Wives of Saudi princes. How do modern princesses live?

31 May 2013, 14:28

Comrades, as they say, the East does not live by Sheikha Moza alone. In hot and deserted Saudi Arabia, on November 6, 1983, Princess Amira Al-Tawil, the wife of Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, was born.

Lecture at a business school in Barcelona

The Princess is Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Al-Waleed bin Talal Foundation, an international non-profit organization that supports programs and projects to combat poverty, the effects of disasters, women's rights and interfaith dialogue. The princess is also on the board of trustees of Silatech, international organization on youth employment.

Opening of the forum Arab women-leaders

Princess Amira is a graduate of the University of New Haven in the USA with a degree in business administration. The princess defends women's rights, incl. the right to drive a car, get an education and get a job without having to seek permission from a male relative. Amira herself has an international driver's license and drives herself on all trips abroad.

With husband

Amira is the first Saudi princess to refuse to wear the traditional abaya in public, like other women in the kingdom. The princess herself is not of royal blood.

Amira's husband Prince al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, better known as Prince al-Waleed - a member of the Saudi Arabia royal family, entrepreneur and international investor. He made his fortune through investment projects and buying shares. In 2007, his net worth was estimated at $21.5 billion (according to Forbes magazine). Al-Walid ibn Talal al-Saud ranks 22nd on the list of the richest people in the world.

The prince does not hold public office; he is the grandson of King Abdulaziz and nephew of the current king. In addition, he became famous as the most progressive Saudi prince and advocates for equal rights for women in Saudi Arabia.

According to various sources, Amir has his 3rd or 4th wife (the only one in this moment, he never had several wives at the same time). They have no children; the prince has two children from his first marriage. They say in their marriage contract it is written that the princess cannot have children. I don’t know how true this is, but such information often accompanies discussions between this couple.

On InoSMI I found a short interview with the princess dated September 28, 2012:

Princess Amira arrived in New York for the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative. It was founded by Bill Clinton to combat global problems such as poverty and disease. Last week, she and her husband did something that she believes will help bridge the gap “between faiths and cultures.” The Al-Waleed Family Foundation helped open the Islamic art wing at the Louvre in Paris, donating approximately $20 million to the project. " Art opens people's minds differently", says Princess Amira.

She likes to open minds. In her home country of Saudi Arabia, which is notorious for prohibiting women from driving, dating men, and until recently prohibiting them from voting, Amira is a vocal advocate for women's rights. She says that divorced women in Saudi Arabia are required to give up custody of their daughters and that female lawyers are not allowed to appear in court.

She says she drives "in the desert" where she can get away with it. " Women in rural areas have much more freedom than in cities, she notes. - ABOUT neither can drive. They don't wear abayas" She herself wore a yellow jacket to the meeting, her dark hair not covered with anything.

Amira says she is friends with Saudi activist Manal Al-Sharif, who became famous for boldly posting a video of herself driving a car on YouTube. For this she was sent to prison for a week. The princess calls Manal a “fearless woman” and believes that driving rules need to be changed.

“I think it’s enough for the king to say, ‘Women can drive. Those who don’t want to don’t have to do it.", she says. The princess calls King Abdullah's recent decision to give women the opportunity to vote in municipal elections very courageous. At the same time, she notes that many religious leaders were against it. " He believes in empowering women, - says the princess. - I I think he is the man who can do it».

Amira, 28, denies that her activism causes her to face problems in public spheres. " Everyone knows me, she says. – I communicate with extreme conservatives and extreme liberals. My goal is to create not negative attitude, but unity."

In her opinion, the West often has the wrong idea about Saudi Arabia. Amira points out that only bad news makes headlines, good news doesn't. " 56% of university graduates are women, she says. – We watch the television series “Seinfeld”, “Friends”, presidential films - many Saudi Arabian residents love America. I swear to God, if you come, you will see Saudis watching American television."

The princess mentions a recent Newsweek profile of a conservative woman in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing: “She doesn't represent all women... she's extremely conservative. And seventy percent of the people of Saudi Arabia are people from the middle ground." However, Amira says she respected the article because it showed the extreme conservatism of the woman's family. And she loves that one of the photos shows young Saudi college girls laughing and wearing fashionable sunglasses.

