During a recent visit to Afghanistan, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, chairman of Alwaleed Philanthropies (AP), met with President Ashraf Ghani at the Presidential Palace where the two discussed relevant economic and social developments. During his visit, Prince Alwaleed was awarded the highest Medal of Honor by the president in recognition of his humanitarian and charitable efforts. Prince Alwaleed also attended a meeting with Eklil Ahmad Hakimi, minister of finance, where the latter presented potential investment projects in Afghanistan. Attending the meeting was the Afghani Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Sayyed Jalal Kareem, and the Deputy Ambassador to the Saudi Embassy in Afghanistan Mishari Al Harbi. Representatives from Prince Alwaleed's delegation were also in attendance, including Ms. Nada Al Sugair, treasurer of Alwaleed Philanthropies, member of the foundation's Board of Trustees, and executive director of finance and administration, as well as Dr. Sheikh Ali Al Nashwan, member of the Alwaleed Philanthropies board, and religious advisor to Prince Alwaleed. Attendees from Prince Alwaleed's private office included Ms. Hassna Alturki, senior executive manager of international relations; Ziyad Alomair, Kingdom Holding manager of relations; Naief Hussam Alzuhair, Kingdom Holding web & social media manager; Mohammed Alfaraj, travel and external affairs manager; and Ms. Shatha Alqahtani, assistant manager, travel and external affairs department. Prince Alwaleed also visited the Turquoise Mountain Trust, a non-governmental organization founded by the Prince of Wales in partnership with the former president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai. Turquoise Mountain aims to revive Afghanistan's traditional crafts industry and regenerate historic areas of Kabul's old city, known for its rich cultural heritage. In 2007, Alwaleed Philanthropies helped support local communities in Afghanistan by granting donations to Turquoise Mountain and the Higher Education Institute for Afghan Art and Architecture. The grant covered the operational training costs of carpentry, ceramic and calligraphy workshops. The program also supported the restoration of Murad Khan, a district of the Old City, and provided vocational training programs to support efforts to market Afghani products in international markets. Alwaleed Philanthropies renewed its commitment to The Turquoise Mountain Trust Fund for youth training and heritage preservation in 2012 and 2015. Alwaleed Philanthropies worked towards eradicating polio in Afghanistan in 2013, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through the Global Health & Development Fund for Polio Eradication. Additionally, Alwaleed Philanthropies is supporting immunization health initiatives in over 64 countries, one of them being Afghanistan. Moreover, through his personal charitable work, Prince Alwaleed supported refugees in Afghanistan in both the 80's and the 90's. For over 37 years, Alwaleed Philanthropies has supported and initiated projects in over 124 countries regardless of gender, race or religion. We collaborate with a range of philanthropic, governmental and educational organizations to combat poverty, empower women and youth, develop communities, provide disaster relief and create cultural understanding through education. Together with our partners, we help build bridges for a more compassionate, tolerant and accepting world.
