Princess Ameerah bint Aidan bin Nayef Al-Taweel Al-Otaibi, known in the international media as Princess Ameerah al-Taweel, is a Saudi Arabian princess noted for her generosity and activism. She started active with Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al Saud’s humanitarian efforts after their marriage, co-founding Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation (now known as Alwaleed Philanthropies) in 2009 and serving as its Vice President. She was elected to the Silatech board of trustees in 2010. She is presently the CEO of Tasamy, a company she co-founded in 2012, and Times Entertainment, a company she created in 2013. She is a famous Saudi Arabian women’s rights advocate who campaigns for basic civil rights for women, such as the right to an education and employment, as well as the ability to drive. She is a philanthropist who has visited more than 71 countries as part of various philanthropic activities. She is concerned about how Islam is perceived around the world and believes that Muslims must struggle to prevent the faith from being hijacked by terrorists. Despite radical criticism, she remains committed to achieving women’s rights by peaceful means, noting, “We want progress, not revolution.”
Childhood and Adolescence
Aidan bin Nayef Al-Taweel Al-Otaibi, a member of the House of Saud, gave birth to Princess Ameerah al-Taweel on November 6, 1983, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Her mother had to struggle for her custody after her divorce from her father, and she was reared by her grandparents in Riyadh.
She studied Business Administration at the University of New Haven in Connecticut, where she received a magna cum laude degree.
Participation in the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal began providing humanitarian relief to individuals in need in the 1980s, in order to give back to society in accordance with the Islamic tradition of Zakat. Princess Ameerah al-Taweel and her husband, on the other hand, formed the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation in 2009, which was recognized by the Ministry of Social Affairs.
She rose to the position of Vice President of the benevolent and philanthropic organization, which aimed to alleviate common people’s sufferings, develop worldwide cultural understanding, celebrate women’s empowerment, and give natural disaster aid to Arab countries nearby.
The organization has created study centers at Harvard University, Georgetown University, University of Edinburgh, American University of Beirut, and the American University of Cairo to promote better understanding between the Islamic World and the West.
In 2011, in the presence of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, she formally opened the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre of Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge. Prince Philip honored her with an 800th Anniversary Medal for Outstanding Philanthropy during the inaugural ceremony.
She opened the Alwaleed Bin Talal Village Orphanage in Burkina Faso in 2011, which her husband had been working on since his first visit to the nation in 2006. She also went to Pakistan to help flood victims and promote education, as well as leading a relief expedition to Somalia.
The Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation’s three philanthropic institutions — one in Saudi Arabia, one in Lebanon, and one globally — were merged in 2015 to become Alwaleed Philanthropies, which had a greater scope of work.
The group currently aims to promote tolerance, acceptance, equality, and opportunity for all on a local and international level, with a special focus on developing communities and empowering women.
Initiatives Not Listed
In 2010, Princess Ameerah al-Taweel joined the Board of Trustees of the Silatech organization in Doha, which was created in January 2008 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser to promote youth employment in the Arab world. In the Middle East, the organization had created approximately 25,000 jobs by 2012.
In a special session titled “Voices for Change in the Middle East and North Africa” during the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative, she discussed her approach to social reform with former US President Bill Clinton. She is an honorary member of the Disabled Children’s Association and a member of the Saudi Volunteering Society’s honorary board of directors.
She launched Time Entertainment, a holding firm, in January 2013 with the purpose of rejuvenating the media and entertainment business by producing engaging content for Arab youth while also giving them jobs.
She is also the chairwoman and co-founder of the Tasamy Social Initiatives Center, which has been assisting Arab youngsters in starting and running sustainable small companies since March 2012.
Princess Ameerah’s Activism
Princess Ameerah al-Taweel sees herself as a part of a three-decade-long struggle for women’s rights but acknowledges that the effort is difficult. The battle isn’t just against government regulations; it’s also against “a mindset, a culture, and a religion.”
She began working for women’s civil rights after joining the Alwaleed bin Talal Foundation, particularly the right to keep custody of their children following a divorce. She is passionate about this issue because she saw her own mother go through the misery of being separated from her children.
Another subject she advocates for is the right of women to drive vehicles on Saudi streets, and she aspires to be one of the first women to do so. She recognizes that obtaining the right to drive is a metaphor for larger issues such as civil rights, education, career prospects, and politics.
Achievements & Awards
Princess Ameerah Al-Taweel earned the ITP Special ‘Humanitarian Award’ at the ‘Arabic Business Achievement Ceremony Awards’ in 2011 on behalf of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation.
She was named fourth on CEO Middle East’s list of the “100 Most Powerful Arab Women” in 2012, and she also got the Middle East Excellence Award Institute’s “Woman Personality of the Year Award.”
Personal History and Legacy
At the age of 18, Princess Ameerah al-Taweel was able to get a 10-minute interview with Prince Alwaleed bin Talal for a school article, which developed into a two-hour talk. Despite the fact that they were 28 years apart in age, they quickly fell in love and married nine months later.
Her spouse is a liberal who encouraged her involvement by appointing her as Vice President of his charity Al-Waleed bin Talal Foundation. She has, however, received opposition from numerous conservative individuals and organizations, including threats, but she believes that her cause is too important to be stifled by negativity.
Prince Talal was threatened by his brother, Prince Khalid after she began working as a philanthropist and activist, that unless he controlled her media appearances, they would be penalized without notice.
While some feel this contributed to their divorce in November 2013, they remain close and frequently collaborate on humanitarian projects.
She didn’t let the divorce stop her from working, and she finally appeared on NBC’s ‘Today,’ CNN Foreign, NPR, Bloomberg, ‘Time,’ and ‘Foreign Policy,’ among other international media.
She has been included in pieces in ‘Newsweek,’ ‘The Daily Beast,’ and ‘The Huffington Post,’ and has been interviewed by Piers Morgan.
In the majority of her public appearances, Princess Ameerah al-Taweel does not wear the conventional abaya or veil. She, too, is a media professional who believes that social media provides a free forum for women to express themselves equally.
Estimated Net worth
Ameerah is one of the wealthiest princesses and one of the most popular. Ameerah Al-net Taweel’s worth is estimated to be $32 billion, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.