The appointment comes after the fallout over journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder tests relations between US and Saudi Arabia.
Islamabad (Pakistan Point News – 24th February, 2019) In a first, Saudi Arabia has appointed a princess as its first female ambassador to the United States.
Princess Reema bint Bandar replaced Prince Khalid bin Salman, the younger brother of the powerful crown prince who was appointed vice defence minister in a royal decree announced by the kingdom.
The appointment comes after the fallout over journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder tests relations between US and Saudi Arabia.
Prior to her appointment, Reema served as vice president of women’s affairs at the General sports Authority (GSA), a position she held since 2016. She was also named president of the Saudi Federation for Community Sports in 2017 and appointed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in August 2018.
Princess Reema's father was a former ambassador to the US, and she spent several years there during her youth. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in museum studies from George Washington University.
When she returned to Saudi Arabia in 2005, she assumed CEO positions for Al Hama LLC and Alfa International. She launched her own handbag brand, Baraboux, in 2013. She also founded the private equity fund Reemiyah and co-founded Yibreen, a women’s day spa.
Princess Reema is one of the founding members of the Zahra Breast Cancer Association in Riyadh. She is also a member of The World Bank’s Advisory Council for the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative.
She has spoken publicly about the inclusion of women in the Saudi work force, describing the reforms as “evolution, not Westernization.”
