Muna Abu-Sulayman

Muna Abu-Sulayman

Muna AbuSulayman, (Arabic: منى أبو سليمان‎; born 1973) is an influential Arab and Muslim Media personaity. She is also the former founding Secretary General of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation, the philanthropic arm of HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal's Kingdom Holding Company and co-host of one of MBC TV’s most popular social programs, Kalam Nawaem (“Speech of the Soft”).

As a public and media personality, she has spoken and written about issues related to society, women rights, community development, media, and building bridges of understanding between the East and West. In 2004, Ms. AbuSulayman was named a Young Leader by the World Economic Forum. In this capacity, she is often called upon to speak on issues related to challenges facing the youth around the world. In 2007, she became the first woman from Saudi Arabia to be appointed by the United Nations Development Program as a Goodwill Ambassador. As a goodwill ambassador she is often invited to promote certain humanitarian causes such as Tetenus Shot Campaign in 2011 for Yamen. In 2007, the Middle East Excellence Awards Institute presented Ms. AbuSulayman the Achievements in Regional and International Relations Award. In 2009, she was named one of the most influential Muslims in the world. A list of many of her awards appear at the end of the entery.

In a move that is an attempt to break the steryotypes of Saudi woman, Ms. AbuSulayman is very active in reaching out to different audiences and appeared frequently in the news or as a panelist at the Davos World Economic Forum, Jeddah Economic Forum, C-100 of the World Economic Forum, Brookings Institute Conferences and many other venues. Furthermore, her speaking engagements have taken her all over the world, to the United States, England, Switzerland, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Africa where she tries to showcase the accomplishments of the Arab world, the changes that are occurring in the GCC and most especially in her own country Saudi Arabia while unraveling the steryotypes of a what it means to be a modern Muslim women or a modern Saudi woman.

Muna is an Advisory board member of the Muslim Women’s Fund (MWF) which aims to strengthen Muslim women, benefit families and communities. She is also a member of Soliya, an organization devoted to improving communications between East and West through university education. AbuSulayman also serves in the Advisory Board of Meedan, the premier content translation website service in the world for Arabic. Since 2004, Ms. AbuSulayman has also served as a volunteer director for the Friends of Saudi Arabia Association and remains a member of the Saudi Media Association. She has recently joined the Advisory Board of both Peaceful Families Project and Gem Schools.