rights and women's empowerment in Saudi Arabia through Alwaleed Foundations.[15] Her former husband Prince Al Waleed was warned by his brother Prince Khalid to control Ameera's media appearances or next time they would be punished without prior warning. This tension led to their divorce.[citation needed]

She is a member of the board of trustees of Silatech, an international youth employment organization with a focus on youth empowerment in the Arab world through the creation of jobs and greater economic opportunities to deal with unemployment in the region.[4] She is an honorary member of the Disabled Children's Association and an honorary board member of the Saudi Volunteering Society. She is also The founder and CEO of Times Entertainment and co-founder of Tasamy[16] a non-profit organization that promotes social entrepreneurship.

In 2011, Al-Taweel received the ITP Special "Humanitarian Award" on behalf of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation at the Arabian Business Achievement Awards ceremony.[17][18][19] She was the most high-profile newcomer to the CEO Middle East 100 Most Powerful Arab Women 2012 list with a fourth-place ranking.[20] She also received the Woman Personality of the Year Award from the Middle East Excellence Award Institute.[21]

References

  1. ^ "Princess Ameerah Al Taweel". House of Saud. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  2. ^ Stack, Liam (29 September 2011). "Saudi Men Go to Polls; Women Wait". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  3. ^ Specia, Megan (6 January 2017). "Women Defy Saudi Restrictions in Video, Striking a Nerve". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Princess Ameerah al Taweel". houseofsaud.com. HouseofSaud.com. Archived from the original on 22 September 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  5. ^ a b "The Power Princess: Ameerah Al-Taweel and Her Work For Women's Rights". glamour.com. Glamour. 15 April 2014. Archived from the original on 22 September 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  6. ^ Yang, Lucy (1 October 2018). "Meet Princess Ameerah Al-Taweel, the 34-year-old philanthropist who married a billionaire at a wedding Oprah attended". Insider Inc. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  7. ^ Midwood, Milli (25 August 2019). "Former Saudi Princess Ameerah Al Taweel Welcomes Her First Child". Harper's Bazaar Arabia. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Alwaleed Philanthropies". alwaleedphilanthropies.org. Alwaleed Philanthropies. Archived from the original on 22 September 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2015.,
  9. ^ "Alwaleed Village for orphans inaugurated in Burkina Faso". rabnews.com. Arab News. 7 April 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  10. ^ "£8 Million Endowment to Cambridge University". mideasttimes.com. Mideast-Times.com. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  11. ^ "Saudi Princess opens up about women's rights in her country". CNN. Archived from the original on 22 September 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  12. ^ Kelly, Mary Louise (14 July 2011). "Saudi Princess Lobbies For Women's Right To Drive". NPR. Archived from the original on 1 February 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  13. ^ "Special Session: Voices for Change in the Middle East and North Africa". Clinton Foundation. 28 January 2012. Archived from the original on 7 September 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  14. ^ "100 Most Powerful..." arabianbusiness.com. Arabian Business Publishing. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  15. ^ Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal & Princess Ameerah Al-Taweel Interviews on Charlie Rose, Bloomberg, retrieved 24 January 2024
  16. ^ "Princess Ameerah: It's tough being in the public eye". english.alarabiya.net. AlArabiya. 20 November 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  17. ^ "Princess Ameerah presented ITP award for humanitarian work". Arab News. December 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  18. ^ "Princess Ameerah's acceptance speech at the AB Awards". ArabianBusiness.com. 1 December 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  19. ^ "Princess Ameerah calls for "commitment without boundaries"". ArabianBusiness.com. 30 November 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  20. ^ "CEO Middle East magazine's list of 100 Most Powerful Arab Women". arabianbusiness.com. Arabian Business Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  21. ^ "The Woman Personality of the Year 2012". meaawards.com. Middle East Excellence Awards. Retrieved 5 August 2015.

External links

  • Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundations Website
  • Princess Ameerah Al-Taweel Interview with Charlie Rose
  • Princess Ameerah's profile on the Alwaleed Foundation website