Vogue puts Saudi princess in the driver’s seat
In a first, Vogue Arabia has featured a Saudi princess, that too, behind the wheel of a convertible in the desert for its June cover.
Princess Hayfa bint Abdullah Al-Saud takes the wheel in celebration of the month that women in the country will be able to drive, reported Arab News.
This is Vogue Arabia‘s first-ever issue dedicated to Saudi Arabia which sees the princess, photographed in an elegant flowing white ensemble and matching headscarf as she posed in a red convertible in a series of pictures, shot by Boo George. George also photographed supermodel Gigi Hadid for the same magazine.
In an interview with the magazine, the royal said, “In our country, there are some conservatives who fear change. For many, it’s all they have known.”
“Personally, I support these changes with great enthusiasm. It is easy to comment on other people’s societies and think that your own society is superior, but the Western world must remember that each country is specific and unique,” the princess went on to add.
“We have strengths and weaknesses but, invariably, it’s our culture, and it’s better to try to understand it than to judge it.”
The princess, one of King Abdullah’s more than 30 children, insisted that her late father was like many other parents.
“In some ways, my father was like any father – he loved his children and felt very close to us,” she said. “I was close to him and knowing that he had a vital role in our country made me respect him even more.”
“My father had a saying, ‘We are from the people, and the people are from us.’ We knew we had a lot and we were privileged, but at the same time we had to remain down to earth and humble,” said Her Royal Highness.
Princess Hayfa appears in the magazine alongside a number of pioneering Saudi Arabian women from the fields of fashion, politics and the Arts.
“Her royal highness is a generous woman with a truly elegant and noble presence… A mother of three, the princess dedicates her life to her family and her art. I was deeply honored when she accepted our invitation to grace our June cover,” Vogue Arabia’s editor-in-chief, Manuel Arnaut, said, according to the magazine.
Shashi Menon, CEO & Publisher of the magazine, commented, “Saudi Arabia, and the Arab world at large, are in the midst of historic changes and we’re thrilled to be highlighting and celebrating the many voices and faces making it happen.”
