Reema bint Bandar Al Saud (Arabic: ريما بنت بندر آل سعود; born 15 February 1975) is the current Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States, a position her father had also previously held. Appointed by King Salman bin Abdulaziz, she presented her credentials to Donald Trump on 8 July 2019 and took office as ambassador on 23 February 2019—becoming the first woman to serve in the role of ambassador in the country’s history.[2][3][4] She also holds the rank of minister.[5] She has advocated for female empowerment and has worked to expand opportunities for Saudi women within the Kingdom.[6][7]
Early life and education
Reema bint Bandar was born in Riyadh in 1975.[8][9] Her parents are Bandar bin Sultan and Haifa bint Faisal. Reema is the great-granddaughter of Ibn Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, on her maternal and paternal sides.[10] Her maternal grandparents are King Faisal, the son of Ibn Saud, and Queen Iffat who was born to a Circassian mother and a Saudi father.[11] Her paternal grandfather is former Crown Prince Sultan.
She is one of eight children. Two of her siblings also work in government: Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud is the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United Kingdom and Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud is the chairman of the Saudi Arabian Federation for Electronic and Intellectual Sports (SAFEIS).[12]
Reema spent many years in the United States where her father Bandar was the ambassador from 1983 to 2005.[13] She graduated from George Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts in museum studies.[14] While Reema was earning her degree in museum studies, she interned at L’Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris and at the Saklr Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.[15] She also collaborated from a distance with a curator at the Field Museum in Chicago, and her mother’s “Haifa Faisal Collection” of art was displayed there.[15]
After graduation, she returned to Riyadh.[15] She joined THNK School of Creative Leadership in 2014 as a participant of Class 5 2015.[16][17]
In 2022, Reema received an honorary doctorate from Marymount University.[18]
Career
Private sector
Reema returned to Saudi Arabia in 2005. She co-founded Yibreen, a women’s day gym and spa. She later assumed the role of CEO at Al Hama LLC, a luxury retail corporation. From 2007 until 2015, Reema served as the CEO of Alfa International Company Limited, a multi-brand luxury retail corporation that, among other pursuits, operates the Harvey Nichols store in Riyadh.[19][4]
As the CEO of Harvey Nichols in Riyadh, Reema led the inclusion of women into the retail sector, working closely with the Ministry of Labor to craft a smooth labor market entry.[20] She set the example of workforce integration by creating the Kingdom’s first workplace nursery, enabling more women to work.[21] She commissioned a study on ‘Obstacles for Women in the Workplace’.[4]
In 2016, Princess Reema left the private sector to begin a career of public service as Vice President of Women’s Affairs at the Saudi General Sports Authority. She focused on developing policies and programs that benefited women and children throughout Saudi Arabia. After a successful year, she became the Deputy of Development and Planning. In 2018, she was appointed President of the Mass Participation Federation, making her the first woman to lead a multi-sports federation in the Kingdom, a role that she occupied until her appointment as Ambassador.
In 2013, Reema also founded Alf Khair, a social enterprise aimed at elevating the professional capital of Saudi women. One of its keystone initiatives, 10KSA, introduced the concept of holistic health awareness for a healthier Saudi community. The year-long campaign culminated into the World’s Largest Human Awareness Ribbon,[22] entering into the Guinness World Records.[23][24]
Reema is a member of The World Bank’s advisory council[25] for the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative.[26]
In 2021, she founded Catmosphere Foundation to support Panthera Corporation’s work to preserve big cats.[27][28] On 6 November 2021, the first awareness campaign “Catwalk” took place, a walkathon in several countries.[29][30]
