HRH Princess Reema Is Championing Women Through Entrepreneurship

Her Royal Highness Princess Reema Bint Bandar Al Saud is one of the world's most forward-thinking female advocates and prominent entrepreneurs. Having publicly spoken about the need for women in the workforce to sustain economic growth, Princess Reema is a modern thinker and revolutionary leader whose life accomplishments are as varied — and as prolific — as they come.

Having been involved in almost every industry imaginable, Princess Reema is clearly not the bonbon-eating type of royal. Bold, beautiful and unafraid, Princess Reema began her adult life as a museum studies major at George Washington University in Washington DC. At the time, her father was the ambassador to the United States (he served in this capacity from 1983 to 2005), which gave the princess a unique vantage point into Western culture, and undoubtedly contributed to her robust work ethic.

Bold, beautiful and epically motivated, Princess Reema is changing female face of Saudi Arabia.

When she returned to Saudi Arabia in 2005 as a college graduate, she immediately got to work, beginning with a stint as CEO of a luxury retail company. Throughout her career, Princess Reema has emerged as a diversely prolific entrepreneur.

She founded a handbag line, a woman's day spa, a breast cancer awareness association (for which she lead a group of women to climb Mount Everest), and a corporate social responsibility initiative, designed to provide access to opportunities through a proprietary self-branding curriculum. If that doesn't impress you, the Princess is also Deputy Planning and Development of the General Sports Authority in Saudi Arabia.

In this exclusive interview, the princess speaks to SWAAY about women's rights, sports, and social entrepreneurship.

While I was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, I actually was raised in Washington D.C. Arriving in the states at age 7, I returned home to live in Saudi Arabia 23 years later when my own daughter was 7 years old. Even though we returned frequently on holiday and for family events I always felt that I wanted a stronger connection to home. That is why my ex-husband and I made the decision to return home when we had our children at a young enough age so they could plant their roots in their nation.

Women should have no shame in asking for what they deserve, and know that doing so doesn't reduce their femininity, nor does it make them 'difficult' individuals. It has been my experience that respect has to be earned and maintained. The same goes with trust – those are basic principles that in truth should be gender neutral.

Time management and life management are one and the same for me. It is important to recognise that, much as we would like to, we cannot do everything. Once we accept this, the work life balance will be a matter of fact, not a matter of compromise. I believe the journey to success is faster achieved when one has a strong team. We need to honor those who support us outside of the work place, those people who facilitate us having the time to "get work done." I also believe that financial management is a crucial point that many women ignore. The first step to independence is financial literacy and stability. While it is wonderful to live for today, in reality we need to plan for tomorrow.

It's improving faster than people who have not been to Saudi might be aware, as reflected in some recently published facts… For example, Saudi female university students today outnumber men; the Saudi Arabian legislative body has higher female participation than that of the U.S., and Saudi female entrepreneurship is on the rise. We are by no means perfect, but we are a nation of capable women who are growing in their fields, rising rapidly and publicly.

Regardless of gender, I always recommend setting personal goals. I've said it before and I'll say it again: The journey to success cannot be replicated. Bill Gates didn't read a book on how to be Bill Gates. Clarity of vision and strategy will take you farther than any book can take you. That is what an investor is looking for – not a savvy quote, but a strategy and an execution plan.

Alf Khair is not a philanthropic organization – rather, it is a social enterprise that I founded in 2013. Its mission is to create access to opportunities through programs that highlight values and financial self-sufficiency at the core. This has been realized through several initiatives, including a training curriculum called Alf Darb, a platform for discourse called Alf Hewar, and also the Guinness World Records-breaking and award-winning 10KSA, which raised awareness about holistic health with a focus on breast cancer. Zahra Breast Cancer Association is Saudi's first breast cancer awareness charity and was the chosen beneficiary of sponsorship raised during 10KSA. I am honored to be a founding member of this charity as it has opened my eyes to many of the nation's health and social issues. Those insights have profoundly impacted the work of Alf Khair as an organization.

What I realized was that it's not impossible, it's just not always been done before. It's okay to be the first one, but I don't want to be the only one.... that means I would not have done anything to help others, rather only helped myself. I believe it is important to leave room for others to grow into – it is important to let others in. Things have to change by default, if not by design. We exist, we are capable and we are here.

In my role at the General Sports Authority I aim to expand the understanding of sports to include: health, well-being and lifestyle. This dialogue is gender neutral. We need to think bigger than just the athlete – we need to focus on the ecosystem around that individual. That is where the economy of sports is born. Without the basic foundation of sports, hobbies and amateur sports, we will not have elite athletes. Without the trainers and the coaches and the volunteers, we will not have programs. Without the facilities and the products we will not have the tools to play or engage. We're a partner in the health sector, and proud to include women in sports for a healthier society and a more productive economy. Women's participation in sports has the potential to create thousands of jobs. We — especially women — must incorporate physical fitness in our lives. My goal at the General Sports Authority is to offer women the opportunity to engage further in physical activity through access to facilities and programs.

My dedication today is the expansion of the sports economy in Saudi Arabia. My role at the General Sports Authority has evolved to Deputy for Planning and Development, with diversity and women's affairs under my supervision. I'm honored to spend the next years of my life working with and for my community.

Do good and choose happy.