Reema bint Bandar Al Saud

Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Arabic: ريما بنت بندر بن سلطان بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود ‎) is a Saudi Arabian princess and the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States. She took office as ambassador on February 23rd, 2019 -- becoming the first female envoy in the country's history. She has advocated for female empowerment and has worked to expand opportunities for Saudi women within the Kingdom.

Her ex-husband’s father was implicated in the Al-Yamamah bribery scandal, as British defence firm BAE Systems secretly paid £250 000 for a "luxury honeymoon" for Reema bint Bandar and her husband. A senior BAE executive authorised payment for a six-week honeymoon in five-star hotels, costing up to £4,000 a night, in Singapore, Malaysia, Bali, Australia and Hawaii.

In October 2019, Princess Reema sent Rosh Hashanah greetings to Jews in the United States wishing them a happy and sweet Jewish new year. This is the first time, according to NBC news, the Saudi embassy in Washington sent such a greeting to American Jews.

In 2017 Reema was awarded Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sport Award in its Ninth Edition for her role played in the empowerment of women in the region through her spirit of entrepreneurship and philanthropy.

At Harvey Nichols Riyadh, Reema was responsible for hiring more women and introducing services such as childcare available to employees with young children, providing an opportunity for mothers to continue working and also provide for their children during the workday. She also began a program at Harvey Nichols that provides transportation stipends to women because the Kingdom's restrictions did not allow women to drive at that time, until September 2017 when the Saudi government decided to allow women to drive. These efforts, coupled with economic policies lowering the barriers for women to enter the workforce, have led to the store employing dozens of women today (as opposed to 2011, when only men worked there).

Since 2016, Reema has served as the Saudi General Sports Authority's (GSA) Deputy of Planning and Development, where she has led diversity and inclusion (D&I), the development of the Kingdom's sports economy, and strategic partnerships. In the very same year, she was appointed as vice president of women's affairs at the General Sports Authority (GSA). In 2017, she held the position of the president of the Saudi Federation for Community Sports.

After graduation, she returned to Riyadh. She joined THNK School of Creative Leadership in 2014 as a participant of Class 5 2015.

Reema has gained attention on the international stage as a leader in business innovation, specifically as a champion for women in the workplace. She was recognized as the Most Creative Person of the year in 2014 by Fast Company for "Inviting Women into the Workforce," and was featured on the Forbes lists of the 200 Most Powerful Arab Women and Most Powerful Arab Women in Saudi Arabia lists for 2014. She was also recognized by Foreign Policy Magazine as a Leading Global Thinker of 2014 in their "Moguls" category for her work helping women to "integrate their personal and professional lives" by creating hospitable opportunities for women to participate in the economy.

Reema is an active entrepreneur; her professional roles include founder and creative director of Baraboux, a luxury handbag brand that she launched in 2013.[5].

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, entering into the Guinness World Records.

In May 2012, in conjunction with the Zahra Breast Cancer Association, Reema led a group of Saudi women to the Base Camp of Mount Everest, in a bid to raise breast cancer awareness. The cancer awareness campaign has been entitled ‘A Woman’s Journey: Destination Mount Everest.’ The 11 climbers began their trek to Base Camp located 5,364 meters above sea level on 7 May, completing their trek in 12 days.

Reema married Prince Faisal bin Turki bin Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and had two children (a son, Turki; and a daughter, Sarah). They divorced in 2012.

Reema's work with Zahra also includes organizing the world's largest human pink ribbon in 2010. This effort was recognized as the winner of the Holmes Report Golden Sabre Award for the Best Publicity Stunt Category and the Platinum Sabre Award for Best PR Programme.

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. She served for several years as the CEO of Alfa International, a leading luxury retail corporation that, among other pursuits, operates the Harvey Nichols store in Riyadh.

Reema spent many years in the United States where her father, Bandar, was the ambassador from 1983–2005. She graduated from George Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in museum studies.