Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan, a leading entrepreneur and philanthropist, was named ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the US by royal decree on February 23, 2019,
Prior to her appointment, she was vice president of women’s affairs at the General Sports Authority (GSA), a position she held since 2016. She was also named president of the Saudi Federation for Community Sports in 2017 and appointed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in August 2018.
Princess Reema's father was a former ambassador to the US, and she spent several years there during her youth. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in museum studies from George Washington University.
When she returned to Saudi Arabia in 2005, she assumed CEO positions for Al Hama LLC and Alfa International. She launched her own handbag brand, Baraboux, in 2013. She also founded the private equity fund Reemiyah and co-founded Yibreen, a women’s day spa.
Princess Reema is one of the founding members of the Zahra Breast Cancer Association in Riyadh. She is also a member of The World Bank’s Advisory Council for the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative.
She has spoken publicly about the inclusion of women in the Saudi work force, describing the reforms as “evolution, not Westernization.”
She spoke at the Atlantic Council in Washington about the Kingdom’s efforts to tackle bigger issues than women being allowed to drive or attend football games, which she described as “quick wins.” Problems such as domestic violence demanded greater scrutiny, she said.
Princess Reema also spoke about providing women with careers in a currently male-dominated region.
FaceOf: Princess Reema bint Bandar, Saudi Arabia’s new ambassador to the US
FaceOf: Princess Reema bint Bandar, Saudi Arabia’s new ambassador to the US
- Princess Reema was vice president of women’s affairs at the General Sports Authority since 2016
- She has spoken publicly about the inclusion of women in the Saudi work force
‘Cake not hate’ campaign becomes ‘Dates not hate’ in Madinah
- Dan said he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality and that his family was warmly welcomed
- He said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam
LONDON: A British autistic and non-verbal boy who has been visiting UK mosques and distributing cakes to promote solidarity amid an increase in far-right support in the country has taken his message of love to Madinah.
Joshua Harris, or “The Joshie-Man” as the 12-year-old is known to his social media fans, has handed out hundreds of his baked goods to worshipers at mosques in major British cities over the last few months.
The “Cake not hate” campaign came about after an Islamophobic attack on a mosque in his home city of Peterborough in October 2025.
Harris and his father visited Masjid Darassalaam, the mosque that was targeted, with cakes that the boy had baked and distributed them to the congregation soon after the attack. Since then, Harris has visited dozens of mosques in the UK.
On a recent trip to the Middle East, he and his father visited Madinah. In a local twist that pays tribute to the holy city’s famous date varieties including ajwa and ambar, Harris handed out dates to people in the courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosque. The “Cake not hate” campaign became “Dates not hate” for Saudi Arabia.
“He was greeted really, really warmly. There were some really touching moments where people were kissing his hands and his head. It was really lovely,” his father, Dan Harris, said.
Dan, the founder of global charity Neurodiversity in Business, said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam.
“We met people from all around the world. It was amazing. It’s like the United Nations there, you get people from different countries and it just goes to show you that the Muslim community, or the Ummah more generally, is not a homogeneous group,” he said.
“We saw people from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and it was really interesting for us.”
Dan said his visit to Madinah, considered the second holiest city in Islam after Makkah for Muslims, was “profound and life-changing.”
He added: “I would say it’s my favourite city in the world due to the peace and tranquillity I felt there.”
Dan added that he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality: “Everywhere we went, people were taking down my number and insisting that we come for dinner, insisting they pick us up from the location. They were extremely attentive to Joshie as well, making sure his needs were met. We felt a great sense of welcome, something Saudi Arabia is known for.”