With Sheikha Moza

Princess Amira studied literature at the University. King Saud in Saudi Arabia, as well as management at the University of New Haven in Connecticut, although she lived in her home country while studying at an American university. According to Amira, she knew a professor at this university, and the learning process was a close collaboration with numerous phone calls and visits.

“The important thing about American education is that a lot of things are exposed to you - classical music, comparative religions ... you learn about Hinduism and Buddhism,” she shares her impressions. But the princess refuses to talk about her personal life. She says she comes from a middle-class family and her mother is divorced.

Her latest project is the Opt4Unity initiative, which is implemented through the Al-Waleed Foundation. Like the Clinton Global Initiative, its idea is to bring together an “unusual team” of business leaders, investors and philanthropists to solve the world's problems in jobs, food and education. " We're all talking about people who can make a difference., says Princess Amira. – Let's do something»

Princess Amira receives the 2012 Woman Leader of the Year award at the 11th Women Leaders of the Middle East ceremony in Dubai.

It seems that it is difficult to find a place for fairy tales in adult life, but it turns out that they happen. An example of this is Dina Abdulaziz al-Saud, Princess of Saudi Arabia. But this beautiful young woman not only got married successfully, she lives a full, interesting and eventful life. She manages to change the foundations of the whole world and at the same time respect traditions. What is life like for a princess of Saudi Arabia?

Life before a fairy tale

The future princess was born in California, in the city of Santa Barbara, in the family of a wealthy economist of Arab origin. From early childhood, she was accustomed to living in two countries, in two worlds: in the USA and Saudi Arabia. This shaped her personality and character. The girl grew up self-confident and enterprising in an American way, but at the same time closed and reserved in an oriental way. She long years lived in New York, moving in the circles of celebrities from the world of finance and fashion.

Passion for fashion

The future princess of Saudi Arabia, at the age of 14, flipping through Vogue magazine for the first time, felt the incredible attractiveness of the fashion world. Since then she has been a fan and collector of this publication. IN adolescence Abdulaziz was looking for her own style and experienced a hobby but quickly grew out of it. Since her youth, she had many friends in the fashion world, and the girl, having excellent taste, gladly immersed herself in the world of beauty and style. Dina is close friends with many designers.

Boutique

In 2006, the future princess of Saudi Arabia decided to go into business and opened her own D’NA boutique, first in Riyadh and then in Doha. You can get into this boutique exclusively by Dina’s personal invitation; she knows each client well and not only sells them a product, but in a friendly way helps them find exactly the thing they need. In its stores you can buy clothes and shoes from such famous and young brands as Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung, Maison Margiela, Rodarte, Juan Carlos Obando. She is recognized as one of the most talented buyers of our time; Dina always knows exactly what her clients need.

Designers even meet her halfway, changing clothing styles in order to fall into tradition. The success of her boutique prompted some designers to begin creating special collections for women of the Muslim world, taking into account traditional requirements. Abdulaziz has shown herself to be a skilled entrepreneur, she was able to monetize her sense of style, and her stores have a special atmosphere: you can’t run in here whenever you want. You can come to Dina’s boutique only by special arrangement; for each client she creates a private environment so that Arab women can try on outfits without fear of prying eyes. Abdulaziz herself often wears clothes and especially shoes from brands represented in her boutique.

Meeting the Prince

In 1996, Dina met a prince from Saudi Arabia in London, Sultan ibn Fahd ibn Nasser ibn Abdul-Aziz al-Saud. The couple had a lot in common: both were accustomed to living in two worlds, both tasted the delights of Western civilization and at the same time honored the traditions of their ancestors. The couple dated for two years until they decided to get married - and so it began real story Princess of Saudi Arabia.

Wedding

The new princess of Saudi Arabia understood the responsibility she was taking on when she married into the royal family. But she was confident that she could change for the better. Wedding Dress It was made for Dina by a French fashion designer, a native of Tunisia, and her friend Azzedine Alaïa. In accordance with strict Eastern laws, photos from the wedding were not released to the press, although journalists were hunting for at least one frame. But closedness privacy- one of the most important laws of the East, and the newlyweds easily obeyed it.

