With the Saudi Cup slowly approaching, her Royal Highness, Princess Nourah Alfaisal has collaborated with the Fashion Commission within the Ministry of Culture to work with 100 Saudi brands to help style the attendees, giving an opportunity for designers to go above and beyond with a set theme in mind. The theme for this year is traditional-wear, with the Fashion Commission releasing a set of guidelines for this year’s event. We managed to have a chat with Princess Nourah and ask her the questions everyone’s been dying to know; keep scrolling to read the exclusive interview.
You were appointed as a consultant by the Chairman of The Jockey Club Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness Prince Bandar Bin Khalid Al-Faisal where you helped work on the conceptualisation of The Saudi Cup. What is the importance of having the Saudi Cup in the country in your opinion?
When HRH Prince Bandar brought me into the Saudi Cup I found the idea very exciting. Unlike many of the large events currently being staged in The Kingdom, The Saudi Cup is not part of a larger global tour or franchise. It is an event that was conceived and grown from within Saudi and, thanks to its large international appeal, it is the perfect vehicle to showcase our developing racing industry to the world. But more than that, it is an event that embraces many aspects of the equestrian and cultural heritage that still speak strongly to many Saudis. When I became involved, I saw this event as a shop front not only for the young men and women in our racing industry, but also as a way to use that cultural connection to say something to world about the journey upon which modern day Saudi Arabia is embarking.
What are some of the things you enjoyed the most whilst working on the project?
What is great about horse racing is that women and men compete together, equestrianism is a unique sport in that sense and it sends a great message to young Saudis and to young people everywhere. As a result of The Saudi Cup, we now have young Saudi women who are learning to be jockeys, while some have taken up training horses and others now have jobs within the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, so women are becoming more and more centric to how we operate.
I have also loved working with the Ministry of Culture and all of Ministry’s commissions to explore and highlight the deep vein of talent which exists within the burgeoning Saudi cultural scene. Fashion and racing have long gone hand-in-hand around the world. In Saudi Arabia, we want to be a part of that but to do it in our own distinctly Saudi way. We want The Saudi Cup to become an event which showcases all this talent and all embraces the VIP experience but also creates a global stage for the world’s best racehorse that are prepared and ridden by the international and domestic stars of the sport.
The country has been going through a major transformation and has been expanding into a variety of industries that have never been entered before. Why is it important for Saudi Arabia to continue tapping into these untouched markets?
Saudi Arabia is an evolving country. It is not just an industry that is expanding and changing. Mindsets and attitudes are adjusting as people embrace a developing society that is now beginning to nurture and grow previously untapped talent. We have become more outwardly facing as a nation and The Saudi Cup is a physical expression of this. We are showing the world that we have an industry that supports change yet embraces our history and we are inviting everyone to join us in celebrating that fact.
You’ve also worked closely with the Saudi Ministry of Culture and the Fashion Commision, what were some of your main accomplishments with that?
My namesake and the founder of Saudi Fashion Week, Princess Nourah Bint Al Faisal, has been an integral part of the development of fashion in The Kingdom and has been involved in the mentorship of this programme which saw talented young people design clothing, bags, jewellery, shoes and more. Some of the designs we saw have been influenced by Saudi Arabia, such as a necklace designed around a Saudi flower and some of these designers will be dressing guests of The Saudi Cup during race weekend.
The aim was to encourage the designers’ development and to secure exposure in regional and international markets. We especially want to help young people understand how to establish a brand or develop their talent for the international market and I can’t wait to see some of the designs worn by celebrities and influencers on course next week.
You are a true inspiration not only to Saudi women, but to Arab women in general. How do you hope to influence and inspire women in the country and region?
My aim is to promote to women and also to men the very real benefits to be gleaned when women are active and contributing members of society in whatever walk of life they choose. Sport is one example of this. We all know that sport promotes a healthy body and mind and now that access to recreational or grass roots level sport is becoming easier, for both women and men, we are beginning to see the positive impacts in our society.
Horse racing is very close to my heart, thanks to my involvement in The Saudi Cup. But it makes me very happy when I see Saudi women excelling in any field and that is what I find most inspirational about this event. The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia Chairman, Prince Bandar Bin Khalid Al Faisal has been a real driving force of the progress made within the racing industry over the last three years and his guidance has set the tone for the direction in which the Club now travels.
To attend this event, visit the Saudi Cup’s website.
