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TRH arrive in Saudi Arabia for the second leg of their overseas tour

25th March 2006

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall arrived in Saudi Arabia for the second leg of their overseas tour.

Their Royal Highnesses carried out separate itineraries with The Prince speaking at Saudi Arabia's foremost Islamic university and The Duchess meeting some of the Kingdom's Princesses and local women at a women's charity.

The Prince became the first Western man to speak at Saudi Arabia's most senior Islamic University, the Imam Muhammad bin Saud University.

The University is the most prominent Islamic centre of learning in Saudi Arabia, and has been working to moderate hard-liners and been part of the campaign to counter radicalisation.

In his speech, The Prince said: “I think we need to recover the depth, the subtlety, the generosity of imagination, the respect for wisdom that so marked Islam in its great ages.”

He added: “And what was so distinctive of the great ages of faith surely was that they understood, that as well as sacred texts, there is the art of interpretation of sacred texts - between the meaning of God's word for all time and its meaning for this time.”

On her separate engagements, The Duchess was shown around a charity for women.

The Al Nadha Philanthropic Society for Women was set up by Princess Sarah Al Faisal to empower and support women within the teachings of Islamic Shariaa.

The Duchess chatted to the women behind their sewing machines, as they worked in the female only environment.

She was presented with a beautifully embroidered abaya based on designs from the conservative Najd region.

The Duchess spoke briefly in Arabic as she bade farewell to the Princess Sarah Al Faisal, the charity's founder, and Princess Moudi bint Khalid, the director general, saying “inshallah” she would like to return again.

Earlier in the day, The Prince also attended an event to support youth opportunity and to tackle the huge youth employment challenge in Saudi Arabia. The organisation uses a model based on The Prince's Trust.

The Prince and The Duchess were received by King Abdullah, the leader of Saudi Arabia, who welcomed The Duchess saying he hoped she had a pleasant stay.

Their Royal Highnesses are on a tour of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and India.