Family life

For 18 years, Princess Dina Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia has carried her title with pride and honor. In the early years, the royal family lived on the Upper East Side in New York, but then eventually moved to the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh. The couple had three children: a daughter and two twin boys. Despite getting married and moving to a Muslim country, Dina continues to lead her usual lifestyle: she travels a lot, attends all the fashion shows in the world, often attends social events, but everywhere she is alone, without her husband. He has too many responsibilities in his homeland, and he has to observe royal etiquette more strictly than his wife. Having become the princess of Saudi Arabia, Dina Abdulaziz, she did not change her style, perhaps becoming even more sophisticated. She rarely talks much about her family, but always emphasizes that she is very happy in her marriage. Princess of Saudi Arabia Dina Abdulaziz, whose photo can be seen in the report from almost any significant fashion event, organically entered the galaxy (very small in number) oriental women, who strive to change the situation of Arab women.

Vogue Arabia

In 2016, the famous style magazine Vogue announced the launch of a new project, headed by the Princess of Saudi Arabia. Photos of Dina began to appear on the pages of the press, because now not only the West, but also the East was watching her. Previously, Vogue tried to launch a project for the Arab world, but quickly abandoned this idea due to the lack of demand for the magazine. But the image of Dina Abdulaziz and some other modern oriental women forced the management of the magazine publishing house Condé Nast to reconsider their views. This is how a new version of the publication appeared - Vogue Arabia. Dina says that there are a huge number of women living in the Muslim world, and they have to dress, they think about fashion, perhaps even more than Western ladies, so they need a style magazine. But he must take into account the national specifics of the East. Vogue magazine has been published since 1892, it is positioned not just as a publication about fashion, but as a magazine about a certain lifestyle. Indeed, Vogue has been shaping the worldview of several generations of women. The princess's candidacy for the post of editor-in-chief of Vogue is The best decision. She perfectly knows the peculiarities of consumption of the fashion industry in the Arab world, she understands which boundaries cannot be violated and where new rules can be introduced. They dress not for men, but for women; there is a different way of life here. And these features are well known to Dina Abdulaziz. The Arabic version of the gloss is very different from the American one; here everything is more chaste and restrained. The publication promotes the modern style of a woman who frees herself from the shackles of prejudice, but adheres to the rules. And the princess herself is a shining example of this new type of woman.

Special way of life

Dina Abdulaziz represents the category of modern women: with a good education, who know their worth very well, who know how to earn money, but at the same time maintaining their feminine essence. She perfectly manages to combine the roles of a party girl and a businesswoman with the roles loving wife and a caring mother. Dina spends a lot of time traveling; she does not miss a single significant event in the fashion world. The fashion world is a special way of life. Here you need to constantly be in the thick of things, communicate a lot with people, and Dina Abdulaziz succeeds in this very well. The fashion industry has found a new star in her face. She is often compared to Audrey Hepburn for her understated style and elegance. the highest level. She inspires designers and supports them. Many London designers are grateful to her for promoting their nascent brands. Dina enjoys wearing her own pumps, which are produced by her friend Christian Louboutin. Yes, her lifestyle is not to everyone’s taste; she is often criticized by conservatives in the Arab world for violating the principles. But the world is changing, including the Muslim world, everything more women claim their right to self-expression. And Dina is the embodiment of this new, emerging formation. She lives in two worlds and loves each of them. The princess says that New York is very close to her, here she relaxes, she can afford a lot, “even eat a hot dog,” but it is in Riyadh that she feels at home, here she is surrounded by stability, peace, and harmony.

Circle of friends

The duality of Dina's life affects her environment. Princess Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia communicates a lot with residents of two worlds: wealthy people of the East and representatives of the fashion industry - designers, models, journalists. The second world, it seems, is still dearer and closer to her; she is close friends with famous figures in the fashion industry: Christian Louboutin, Miroslava Duma and Azzedine Alaïa.

