Honored by HRHP Hessah bint Salman bin Abdulaziz, 37 Saudi women prominent in the field of medicine, economics and management, education, media, social work, literary and artistic creativity shields Acknowledgement was Ibrizen director of Princess University Nora Dr. Huda client and the Deputy Minister of Education for Girls Ms. Nora Al-Fayez, the number of female members Shura whom Dr. Wafa good, and Dr. Hanan Al-Ahmadi, Dr. Thoraya Obaid, Dr. Thoraya broadband. Her Highness said in her opening remarks during the ceremony held on this occasion "Your Royal Highnesses, Distinguished Guests, I greet you in the best Islamic tradition; Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatu Allah wa Barakatuhu (May Allah's Peace and Mercy and Blessings be upon you all). At a time when our beloved country celebrates the bravery and achievements of its men and its soldiers in their unwavering defence of its borders, its security and its dignity; and at a time when the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has regained for the entire Arab and Muslim nation its pride in its strength and unity; I would like to remind that as I speak, every soldier is supported by the continuous prayers of a mother, the unfading support of a wife and the extreme pride of a daughter. It is complementarity between the people and its wise leadership that draws this magnificent and blessed picture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where men and women are equal in their respective roles in defence of the Realm. Dear Sisters, Nowadays Saudi women play an active role in many new fields such as security be that through their work at the Ministry of the Interior, or as active members of the Security Committees of the Shura Council which has welcomed them wholeheartedly, by the grace of Allah and the guidance of our enlightened leadership, thus benefitting from their knowledge, wisdom and advice. Distinguished Guests, I am indeed honoured to be with you and amongst you this evening, sharing with you our celebration of the great achievements of the Saudi woman over the decades; achievements which she has attained armed with her pride in her beliefs, creed, culture and core values; but also with the support of an enlightened Leadership that believes that the construction of a nation can only be achieved with the active participation of the female component of the society, working side by side with her male brothers. Allah SWT has created the woman to be the primary custodian of the stability of the family and of society. This is a belief which our Leadership has long held. It is the same deep belief that has prompted our Leadership to enable women to play their role in society. Here we are today, witnessing with pride how the Saudi woman is contributing with confidence and distinction to the various areas of arts and science; as well as to the different facets of social and philanthropic endeavours. Indeed, our schools, from our great universities have produced many women who have achieved universal acclaim and who have been exemplary in representing the image of true image of the highly principled Saudi Woman who comes from a society that has believed in her and that continues to endeavour to give her more opportunities to achieve. Therein lies our culture, our beliefs and the true teachings of our religion, Islam that urges us all to pursue noble endeavours and to coexist with others in peace. Indeed distinguished guests, The Saudi woman has been present in various fields of professional life: in education, in medicine and in the legal profession. In this connection, I should like to recall the directives and instructions of late King Fahd Bin Abdulaziz (May Allah bestow Mercy upon him) pertaining to the opening of female sections in all the Chambers of Commerce, throughout the Kingdom; and following on with opening the doors for the participation of women in space research, science, technology, industry and trade. The success of Saudi women was initially clearest in the fields of medicine and education where women were appointed to very senior positions. The torch was then passed on to the late King Abdallah Bin Abdulaziz whose reign witnessed the participation of women in the Shura Council, in numbers which would dwarf the numbers of women in most parliament across the globe. Today, this policy continues to prevail under the Leadership of the Father of this Great Nation, the Custodian of the Two Holy Shrines, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz (may Allah Protect him) who has long believed in the role of women and has always supported the endeavours of the Saudi woman in accordance with the high values of our religion and our deep, age-old culture. Indeed, His Majesty has continues to highlight the importance of women's education and learning, faithful to the memory of the many men and women who have made great sacrifices throughout the history of our beloved country. Distinguished Guests, As I stand among you in this august event organised and hosted by "Sayidaty" Magazine, the echo of the words of my late dear brother Prince Ahmad Bin Salman rings in my ears and his image stands tall in my visual memory as he discussed with our late dear mother, may Allah rest their souls in peace, as he often did, what the magazine could do to further the role of women in Saudi Arabia and to show how the latter ones were capable of combining authenticity with modernity and great achievements. We were all aware that the task was not easy at a time when publication sales relied heavily on pictures and on news about the world of entertainment; all this, of course, prior to the advent of the electronic press and its innovative methods of publicity and advertising. Our dear mother led by example as she was always keen to attend events such as this one. She is also fondly remembered for her philanthropic, cultural