Free Lunch With the FT: 52 Classic Interviews by Lionel Barber Page B

ignores it as he explains his mission to unite people around the world. ‘God blessed me with a lot of wealth. After 9/11 a major division took place between Saudi Arabia and United States, west and east, and Christianity and Islam. And I believe my role, because of what God blessed me, is to try to bridge the gap.’
    The next day he will be signing deals with Harvard and Georgetown universities to finance some of their Islamic studies. It’s all part of bridging the gap. ‘That’s why we focus on the east coast of America. Because that’s where the decision-making process is, with all respect to west coast, north coast or south coast.’
    The prince’s most famous attempt at bridging failed. He donated $10m to New York City after the September 11 attacks. But he also called on the US government to ‘adopt a more balanced stance towards the Palestinian cause’. Rudolph Giuliani, New York’s then mayor, returned the cheque, and accused him of trying to justify the attacks. A Saudi newspaper later quoted the prince blaming ‘Jewish pressures’ for Giuliani’s rejection.
    Does His Highness regret his Palestinian statement? ‘A friend of a nation has to say the truth any time. Although, if you ask me a question, ‘If the Palestinian situation was resolved a day before 9/11, would 9/11 take place or not?’ Most likely it would have taken place, yes. I have no problem. All my friends sitting here: Mr Parsons, Christian man; Sandy Weill, a Jewish man, from Israel – from, from, from US. Muslim, Christian, Jewish – I don’t care about that.’
    Indeed, by Saudi standards the prince is a liberal. Does he expect his uncle, King Abdullah, to move towards democracy? ‘You use the word “democracy”. I’ll say, “people’s participation in the political process”. Because there are many forms of it. I believe, for example, in people’s participation. I believe the fact that the municipal elections took place, there’s an indication that at the end of the day King Abdullah has in mind the introduction of elections at the Shoura level, our version of parliament.’
    I venture that there seems to be some dissent within Saudi Arabia. ‘From what?’ demands the prince. Well, from the monarchy. ‘Where do you get that from?’ The newspapers. ‘Frankly speaking, I don’t see that at all. Most people in Saudi Arabia are really for the government. And, frankly speaking, if you look at so-called dissent outside Saudi Arabia, it’s only Saad al-Fagih [a dissident in London]. That’s superb. Population of 16 million indigenous and six million expatriates, you have one guy going publicly.’ It seems tactless to mention another prominent Saudi dissident, Osama bin Laden.
    Yet as the prince knows, not everyone has a gleaming image of Saudi Arabia. Americans got particularly angry when 15 of the 19 hijackers on September 11 turned out to be Saudis. Did the prince take stakes in western media companies partly so that he could help clear up east–west misunderstandings?
    He begins with the standard denial: ‘My investment in the United States is not really to influence public policy.’ But then he adds: ‘When I meet Mr Murdoch of News Corp, that owns Fox News, and BSkyB, or when I meet Mr Parsons, who controls CNN,
Fortune
magazine,
People
,
Time
, America Online, I don’t intrude into the management of these companies. However, I do convey to them the message about where I believe they went wrong. It’s their discretion to decide what to do. My job is to open their eyes to things they may not have seen.’
    Could His Highness give an example? ‘One time CNN, they brought the Palestinians’ so-called terrorist act against Israelis. I communicated to them, “Look, you have to give the other side of the equation. Look what the Israelis are doing to the Palestinians.” And they did that. And they were censured and reprimanded by the Israelis. I do not claim it’s my right to intrude. But I have to do my best to