Modern princess style

Looking at how the princess of Saudi Arabia dresses, whose photos appear in many fashion magazines and social life, you will never say that this girl belongs to the Muslim world. However, if you look closely, you will notice that Dina is trying to pay tribute to the basic requirements of Islam. Her style has become more and more pure and impeccable over the years, although in her youth she did not escape experiments, even quite risky ones. But over the years, she has found what best emphasizes her individuality. Her main distinguishing feature- This is a short, laconic haircut. She remains almost unchanged for years, this is her trademark, a constant of style. With her thin figure (and this despite three children) and a penchant for androgyny, Dina can afford to be both elegantly feminine and boyishly daring. But there is always a certain restraint in her appearance, even if she dresses for the New York streets. She does not wear completely revealing outfits, although she allows herself to slightly expose her shoulders or legs, but this nudity is only a feature, and not the basis of the image.

Still, closed clothes predominate in her looks. She skillfully combines all fashion trends with an individual interpretation; it is not for nothing that she is called a style icon and trendsetter, since she does not just follow fashion, she shapes it. In Saudi Arabia, Dina dresses in outfits that comply with the country's norms: she covers her head, covers her legs and shoulders, but still looks modern. For this country, she is, of course, an avant-garde, but not a revolutionary. Dina is a big fan of designer clothes; she skillfully combines things from different authors and always looks original and very relevant.

Public position

Even at the time when she opened her first boutique, the Princess of Saudi Arabia thought about the need to change the worldview of Arab women. In her country, the attitude towards the fairer sex does not meet the norms and ideas of the Western world, but changes are beginning, and Dina has a share in this. At the same time, she never speaks out against the political or governmental structure in the country, and does not pretend to change the social role of women - all this is still impossible for Saudi Arabia. But she strives to make women's lives better by helping them believe in their beauty and gain self-confidence.

Princess Amira al-Tawil does not look like how women in Muslim countries are imagined. She does not wear the traditional abaya, which covers her head, arms and legs, she calls on the rulers of Saudi Arabia to give women more rights, and what's more, she divorced the prince of her own free will!

Amira al-Taweel (Princess Ameera al-Taweel) was born on November 6, 1983 in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. The girl was raised in a single-parent family - by her mother and her parents. As life has shown, happy accidents can happen to any of us, so Amira, being an ordinary girl, once met Prince Al-Walid ibn Talal when she was interviewing for the school newspaper. Despite the difference of 28 years, the prince and Amira got married during the same year.

This was Amira’s first marriage, while the prince already had two wives, with whom he had two children. What exactly was the reason for the divorce in 2013 is not known for certain: some say that the stumbling block was the ban on Amira to have a child, others believe that the girl’s too free morals ran counter to the worldview of the royal family. One way or another, even after the divorce, Amira is still called a princess, because the way she behaves, how she presents herself, what problems she tries to solve - this is all true at the level of royal families.

Today, Princess Amira is the vice-chairman of the Alwaleed Philanthropies charity foundation, and also serves on the board of trustees of the social organization Silatech in Qatar. These organizations are trying to cope with the problems of poverty, helping people in various countries in the aftermath of natural disasters, and also trying to establish interfaith dialogue to give women more rights.

Despite quite luxurious look life, Princess Amira al-Tawil knows very well how powerless a woman’s position is in Saudi Arabia: without the permission of her husband or father, women in this country have no right to work, cannot receive higher education, cannot dress the way they want, and ordinary driving can get them arrested and put in jail. Amira tries to show by her own example that a different life is possible for women. Moreover, Amira visited more than 70 countries around the world, where she held a number of meetings aimed at improving the image of Saudi women.

Amira is only 33 years old, but she has already done quite a lot: when there was a flood in Pakistan, her center helped victims of the disaster and organized schools to help local children get a decent education. Together with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, she opened the Center for Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge. Amira led a humanitarian mission in Somalia that provided assistance to the local population. The girl regularly calls on major media outlets to support the movement to give Saudi women more rights and opportunities. Its motto is “Evolution, not revolution.”

"Out of protocol: the 'people's princess', disobedient to the prim customs of the British court."

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East. And the country with the largest oil reserves. Unfortunately, ordinary residents do not get to enjoy oil money - it all ends up in the pockets of members of the ruling Saudi dynasty (Al Saud). The family is large: approximately 25,000 people. But “only” 2000 of them control all the power and all the wealth of the country. And what are they doing... As they say, absolute power corrupts absolutely.

