ABU DHABI — Princess Lamia Bint Majed Al-Saud, secretary general of Alwaleed Philanthropies, has been appointed as the first ever Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Arab World by the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) during a press conference at the tenth session of the World Urban Forum. UN-Habitat works in over 90 countries, supporting people in cities and human settlements for a better urban future. Highly regarded for her humanitarian work and philanthropic efforts to advance sustainable and inclusive development for the most vulnerable, Princess Lamia as regional goodwill ambassador for Arab states will advocate for sustainable urbanization, helping UN-Habitat to address urban challenges in Arab states and advance sustainable urbanization as a driver of development and peace. In her role as secretary general at Alwaleed Philanthropies, Princess Lamia leads an all-female team that is combating inequalities and providing opportunities for those in need in the Middle East and around the world. In addition to investing in programs and initiatives that build cross-cultural understanding, develop communities, empower women and young people and assist those affected by disasters, Alwaleed Philanthropies has established partnerships with global organizations in humanitarian issues, healthcare, development and civil society. Commenting on the award, Princess Lamia said: "I am extremely humbled to be appointed as the first ever Regional Goodwill Ambassador for the Arab world on behalf of UN-Habitat. I very much hope that this appointment serves as inspiration for young people across the Arab region that there is no limitation on their aspirations." "My appointment comes as we celebrate 40 years of Alwaleed Philanthropies. If there is one thing that we have learnt from these four decades of experience, it is that every person has an important role to play when facing the world's most pressing challenges. Overcoming a problem or transforming someone's life can often be achieved by thinking differently and developing the simplest of solutions. It only takes one person to make a difference and as a goodwill ambassador I hope to inspire people across the Arab World to think about the role that they can play in helping to address the impact of rapid urbanization across our cities, communities and climate." In 2018, Princess Lamia was awarded the "Woman Leader in Community Development Excellence Award" which was given by the Middle East Excellence Awards Institute honoring women leaders and executives in Dubai, UAE. In March 2018, Princess Lamia was honored with the Baden Powell Fellowship pin by the World Scout Foundation in recognition of AP's contributions to the WSF's support of youth around the world. The Princess was also appointed as the first Saudi to join the UN Women as a "Global Champion" for gender data equality. In 2019, UNICEF appointed Princess Lamia as the first Middle Eastern and non-government leader to join the "Generation Unlimited Champion Committee" to provide successful futures for 1.8 billion young people across the world.
