Who is Princess Reema, the Saudi royal who shook hands with Trump?

Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan is the first Saudi female ambassador from the Saudi royal family, having been appointed as the Saudi ambassador to the United States in 2019.

Princess Reema can be seen shaking hands with Trump during US President Donald Trump’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia. This is the first time in Saudi Arabia’s history that a royal woman has greeted a foreign leader with an introductory handshake. This is an unconventional, unusual step, which is being widely criticized in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has long had strict traditions and gender boundaries, where women are very limited in their ability to play prominent roles in public, political, or diplomatic roles.

Princess Reema’s diplomatic prominence in a global power like the United States is a major symbolic step and reflects the social changes taking place under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

Princess Reema’s handshake with Trump is being viewed with disapproval in conservative Saudi circles. This criticism was further fueled by Trump’s attitude when he held the princess’s hand for a long time.

According to Islamic teachings, physical contact (such as shaking hands) between a man and a woman who are not mahrams is forbidden.

Who is Princess Reema?

Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud is a prominent Saudi royal and diplomat who made history as the first woman to serve as Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the United States. She was appointed to this position on February 23, 2019, by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and presented her credentials to President Donald Trump on July 8, 2019.

Born in 1975 in Riyadh, Princess Reema spent much of her childhood in Washington, D.C., where her father, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, served as Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the U.S. from 1983 to 2005 . She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Museum Studies from George Washington University. 

Before her diplomatic appointment, Princess Reema was a trailblazer in promoting women’s rights and sports in Saudi Arabia. She served as the Vice President for Planning and Development at the General Sports Authority, where she led initiatives to include physical education for girls in schools. In 2017, she became the first woman to lead a multi-sport federation in the Kingdom, serving as president of the Mass Participation Federation.