An Interview with the Imprisoned Daughter of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah

Daniel Wickham interview Sahar daughter of Abdullah Al Saud via email about the reasons for her confinement and her thoughts on women's rights in Saudi Arabia.

Maha, Hala, mom Alanoud Al Fayez, Sahar and Jawaher in the 1980s.

by Daniel Wickham

Sahar and her three sisters Jawaher, Maha, and Hala have been held under effective house arrest by their father, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, for nearly 13 years. For years, their mother, Alanoud Al Fayez, has been advocating for their release from her home in London. In an unedited interview conducted via email, I asked Sahar, the eldest of the four sisters, about the reasons for her confinement and her thoughts on women’s rights in the Kingdom.