On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia's first female ambassador to the United States, Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, presented her credentials as the kingdom's top diplomat in Washington to President Donald Trump.
The royal uploaded a photo of herself posing with Trump at the Oval office on her Twitter account with a caption that reads:
"Presented credentials today at the White House. Conveyed the well wishes of Kingdom's Leadership. Looking forward to working on strengthening and solidifying the historic Saudi - U.S partnership."
Saudi Arabia's U.S. embassy said that during her meeting with Trump, Al-Saud stressed on the fact "that the Saudi-U.S. partnership is essential to the interests of both countries and expressed confidence that the two countries are capable of overcoming any challenges at the regional or global levels."
Last week, Al-Saud announced the beginning of her term, explaining how honored she was to take on the role of ambassador. The Saudi royal is the 11th ambassador of the kingdom to the U.S. since 1945, and the first Saudi woman to hold the high-ranking post.
Earlier this year, a royal decree issued by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman saw the appointment of the princess. In April, the newly appointed ambassador took the oath of loyalty before King Salman during a ceremony at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh.
The princess takes over the role of her predecessor, MBS' brother Prince Khaled bin Salman, who is now the kingdom's Deputy Minister for Defense.
In her new rank, Al-Saud, who has always been an outspoken advocate for Saudi women's rights, is expected to further champion their cause.
Some called it a "historic moment"
"Pride of every Saudi woman"
"Just smiles"
"Yes! Even woman [sic] in Saudi Arabia can lead"
Mabrook Princess Reema!
Making history isn't new to Al Saud
The royal is the daughter of the former Saudi ambassador to Washington, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, and is a graduate of George Washington University.
The princess previously served as an adviser to the Crown Prince's office. A popular entrepreneur and philanthropist, Al-Saud has made history time and again. In 2016, she was appointed Deputy for Planning and Development at the General Sports Authority and used her role to champion women's participation in sport. In 2017, she became the first woman to be appointed as president of the Mass Participation Federation.
More Saudi women are now assuming high-rank official roles
Al-Saud's assumption of her role as an ambassador for the kingdom comes at a time when a number of Saudi women are being appointed in high-rank official roles.
In 2017, Eman bint Abdulla Al-Ghamdi became the first Saudi woman to hold a municipal role after she was appointed the assistant mayor of Al-Khobar municipality for information technology.
That same year, the country assigned a woman to take the role of spokesperson for the kingdom's embassy in Washington. Saudi women have also been joining the country's workforce in large numbers as new professions open up to them.