459 tons of luggage for a 9-day trip

84-year-old Alman ibn Abdul Aziz Al, the current king of Saudi Arabia, is a very rich man. It feels like money means nothing to him at all - he throws it away so easily. For example, in 2017, he needed to go on a visit to Indonesia for 9 days, so he ordered 459 tons of luggage to be taken with him. Why does he need 459 tons of luggage for 9 days? It is impossible to understand this. Yes, and what was included in the luggage? Sofa, suitcase, travel bag... Actually a bunch various equipment, including two Mercedes-Benz s600 limousines and two electric elevators. As if you couldn't find all this in Indonesia.

Game of the Saudi throne

Back in 1975, the people's favorite King Faisal ibn Abdul-Aziz Al Saud reigned. It was under him that oil production increased incredibly and enormous wealth appeared in the country. He invested in the modernization of the country, took care of the needs of the population, under him Saudi Arabia became the leader of the Muslim world and began to dictate its rules to all countries (using oil leverage).

On March 25, 1975, Faisal was shot and killed by his nephew, Prince Faisal ibn Musaid, who had returned to the country after studying at an American university. The prince approached the king, bent down for a kiss, pulled out a pistol and fired three times at point-blank range. He was found guilty of regicide and his head was cut off (although the dying King Faisal asked to spare his nephew). Faisal ibn Musaid Al Saud was beheaded with a blow from a gold-plated sword, after which his head was displayed on a wooden stake for 15 minutes for the crowd to see. These are the passions.

Hypocrisy and alcohol at parties

Consumption of alcohol in Saudi Arabia is prohibited and severely punished by law. Of course, if you belong to the royal family and you really want it, then you can do anything - including alcohol. People who worked at parties thrown by Saudi princes said that alcohol, drugs, and what not were in use there. The two-faced Al-Saids party at alcohol parties, and the next day they frantically and zealously talk about how important it is to comply with Sharia law.

Those who know too much are dealt with quickly and quietly by the Saudis.

In the next episode of “Game of the Saudi Throne” we will see how Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Fahd kidnaps his cousin Sultan ibn Turki because he wanted to tell the world the whole truth about the royal family. No joke, the Saudi royal family is corrupt to the extreme and, one might say, rotten from the inside. However, they have plenty of money and power to get rid of anyone stupid enough to open their mouth on this topic.

During a visit to Geneva in 2004, Prince Sultan bin Turki said that he was going to reveal the secret plans (or rather, evil intentions) of the Saudi government. The next day, his cousin Prince Abdul Aziz ordered Turki to be sent back to Saudi Arabia immediately. Sultan ibn Turki never again complained about the family or spoke about its crimes. After all, the one who talks a lot does not live long.

Execution of Princess Mishaal for loving the wrong person

In 1977, 19-year-old Saudi Princess Mishaal bint Fahd al Saud, the niece of then-King Khalid, was accused of adultery and executed. At the same time, her lover - the son of the kingdom's ambassador in Lebanon - was beheaded (the head was cut off with a saber and this was only possible with the fifth blow). The execution was supervised by the princess's own grandfather. So the Saudis can be very, very cruel to their own people.

Cocaine smuggling with impunity

It seems like the members of the royal family don’t have a lot of money anyway, why should they try to earn more, and at that in an illegal way? However, in 2004, Prince Nayef ibn Fowaz Al Shalaan tried to smuggle 2 tons of cocaine from Colombia to Europe in his private Boeing. He planned to launder the money through Kanz Bank (which he also owns).

In general, the plan was quite cunning, but it failed because the French police caught Nayef red-handed. But that's not the most interesting thing. When he was caught, the Al Sauds intervened and ordered France to release the prince. They even threatened to reject several important commercial deals with France if she did not comply. Therefore, Prince Nayef's accomplices are still rotting in prison, while the prince himself walks free and enjoys the sun of Saudi Arabia.

Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz killed his gay lover

When Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Nasir al Saud brutally murdered his gay lover at a luxury London hotel in 2010, his main concern at trial was to prove that he himself was not gay. After all, homosexuality in Saudi Arabia is one of the worst crimes and can be punishable by death.

