HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud, Chairman of Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) and Chairman of Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation, received at his office in Riyadh, a US delegation of Women from Bridges of Understanding organization that was headed by Mr. Faisal Aljuburi, Executive Director, Bridges of Understanding.

The delegation included Ms. Cathleen Prunty Black, Philanthropist and Publishing Executive and Former Chair of Hearst Magazine, Ms. Jane Elizabeth Boon, Industrial Engineer, serves on the Board of Trustees, Kettering University, Ms. Samia Taji Farouki, Founder and President of Hll-Finance (HFC), Ms. Suzanne Marie Fehsenfeld, Founder and Chairman of the GLOBE Foundation, Mr. Luma Raja Fayek Halazon, Co-Founder, Bridges of Understanding, Ms. Kathryn Fortune Hubbard, Co-Founder, Bridges of Understanding, Ms. Laura Heller Lauder, Managing Partner of the Laura and Gary Philanthropic Fund, Ms. Marlene Anne Malek, community activist, healthcare advocate and patron of the arts, Ms. Nina Jane Schriefer, Fortunes’s Washington Columnist and Senior Editor, Ms. Deborah Flanagan Tobias, serves on the Board of Trustees for th University of Dayton and Ms. Melissa Wheeler Waud, community volunteer, grassroots political organizer and philanthropist.

During the meeting, Prince Alwaleed and the delegation discussed business, social and economic issues, as well as the current status of the global economy. Moreover, topics dealing with reform and ways of rectifying some of the western misconceptions about Arabs and Muslims were also discussed. Also on the agenda of discusstions were Prince Alwaleed’s investments in the US in light of being one of the largest foreign investors there. Furthermore, Prince Alwaleed hosted a luncheon in honor of the delegation.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Shadi Sanbar, KHC’s Executive Director and CFO and Member of the Investment Committee, Ms. Heba Fatani, Senior Executive Manager, Corporate Communications Department, Ms. Abir Kaki, General Manager, Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation, Dr. Nahla Nasser Alanbar, Private Executive Assistant to HRH the Chairman, Ms. Intisar Al Yamani, Executive Manager, Corporate Communications Department, Ms. Nauf Alrawaf, Executive Manager, International Projects, Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation, Ms. Sarah I. Trabulsi, Executive Assistant Manager, Support Services, Mr. Naief Alzuhair, Manager, Website and Social Media, Ms. Manal Alshammary, Manager, Protocol Department, Mr. Fahad Bin Saad Bin Nafel, Executive Assistant to HRH the Chairman and Ms. Amal AlGarafi, Operations Manager, Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation.

Bridges of Understanding is a not-for-profit, non-political organization devoted to supporting projects and efforts that foster better understanding between the American people and peoples of the Arab world.

Earlier this year, Prince Alwaleed received Former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker. Also in 2010, Prince Alwaleed received Mr. James Baker and in the same year His Highness received Mr. Edward P. Djerejian, the Baker Institute's Founding Director. Moreover, in 2007 Alwaleed Foundation chaired by Prince supported the James Baker III Institute, Rice University.

In 2012, Prince Alwaleed hosted a historic gathering of leading scholars and global thought leaders on Islam and the West at Alwaleed Bin Talal Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University with a theme of “Collaborative Education for a Globalized World”. Participating in the forum were leading global scholars who serve as Directors of the six Prince Alwaleed Academic Centers located at the world’s most prestigious universities. A Gala dinner hosted by Prince Alwaleed, honored the dedicated work of the six Prince Alwaleed Centers. Among the attendees and participants was Former President Jimmy Carter

Alwaleed Foundation’s support is an extension to its role in global cultural understanding also through the establishment of six academic centers with study programs that encourage tolerance and mutual understanding, advance scholarship in Islamic and Middle Eastern studies, support opportunities for dialogue and reconciliation among religions and cultures and participate in the preservation of the Islamic literary and artistic heritage around the world. The centers include, Harvard University, The Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Islamic Studies Program. Georgetown University, The Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. Edinburgh University, The Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World. Cambridge University, The Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre of Islamic Studies. American University in Beirut, The Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Center for American Studies and Research. American University in Cairo, The Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Abdulaziz Alsaud Center for American Studies and Research.

Furthermore, Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation funded University Centers in the US for bridging the gap between East and West. These include a $20 million donation to Harvard University to create the University-wide Islamic Studies Program and $20 million donation to Georgetown University to create the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding both supported in 2005. In addition in 2004, Alwaleed Foundation also made a $5 million donation to establish the Center for American Studies and Research (CASAR) at the American University in Beirut (AUB) and donated $10 million to finance both the construction of the Humanities and Social Sciences (HUSS) building in the new campus of the American University in Cairo (AUC).

HRH has significant investments in the US in the financial sector via Citigroup, in the media and entertainment sector through 21st Fox Century, Time Warner and in the hotel sector through the Fairmont New York Plaza one of New York’s most distinctive landmarks, Four Seasons hotel via the management of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in which KHC hold a 47.5% interest, and in the Social Media and Technology sector via Twitter.

His Highness first invested in Citigroup in 1991, and is the largest single shareholder in the company. In January 2008, Prince Alwaleed participated in a $12.5 billion private offering of convertible preferred securities of Citigroup. The new direct investment was made alongside an exclusive group of leading international investors. The Prince converted the preferred shares in 2009 into common shares (voting shares). Prince Alwaleed has 7% (voting shares) through KHC in 21st Fox Century and KHC that is 95% owned by Prince Alwaleed, is the second largest shareholder in 21st Fox Century after the Murdoch family. Moreover, 21st Fox Century owns 19% stake in Rotana that is chaired by Prince Alwaleed.

The New York Plaza that is owned 50% by HRH through KHC underwent a $400 million renovation and reopened a few years ago. The hotel is managed by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI) in which KHC holds a substantial interest.