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, Former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker, who is presently a Senior Partner of the Law Firm Baker Botts. Mr. Baker is also the Honorary Chairman of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University and serves on the board of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Mr. Baker was accompanied by a delegation that included Mr. Andrew M Baker, Managing Partner, Baker Botts and Mr. Steven R Miles, Partner and Head LNG Practice, Baker Botts.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Walid Arab Hashem, Vice Chairman of Rotana, which is chaired by HRH, Mr. Shadi Sanbar, KHC’s Executive Director and CFO and Member of the Investment Committee, Ms. Heba Fatani, Senior Executive Manager, Corporate Communications Department, Dr. Nahla Nasser Alanbar, Private Executive Assistant to HRH the Chairman, Ms. Intisar Al Yamani, Executive Manager, Corporate Communications Department and Mr. Fahad Bin Saad Bin Nafel, Executive Assistant to HRH the Chairman

The meeting began with Prince Alwaleed greeting Mr. Baker, after which the two discussed issues of mutual interest pertaining to their respective countries. They also touched upon social and economic issues as well as the situation in the Middle East. Moreover, Prince Alwaleed stressed the importance and vital need for furthering the dialogue between East and West. Mr. Baker commended Prince Alwaleed on his many efforts, given that HRH plays a significant role in bridging the gap between cultures and in developing economic, and social ties to promote peace and better understanding.

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 and Princess Ameerah hosted an 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. In addition, Princess Ameerah was the featured speaker at a thought-leader dinner in Boston in the presence of HRH and Former President Jimmy Carter. The Gala dinner hosted by Prince Alwaleed, honored the dedicated work of the six Prince Alwaleed Centers.

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 and 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 News Corporation, 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 News Corp. and KHC that is 95% owned by Prince Alwaleed, is the second largest shareholder in News Corp after the Murdoch family.

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.