JEDDAH — Princess Ameerah Al-Taweel, Vice Chairwoman and Secretary General of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundations, ranked sixth in Middle East Magazine's 2012 list of the “World's 50 Most Influential Arabs.” Her husband, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud, Chairman of Kingdom Holding Company (KHC), has ranked number one for four consecutive years on the same list. Ameerah has been acknowledged for her leading role in empowering women and youth in addition to developing communities and promoting interfaith dialogue through her work at the Alwaleed Foundations. In her capacity as Vice Chairwoman, Ameerah supports a wide range of humanitarian interests in Saudi Arabia and around the world. The Foundations support programs aimed at poverty alleviation, community development, disaster relief, interfaith dialogue, and women's empowerment. She feels passionately about women's right to contribute fully in Saudi society and has spoken out publicly on this issue. Princess Ameerah received the ITP Special “Humanitarian Award” on behalf of the Alwaleed Foundation at the Arabian Business Achievement Awards ceremony in 2010. She was the most high profile newcomer to CEO Middle East's list of “100 Most Powerful Arab Women 2012,” ranking fourth.
She also received the “Woman Personality of the Year Award” from the Middle East Excellence Award Institute. She also topped the list of 30 young achievers under the age of 30 featured by Gulf Business. Middle East Magazine has referred to Prince Alwaleed as “the region's most highly recognizable face in 2012.” It also said: “It is clear Prince Alwaleed retains huge international respect for his efforts to bring together people of different cultures and religions, and for his generosity in alleviating suffering around the world...”Alwaleed is known for his precision for exploring new and potential business opportunities, and ventures in synchronization with the direction and fluctuations of the economic climate. Consequently, KHC was listed on Tadawul in 2007 and Prince Alwaleed, who owns 95 percent of the company, has been involved in the creation of a diversified long-term investments portfolio of strategic stakes in well-known companies locally and around the world, in multiple sectors. Furthermore, Prince Alwaleed's unique progressive thinking and active social network with global leaders, decision makers and the business community has firmly placed him and KHC on the world business map. — SG
