* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Our next generation of leaders must be intelligent, creative, innovative and wise. These attributes are not bound by gender.
As a child, my father taught me: you must walk before you can run. This is true of society, as well as ourselves. But, after years of walking in Saudi Arabia, today we are running.
For Saudi women, change is everywhere. Women will very soon be able to drive. Women are leading in the office. Women are running for office.
No country in the world can yet say they have achieved gender equality. But in Saudi Arabia, our leaders have shown great wisdom and ambition to lead us to this goal. Women's rights have been placed at the heart of our Vision 2030.
Today, women are running. What comes next? We must take to the skies!
This week we launched Hero next to Hero. This one of its kind campaign shows a woman and a man - a daughter and her father – flying through the sky of the Sarawat Mountains in the Arabian Desert wearing Saudi traditional attire: our Abaya and Thobe. The initiative celebrates the strength of Saudi women but also that of Saudi men who are standing beside them in support and solidarity, not been intimidated by their progress.
It is easy to build a campaign. Lasting change is much harder. But it does offer a glimpse into Saudi Arabia's future. A future where the relationship between women and men has been transformed.
Culture - we must never forget - is a result of people's behaviour. It does not make us; it is ours to shape and evolve. For example, today's stereotype is that a woman covered-up in her Abaya is oppressed, and a man dressed in his Thobe is an oppressor. But we must not be imprisoned by these stereotypes.
Beneath these cultural symbols are mothers and daughters, fathers and sons. Our campaign shows that what could be seen as a symbol of oppression can also be a symbol of freedom, unity and empowerment.
Hero next to Hero is a chance to honour the men who have not been afraid to support women. These men are not intimidated by women holding power. They are not scared of women voicing their opinions. It is not always easy to be the first. It can be frustrating and exhausting. But the rewards could not be greater.
As a result, women hold leading roles in today's Saudi Arabia. Young girls have many inspiring role models. Sarah Suhaimi chairs the Saudi stock exchange. Rania Nasha leads Samba Financial Group. Mishaal Ashemimry is working for NASA. Dr. Ghada Al-Mutairi is winning awards for her pioneering work in nano-science. Sarah Attar is representing Saudi Arabia, running at the Olympics and around the world.
Whoever you are, and whatever you want to be, there are women in Saudi Arabia who can inspire you.
Alwaleed Philanthropies, guided by the vision of our inspiring Founder, His Royal Highness Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin AbdulAziz AlSaud, has long been at the heart of this. From our involvement in the historic 2015 decision to allow women to stand for election to municipal councils, to hosting a women's empowerment conference in Riyadh – the first of its kind.
Our next generation of leaders must be intelligent, creative, innovative and wise. These attributes are not bound by gender. We can see this as women continue to flourish and lead in sectors such as health and education. And when a woman does not achieve her potential, it is not just her loss. It is a loss for the whole country and the world.
In a world beset by complex challenges, from climate change to disease, violent extremism to poverty, we will need to empower the very brightest and the very best.
To do this, we must define people by who they are, not by who they are not. If we do this, we can not only run in Saudi Arabia. We can fly.
