Reema bint Bandar al-Saud has been appointed as Saudi Arabia’s first ever female ambassador to the United States amidst strained relations over the consulate murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Appointed on Sunday and now the top diplomat in Saudi, the 44-year-old princess and daughter of ex Washington ambassador Prince Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, is assigned to improve the relationship between the US and Saudi after a damaged image following the killing of Khashoggi; a Washington Post contributing columnist, in Istanbul on Oct. 2.
As the first female deputy in the history of her countries kingdom, Reema has stepped in to replace Prince Khalid bin Salman – younger brother of Crown Prince of Saudi Mohammed bin Salman, and conspirator accusee for the cover up of the Oct. 2 murder. Salman has now become deputy defence minister as issued by a royal decree on Saturday.
Both the US and Saudi Arabia are tied by arms deals worth over hundreds of billions of dollars, and Middle East interests – controlling an ascendant Iran. But, the barely-there thread between the two is stretched to an almost breaking point.
United States legislators condemned Saudi leadership for Khashoggi’s murder – Mohamed was blamed by CIA for the killing, saying it was ordered. And, for the alleged torture of women’s rights activists. A series of letters between Saudi’s King Salman and the United Stated President Donald Trump was exchanged also, in May of 2017 outlining the intent purchase of US$110billion of US arms for Saudi.
With an already strained relationship and low level statements from the US exhibiting concern of the arms exchange, as many of the weapons of intent for Saudi end up in Yemen, Princess Reema’s task of improving these relations is imperative to the future of their international government proceedings, and her new role holds the potential greater power to emit change for the betterment of women’s rights within Saudi Arabia.
Washington’s no far cry for the Princess, born in Riyadh in 1975 yet raised in the US capital. She spent over two decades there whilst her father served as Saudi ambassador for 22 years in the US; ending in 2005, and she received a degree from George Washington University; in museum management.
The philanthropist and divorced mother of two is known for promoting the inclusion of girls in physical education in schools, which she successfully did working for the Saudi General Sports Authority; advocating for breast cancer awareness and striving to make a change for women’s rights. She has also won an award for empowering women.
Not only that, Reema is also a member of the International Olympic Committee’s Women in Sports Commission. She’s influenced women’s places in the workforce in Saudi by creating their first workforce nursery – allowing more women to work, and leading to their inclusion in the retail sector – she did this as chief executive of luxury Riyadh department store Harvey Nichols.
More recently she’d advocated for changes stated within in the Crown Prince’s reform program including Saudi women’s right to drive. But the efforts seem only fruitless when comments from a CNN interview with the princess reveal complaints acknowledged about contradictory behaviour from the Prince. Yes, the driving ban was eradicated but arrests were obtained concurrently for a group of females who’d campaigned for the right of the reform.
Changes are occurring but so is antithetical behaviour. Now is the time when one of the biggest changes in Saudi Arabia’s governmental history could finally pave access to the establishment of women’s rights. Or, is this just a mask set to ease the brunt of the US relations fallout after Khashoggi.
What do you believe to be the truth?
