Princess Reema bint Bandar Is The First Saudi Woman To Be Appointed To The International Olympics Committee
She is also the first female Saudi ambassador to the United States and has led a number of sports-related initiatives within the Kingdom
In another remarkable achievement for Saudi women Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, was elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on July 17.
Five candidates – three women and two men – were nominated for membership by the IOC executive board.
Commenting on the new election Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al Faisal, the president of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee (SAOC) thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman for their continued support to all sports.
Prince Abdulaziz, who is also the Minister of Sports, congratulated Princess Reema on her election, saying that it confirms the ability of Saudi sports to be present on an international level in organizations such as the IOC, which is the highest sporting authority in the world.
Princess Reema, along with her colleagues, will work together in upholding Olympic values and promoting ‘Olympism’ in both Saudi Arabia and all over the world.
On her official Twitter account, Princess Reema said that she was honored to be chosen for this position, noting that her victory is due to the generous support that she found from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the Crown Prince, and the Minister of Sports.
Honored to be elected as a member of #IOC. Thank you to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, HRH Crown Prince, and @AbdulazizTF for their support. It has been an honor to serve my community through the universal language of sports. @iocmedia @saudiolympic pic.twitter.com/vLsNltgz0c
— Reema Bandar Al-Saud (@rbalsaud) July 17, 2020
During her career, Princess Reema became one of the most prominent Saudi sports personalities.
She has been Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States since February 2019 – and is the first woman to hold the position.
In October 2018, she was appointed president of the Mass Participation Federation, making her the first woman to lead a multi-sports federation in the Kingdom, a role she occupied until her appointment as Saudi ambassador to the US.
Lead image courtesy of Instagram/rbsalsaud