and social Board through which she continued to support the women of this country in the various scientific, cultural and humanitarian sectors, with the full support of my father may Allah glorify his Reign. It was thanks to that kind of support that she succeeded in pushing for the opening of an autonomous female department within Al Riyadh newspaper. That dream became a reality whose torch has been carried forward by te likes of Dr Haya Al Manee and Dr Khayriyah Al Saqqaf. However, such initiatives were pioneered by my late brother Prince Ahmad Bin Salman who realised our dear late mother's dream when he established an all-female section within SRMG. Throughout his life, he wanted for every publication produced by SRMG what he wished for his own four daughters: to excel in education and learning. Today, I am proud to see his dream coming true, through the achievements of his eldest daughter Princess Najlae who, having specialised in Anthropology, is today drafting reports and contributing actively as a young Arab, Muslim, Saudi woman to the efforts of UNESCO TO MAKE THE EDUCATION OF GIRLS AND WOMEN A UNIVERSAL RIGHT. I also recall fondly how during the Gulf War, my late brother published a special edition of the Riyadh Schools' Girls' Section Magazine. With the enthusiasm and the innocence of a child, I pleaded with him to make our magazine at least as good as that of the boys' by allowing us larger participation to the Magazine. He yielded to the charm of his little sister, with the affection of a father thus allowing the magazine to live on, to benefit and benefit from a promising new generation. Thus, I owe a large part of my experience to my brother may Allah bestow blessings on his soul. It is also thanks to his unwavering support for the advancement of Saudi women that the Female section within "Sayidaty" Magazine constituted the first seed of female journalism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and produced indeed the first female Editor-in-chief in the history of journalism in the Kingdom. This success was then followed by the publication of "Hiya" magazine to echo the quality of the work produced by "Al Rajul" magazine. Distinguished Guests, the Prince Ahmad Bin Salman Academy for Applied Media is a testimony to the great contribution of my dear late brother to the media world in general. The Academy offered indeed an unprecedented opportunity for women to acquire the necessary skills in the various new media sectors. Prince Ahmad's endeavours benefitted from a number of profound decisions made by the Great Late King Abdallah Bin Abdulaziz -may Allah bestow blessings on his soul and reward him for his good deeds- who, in his determination to improve the position of every mother, every daughter, every sister and every girl in the kingdom gave his Royal Directives to give female learners access to new field of scientific and knowledge studies, including Media, Law and Information Systems. Suffice it to remind in this connection that it is during his glorious reign that the Princess Noura Bint Abdulrahmane University was inaugurated. Today, that torch is carried forward by his successor the Custodian of the Two holy Mosques, King Salman Bi Abdulaziz through his personal attention to advancement of Saudi Women. None could offer a better evidence of that than the publications of the King Abdulaziz Foundation on the leading Saudi women who have left their mark on the history of the Kingdom; as well as His Royal Directive to set up a sister research centre which has a strategic partnership with the Princess Noura University, by the name of Princess Sara Al Sudeiri, the mother of Late King Abdulaziz may Allah bestow peace on their souls. Distinguished guests, I have long maintained that Saudi women in Media and journalism, especially prior to the advent of the Internet, were true militants, effective and influential actors in a society that has always cared about the improvement of charity and social work, an endeavour which, over the years has been championed by leading female authors and media personalities whose names and roles will be for ever remembered. Such noble endeavours have also been championed by "Sayidaty" Magazine ever since it inception in 1401 (H.C), 1981 (G.C) by the Al Hafez borothers, Hisham may he rest in peace, and Mohammed Ali. Today, the Magazine continues to make an effective and influential contribution to the Media work. It is therefore a privilege and indeed a great honour for me to be the Honorary President of The Sayidaty Magazine Prize for Innovation 1436/2015, this Prise which enshrines leading noble, patriotic symbols exemplified by honouring leading national female figures who have achieved distinction on the various areas of science, knowledge, innovation, economic, trade and finance fields, thus becoming an inspiration to Saudi Women and great Ambassadors of this nation to the world representing the great role played by Saudi women and their equally great achievements. Distinguished guests, It also gives me great pleasure to offer my most sincere thanks to all those distinguished ladies who have contributed to the success of this event and to you all for ensuring its success by your presence. I owe a special word of thanks to all the sponsors and to Mr Mohammed Al Harthy and his colleagues at Sayidaty Magazine. Mr Al Harthy is also the Editor-in-Chief of "Arab News", the first Saudi publication in English. I implore Allah SWT to preserve this great, kind and resolved country and its Leadership; and to bless its women and men who spare no effort to elevate its status and standing in the world. Allah SWT said in the holy Quran:" Say unto them: endeavour for Allah, his prophet and the believers will bear witness to your endeavours" The Almighty Allah's word is the absolute truth. May the Mercy and the Blessings of Allah be upon you all."