According to police, before the fatal attack on his servant, the prince drank champagne, as well as six Sex on the Beach cocktails. This happened on February 14, when the couple celebrated Valentine's Day. Shortly before midnight, the lovers returned to the hotel, where they had an argument that ended in murder. Everything happened in the UK and it was not possible to wriggle out of court. The prince was sentenced to life imprisonment, but was soon sent to Saudi Arabia in exchange for five British men. There is no doubt that he is free.

“Kowtowling to the West” is a major crime

Residents of Saudi Arabia are required to obey all laws of their country, no matter how absurd or strict they may be. The main thing is to obey, pray and not try to adopt anything from the rotten West. Here's a typical example: In 2013, 21-year-old Abdulrahman Al-Khayal watched a YouTube video about a man who went out into the street and began offering random passers-by a hug - if they wanted one. Abdulrahman decided that this was a cool idea and that he should try to do the same at home, in Saudi Arabia. He wrote a “Hugs” poster, went out into the street with it and began hugging passers-by. Very soon he was arrested for criminal activities. What happened to him next is unknown. I would like to hope that he was not imprisoned, but released.

The Saudi Royal Family and Human Trafficking

Everything related to the world's oldest profession is, of course, prohibited in Saudi Arabia. And there's nothing special about it. However, it would be nice if members of the royal family also followed this law. But this, alas, is not the case.

For example, in Saudi Arabia it is illegal to celebrate Halloween due to its “un-Islamic” nature. But Prince Faisal Al-Thunayan threw a huge Halloween party at his residence. Approximately 150 men and women attended the party. With one single difference: the men came there of their own free will, and the women had no other choice. They were brought there to be sold.

And how did the royal family react when it turned out that Prince Faisal had broken several laws that night? But no way - they ignored the event. And they even threatened to kill anyone who spoke on this topic.

Media censorship

WikiLeaks has revealed the secrets of thousands of the world's most powerful people, including members of the ruling Al-Saud dynasty. Many have tried to fight WikiLeaks and somehow censor the information posted there, but no one has succeeded in this more than the Saudis. They simply banned WikiLeaks in their country. You can’t even pronounce the name of this organization if you don’t want problems.

Yes, we are talking about one of the richest countries in the world in the 21st century. There is simply no such thing as freedom of speech in Saudi Arabia. The royal family controls everything there. It is interesting that family members are not completely free: before doing anything, they must consult and ask permission from King Salman. He is still in charge.

Unpaid bills and inappropriate behavior

With their money they could probably buy up the whole world. But few of the large companies want to deal with them. Why? Yes, because it is not clear what to expect from these people. And also because these are the type of clients who do not always pay their bills. For example, Princess Maha al-Ibrahim refused to pay $1.5 million to a limousine rental company in Geneva (even though all the princess's demands were fully satisfied). Well, it only ended with the company representatives saying, “We are no longer working with this family for obvious reasons.” And there are plenty of such cases.

Royals get whatever job they want

In total, the Al-Saud family numbers 25-30 thousand people. And all the boys need to be assigned to the most prestigious jobs, so that they “earn” a lot of money and maintain the honor of the family. It is clear that they are taken without any interviews to wherever they want. Their knowledge and experience do not play any role. The surname is everything. It’s a pity for worthy people who cannot get a job because of this, and it’s a pity for the country in which the decision important issues Inexperienced specialists are allowed.

Princes rob their people in every possible way

According to information from WikiLeaks, princes receive money using their name different ways- for example, borrowing from banks and not repaying the loans. Having learned from bitter experience, Saudi banks routinely reject loan requests from members of the royal family unless they have a good credit history.

Another favorite way of taking money is the confiscation of land on which it is planned to build something and which can be resold at a great profit. So when the royal offspring don't have enough money to party hardcore, they just go and borrow it from the banks or take it from the public.

Saudi Arabia and North Korea are twin brothers

Saudi Arabia is one of the most repressive regimes in the world. There are no elections, political parties or parliament. The country belongs to King Salman and his family. They can do whatever they want with complete impunity. The rest of the world is afraid to interfere and somehow try to limit the power of the Saudis, because Saudi Arabia is control over the distribution of oil. Everyone knows that people there have a hard time, but no one can do anything about it. When it comes to civil and political freedoms, Saudi Arabia is the worst country in the world and can only be compared with North Korea and a couple of African dictatorships.

