Saudi prince pledges $32B to charity, citing inspiration from Gates Foundation

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal (center) has pledged $32 billion to charitable causes, including to 'empower women.' (Photo by Alwaleed Philanthropies, via Facebook.)
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal (center) has pledged $32 billion to charitable causes, including to ’empower women.’ (Photo by Alwaleed Philanthropies, via Facebook.)

Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal announced this week that he will pledge his entire $32 billion to charity, including women’s causes, saying he took inspiration from Seattle’s Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

According to his foundation, Alwaleed Philanthropies, the money will “foster cultural understanding, develop communities, empower women, enable youth, provide vital disaster relief and create a more tolerant and accepting world.

“Philanthropy is a personal responsibility, which I embarked upon more than three decades ago and is an intrinsic part of my Islamic faith. With this pledge, I am honoring my life-long commitment to what matters most – helping to build a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable world for generations to come,” Alwaleed said in a prepared statement.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy noted that Alwaleed has been a “vocal champion of women’s rights in a country where women are barred from many activities including driving.”

Bill Gates praised Alwaleed’s move on Twitter:

According to BBC News, Alwaleed is one of the world’s richest people, as the chairman of Kingdom Holding Company.