Prince Alwaleed Received by Prince Charles, Prince of Wales at Clarence House

Establishment of Prince Alwaleed Prince of Wales Fund    

HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Alsaud, Chairman of Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation, and HH Princess Ameerah Al Taweel, Vice Chairwoman, Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation were received by HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall at Clarence House during their visit to the United Kingdom. The occasion was attended by Mr. Salah Al Hujailan, Legal Advisor to HRH the Chairman, Mr. Shadi Sanbar, CFO, Ms. Nada Al Sugair, Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Ms. Heba Fatani, Executive Manager, Corporate Communications, and Dr. Nahla Alanbar, Private Executive Assistant to HRH the Chairman.

During the meeting the two royals discussed the Prince’s investments through KHC in the United Kingdom and Prince Alwaleed’s donations to university centers to encourage inter-cultural dialogue. Prince Alwaleed thanked Prince Charles for his hospitality and warm welcome. The two royals also discussed the newly established Prince Alwaleed Prince of Wales Fund that supports the preservation of heritage and Islamic art, tackles issues related to unemployment and supports training. Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation created this endowment fund at The Prince’s Charities.

The two Princes also discussed the Arpana Trust (The Arpana Charitable Trust, UK) that provides aid to afflicted people in India. Prince Charles is a Patron of the Trust and Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation, Chaired by Prince Alwaleed had given support to the Trust with a SR 3,750,000 donation.

On Tuesday November 2nd 2010, The Prince of Wales, Prince Alwaleed and Princess Ameerah inaugurated The Savoy one of KHC’s major investments in the United Kingdom. The two also performed the grand inauguration by unveiling a marble plaque.

In March 2010, Prince Alwaleed was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor honoris causa from the University of Edinburgh in a ceremony at the Signet Library, Parliament Square, and also inaugurated the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre for the Study of Islam at Edinburgh University. The degree was conferred by HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The Duke of Edinburgh is Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh and the University of Cambridge.

In 2008, HRH made a £16 million endowment to create two new research centres for Islamic studies at the University of Cambridge and the University of Edinburgh (£8 million for each university). The new centers will carry out both research and public engagement designed to enhance understanding between the Muslim world and the West. In 2002, the Prince made a £1 million endowment to the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter.

Prince Alwaleed through KHC has a number of investments in the United Kingdom including Canary Warf in the real estate sector and Citigroup in the financial sector. In addition, other investments include a 47.5% interest in the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts co-owned by the billionaire Bill Gates, which manages 3 hotels; London at Park Lane, London at Canary Wharf and the third in Hampshire.

His Highness had received the Prince of Wales at Kingdom Resort in Riyadh in 2006 and Prince Alwaleed visited Highgrove in 2005. Moreover, the Prince had received the Duke of York in 2007 and 2009. Prince Alwaleed had also met with Prince Charles in 2003 during the GCC Polo Cup event at The Guards Polo Club in Windsor when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth presented Prince Charles’s team with the trophy, jointly with Prince Alwaleed.

Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation – Lebanon works internationally to tackle poverty, provide rapid aid in cases of natural disasters and provide women and youth in the MENA region with economic and educational opportunities through strategic philanthropic investments in sustainable projects of the Foundation’s various partner organizations. The Foundation also reframes perceptions of Islam and the West through dialogue, programs and educational centers around the world in order to promote a greater understanding between the different faiths and world views.

HRH’s philanthropic grants and donations over 60 countries ranging from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe; from Gaza to The Gambia, totaling more than $2.4 billion over the last 30 years. HRH has established three Foundations to handle his philanthropic activities across the globe under the slogan “Commitment Without Boundaries”: Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation in Saudi Arabia Alwaleed Bin Talal Humanitarian Foundation in Lebanon, and Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation in Lebanon. His foundations work locally, regionally and internationally to combat poverty, strengthen interfaith and intercultural dialogue and empower women and youth.