Al-Manhal Magazine Dhu al‑Qi‘dah / 1376 AH
It is a source of pride and joy that the daughters of His Majesty the King should be the first pioneers of the women’s renaissance in our beloved country.
(The Charitable Foundation of the Daughters of His Majesty the King)
Three noble princesses… who saw their great father rejoice at aiding the orphan; who saw their great father inaugurate homes for those deprived of parental affection; who saw their great father give generously and willingly, establishing homes for these orphans in every city, every village, every corner of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They witnessed their great father doing all this, and thus a spirit of noble compassion stirred within our three princesses. They rose with the vigor of a lion in its den and adopted the project of caring for orphaned girls from their own private funds. Yet their great father, in his customary magnanimity and Arab chivalry, contributed a share of support, as he always does for every project that advances his country.
Three princesses: Her Highness Princess Noura, President of the Foundation; Her Highness Princess Moudhi, Vice President; Her Highness Princess Hussa, Secretary and Treasurer of the Foundation.
They are the eldest daughters of His Majesty King Saud bin Abdulaziz, undertaking this mission with sincere determination to participate in the nation’s renaissance and contribute to its advancing march of progress and reform.
The “Charitable Foundation of the Daughters of His Majesty the King” is a great social project undertaken by women in our country—an enlightened reformist idea conceived by these three princesses, daughters of our revered monarch and leader of our great national awakening. They reflected deeply on the lives of our girls and observed how the caravan of education was carrying young men along the path of advancement, opening their minds to new horizons and equipping them with enlightened ideas. They saw the need to guide girls along a sound path that would lift them from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge. They also saw that time had widened the intellectual gap between boys and girls, creating differences in thought, understanding, and taste that made harmony and a happy marital life difficult.
Thus, they deemed it necessary to establish this foundation to raise a group of orphaned girls with proper Islamic upbringing, granting them a share of culture and knowledge, preparing them to become successful wives and skilled homemakers capable of fulfilling marital duties and raising children. They reached this conclusion out of their belief in the great responsibility that women can bear in preparing a new generation that will be the hope and treasure of the nation in the near future, God willing. Their motto was the poet’s words:
“The mother is a school; if you prepare her well, you prepare a noble nation.”
With sincere intention and firm resolve, they spent many nights working to bring this noble project into existence. They collected ample funds, rented a large and elegant house, furnished it with the finest furniture, and brought in qualified teachers. They then held an opening ceremony for the foundation, honored by the presence of His Majesty the King. One of the three princesses—the secretary—delivered an eloquent speech about the project and its aims, which greatly pleased His Majesty and filled him with high hopes that this foundation would herald a new dawn for his beloved country, a dawn whose light would never fade.
I heard delightful stories about this newborn institution—stories full of hope and praise—so I longed to see it with my own eyes. My wish was fulfilled when Her Highness Princess Hussa, the supervisor of the foundation, graciously invited me to visit. At the appointed time, I went, filled with joy. Upon arriving, the elegant house of the foundation greeted me in its serene and beautiful setting.
Her Highness received me with generous hospitality that doubled my happiness. I then toured the foundation with her, observing its system and activities. I was astonished by what I saw, and I cannot fully convey it with my limited words. I found abundant means of comfort and joy. I found a blooming garden where the dreams of happy childhood fluttered. Here were thirty beautiful flowers—thirty orphaned girls—living under the foundation’s devoted care, sheltered in a nurturing environment, nourished by pure knowledge and illuminated by the light of sound Islamic upbringing, surrounded on all sides by breezes of love and tenderness. Each girl had her own bed, her own wardrobe, and her own place for dining utensils. Within days, each would also have her own high‑quality chair and desk.
The foundation currently has two teachers, with two more arriving soon, and twelve servants caring for the girls. The curriculum matches that of primary schools, with the addition of home economics. I was astonished to learn from Her Highness that the foundation has a large bank balance of 150,000 riyals. She also told me that next year the foundation will be ready to receive 120 orphaned students. During my visit, I saw some of the girls sewing their own clothes. What struck me most was how deeply Her Highness the Princess was involved in every detail. She told me she feels immense happiness when she devotes herself to supervising the affairs of these orphans, and for this reason she prefers to spend most of her free time at the foundation. While we were touring, she heard a child crying, excused herself, and hurried to comfort her.
This is but the first drop of rain—rain our country desperately needs. We hope its fertile growth will continue, and that the clouds of goodness will multiply over our land until they become a steady, life‑giving rain, after which we shall see flourishing gardens throughout our country.
It is indeed a source of pride and joy that the daughters of His Majesty the King should be the first pioneers of the women’s renaissance in our beloved land. We have always been accustomed to the noble royal household leading us toward every honor and achievement, for His Majesty is the foremost guide and the finest example in all that benefits the nation and its people. May God preserve him as a source of strength and pride for his people and a support for Islam.
Visitor.
Al‑Manhal A journal of sciences and literature Founded in 1355 AH
Published monthly in Makkah al‑Mukarramah
Owned and edited by: Abdul‑Qadir Al‑Ansari