Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    How will Saudi Arabia's first female ambassador mend relations with the US?

    Saudi Arabia made history in February when it appointed Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud as its first female ambassador to any country.

    • rss
    • Share
    By Madeleine Brand • Nov 6, 2019 • 1 min read

    Saudi Arabia made history in February when it appointed Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud as its first female ambassador to any country. That country is the United States.

    Princess Reema is deeply entrenched in the Saudi royal family. She’s the great-granddaughter of the country’s founder, Ibn Saud, and a cousin of Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).

    The appointment comes at a time of strained relations between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia -- over the Saudi-led war in Yemen, the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and MBS’ crackdown on dissidents (even within his own family).

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Madeleine Brand

      Host, 'Press Play'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Sarah Sweeney

      Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

    • KCRW placeholder

      Michell Eloy

      Line Editor, Press Play

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Amy Ta

      Digital News & Culture Editor

    • KCRW placeholder

      Elise Labott

      Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service; former CNN global affairs correspondent

      NewsInternationalPolitics
    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand