SC to SA: A Prince, A Princess, and an American Ambassador

Today, of all days, did not go according to plan. We were supposed to begin our day with a visit to King Saud University, but the prince requested to change our time, so we, of course, obliged. We enjoyed meeting with His Royal Highness Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdul Aziz. He talked about his work with the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities and discussed many of the problems facing Saudi Arabia. He told us fun stories about his times in America, his experience in space, and invited us to the desert! Hopefully we will be able to take him up on his offer before we leave. He talked about economic issues, developing a tourism industry, environmental concerns, and Saudi history. He even answered my question about maintaining the balance between modernization and tradition in the kingdom as the society changes. He was truly a delight.
After His Royal Highness, we traveled over to visit the ladies section of King Saud University. The girls there lavished us with gifts, showcased wonderful Saudi hospitality, and blessed our hearts. We were able to have a wonderful question and answer session with them. They had many questions for us and we enjoyed learning more about their school and experiences. They were truly women going places. In a recent scholarly research symposium with the male section of the university, the women made up over 70% of all of the research presented after competition. These are truly exceptional women. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with them.
Then we headed to the Alwaleed Bin Talal Charity Foundation. They are doing remarkable work within Saudi Arabia and throughout the world. While we were there, we were able to watch a movie made by one of staff members about another delegation of students from Harvard's visit to the kingdom. Their reactions were similar and very different from ours. It has been interesting for us to talk about possible reasons why. Our visit was made complete by a visit by Her Highness. She was recently made the vice chair of the foundation. She spoke with us for a few minutes before we darted off to Al-Masmak. Al-Masmak is the old city of Riyadh. It was the fortress that King Abdul Aziz was forced to take in Riyadh in order to take control of the city. After that we hit some markets and did a little bit of shopping. I made my first purchases with much assistance from our lovely female Saudi guides that have accompanied us through Riyadh. In the markets you barter for your prices. They helped me get some great deals. They have been fantastic!
Our day concluded with a meeting at the home of the American Ambassador. He had a remarkable frank discussion about US-Saudi Arabian relations. He offered a unique perspective and we had some great conversation. It was neat to touch American soil while so far away.
Tomorrow is our last day in Riyadh. Here's to making the most of it!