RIYADH: HRH Princess Hussa bint Salman bin Abdulaziz was the Guest of Honour at a reception hosted by Mrs. Huda Al-Mujarkech Collis, the wife of the British Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, His Excellency Mr Simon Collis, in celebration of his return from accomplishing the Hajj pilgrimage this year. The event was attended by a number of wives of Ambassadors and Doyennes of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to Riyadh, as well as by a number of prominent ladies of Saudi society, and notable ladies in the fields of Media and culture.
In her welcoming address, Mrs -Mujarkech Collis underlined that the presence of HRH Princess Hussa constituted further evidence, if need be, of Her Royal Highness’s continued noble endeavours to support the active role of Saudi women, in the fields of culture, knowledge and charity. She continued by highlighting the important cultural tradition that celebrating the return of pilgrims from the Hajj ritual represents, in Muslim communities and societies.
For her part, HRH Princess Hussa expressed her happiness at partaking of such a joyous event. Her Royal Highness highlighted that the event in itself was a clear reflection of British society’s diverse cultural, religious and ethnic composition, and a testimony to the communality felt by British Muslims and Muslims all over the world, as part of the Umma (Muslim community). She went on to say that Their Excellences, the Ambassador and Mrs Collis, were the embodiment of the longstanding pluralism in British society.
Referring to the event itself, Her Royal Highness said that the reception further highlighted the leading cultural role played by British Embassies in the capitals of Arab, Islamic and Muslim countries. This gathering of wives of Ambassadors and prominent ladies of Saudi society emphasises the considerable outreach that the British Embassy in Riyadh enjoys, Her Royal Highness added.
Princess Hussa availed herself of the opportunity to commend the Damascene touch that marked the event and that represented the culture from which Mrs Mujarkech Collis, the spouse of the British Ambassador, descends: “The Damascene tradition and Levantine touch that mark this event are a true reminder of this age-old Arab culture, with all its depth and beauty; yet, it also reminds us of the current, desperate reality of Syria. Our hearts are filled with hope and prayers that peace will return and prevail there and that Syria will reclaim its historical place as a great civilisation and a cradle of culture”.
Her Royal Highness concluded her address by offering her thanks to Mrs Al-Mujarkech Collis for the kind invitation to the event and congratulated her on its success, which Princess Hussa reiterated, fulfilled an important social and cultural role.