Dancing can turn you gay in Saudi Arabia

Everyone in Saudi Arabia is afraid of the Islamic morality police “Hayaa”, which is supposedly supposed to protect the country and people from moral decay, etc. For example, moral guards once invaded the house of a local resident and found young people dancing there. Just. However, by Hayaa standards, these men were caught in “a compromising situation in the dance, making shameful gestures.” This definition was enough to arrest everyone immediately. Moreover, the parents of these “criminals” were told that they needed to better monitor their children “because this could lead to immorality and even homosexuality.” Well, you understand, right? If you dance, it means you're gay.

Lecture at a business school in Barcelona

Opening of the Forum of Arab Women Leaders

With husband

Amira is the first Saudi princess to refuse to wear the traditional abaya in public, like other women in the kingdom. The princess herself is not of royal blood.

Amira's husband Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, better known as Prince Al-Waleed, is a member of the Saudi royal family, an entrepreneur and an international investor. He made his fortune through investment projects and buying shares. In 2007, his net worth was estimated at $21.5 billion (according to Forbes magazine). Al-Walid ibn Talal al-Saud ranks 22nd on the list of the richest people in the world.

According to various sources, Amir is his 3rd or 4th wife (the only one at the moment; he never had several wives at the same time). They have no children; the prince has two children from his first marriage. They say their marriage contract states that the princess cannot have children. I don’t know how true this is, but such information often accompanies discussions between this couple.

On InoSMI I found a short interview with the princess dated September 28, 2012:

Princess Amira arrived in New York for the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative. It was founded by Bill Clinton to combat global problems such as poverty and disease. Last week, she and her husband did something that she believes will help bridge the gap “between faiths and cultures.” The Al-Waleed Family Foundation helped open the Islamic art wing at the Louvre in Paris, donating approximately $20 million to the project. " Art opens people's minds differently", says Princess Amira.

She likes to open minds. In her home country of Saudi Arabia, which is notorious for prohibiting women from driving, dating men, and where until recently they were prohibited from voting, Amira is a vocal advocate for women's rights. She says that divorced women in Saudi Arabia are required to give up custody of their daughters and that female lawyers are not allowed to appear in court.

She says she drives "in the desert" where she can get away with it. " Women in rural areas have much more freedom than in cities, she notes. - ABOUT neither can drive. They don't wear abayas" She herself wore a yellow jacket to the meeting, her dark hair was not covered with anything.

“I think it’s enough for the king to say, ‘Women can drive. Those who don’t want to don’t have to do it.", she says. The princess calls King Abdullah's recent decision to give women the opportunity to vote in municipal elections very courageous. At the same time, she notes that many religious leaders were against it. " He believes in empowering women, - says the princess. - I I think he is the man who can do it».

Amira, 28, denies that her activism causes her to face problems in public spheres. “Everyone knows me,” she says. – I hang out with extreme conservatives and extreme liberals. My goal is not to create negativity, but unity» .

In her opinion, the West often has the wrong idea about Saudi Arabia. Amira points out that only bad news makes headlines, good news doesn't. " 56% of university graduates are women, she says. – We watch the television series “Seinfeld”, “Friends”, Presidential Shows - many Saudis love America. I swear to God if you come you will see Saudis watching American television».

The princess mentions a recent Newsweek profile of a conservative Saudi Arabian woman, emphasizing: “ She doesn't represent all women... she's extremely conservative. And seventy percent of the people of Saudi Arabia are people from the golden mean" However, Amira says she respected the article because it showed the extreme conservatism of the woman's family. And she loves that one of the photos shows young Saudi college girls laughing and wearing fashionable sunglasses.

With Sheikha Moza

« What's important about American education is that it exposes you to so much - classical music, comparative religion...you learn about Hinduism and Buddhism“, she shares her impressions. But the princess refuses to talk about her personal life. She says she comes from a middle-class family and her mother is divorced.

Her latest project is the Opt4Unity initiative, which is implemented through the Al-Waleed Foundation. Like the Clinton Global Initiative, its idea is to bring together an “unusual team” of business leaders, investors and philanthropists to solve the world's problems in jobs, food and education. " We're all talking about people who can make a difference., says Princess Amira. – Let's do something»