Princess Ameerah shoots to 4th place in Arab Women Power List

Princess Ameerah Al Taweel, wife of Saudi Arabia's HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, was the most high profile newcomer to CEO Middle East 100 Most Powerful Arab Women 2012 list, arriving in fourth place.

One of the world’s most recognised philanthropists and an active supporter of a wide range of charities in both Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world, Princess Ameerah AlTaweel, gives back to society through work at her husband’s foundation.

Click here to see our Prince Ameerah image gallery.

Among her efforts are opening an orphanage in Burkina Faso and leading humanitarian trips to Pakistan and Somalia, all in an attempt to provide relief to victims.

However, the princess believes that there are hurdles to solving global poverty issues. “Shallow solutions are the biggest barriers to solving poverty. I hate shallow solutions which are just giving cash and baskets of food."

“You need to also teach people how to manage their finances. Instead of eating a fish, we need to teach them how to fish, that’s a big problem. We partner with specialised people and organisations, but it has to be a deep and long term solution for a huge problem, those are our conditions.”

As vice chairwoman of the board of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation, the princess can let the results do the talking: on poverty alleviation, disaster relief, promoting East/West dialogue and empowering women, the foundation has led the way in every sense.

The fruits of its work can be found anywhere in Saudi Arabia. Even going abroad, the foundation’s legacy is there for all to see anywhere in Africa.

Some of the other key focuses at the foundation include the empowerment of women and education. 

In a speech to the Clinton Global Initiative, the Princess said: “People take their voices to the streets when they are not heard by their governments. If we want stability in the region, we must build institutions of civil society so people can channel their demands through these institutions. If we want prosperity in the region we must invest in young people through encouraging enterprise.”

Click here to see our Princess Ameerah image gallery.