Saudi billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud yesterday said he was “very optimistic” at what he had seen in Malta but did not specify whether he intended to invest on the island.

The Saudi prince said he was honoured to be awarded the National Order of Merit as an honorary companion – for what the government described as his efforts to strengthen relations between the two countries.

According to the booklet accompanying the investiture ceremony,

“Prince Alwaleed has for many years had a special interest in Malta and relations with our country are high on his agenda”.

In a brief comment before he met Prime Minister Joseph Muscat yesterday, he praised the island for its “harmony in leadership”.

“Malta is a very small island but its importance is disproportionate to its size.”

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud at the Republic Day ceremony. Photo: Jason Borg

His private jet: a 747. Photo: Mark Paul Brockdorff

Prince Al-Waleed is the founder and chief executive officer of the Kingdom Holding Company – considered as one of the largest diversified investment groups in the world. Such investments include major shares in different companies like Citigroup, News Corp, Apple, Disneyland Paris, Time Warner, Ebay and Twitter.

He also owns Rotana, considered the largest company in the Arab entertainment industry, while his property investments include the George V in Paris, the newly renovated Fairmont Plaza in New York City and The Savoy in London, in addition to the Fairmont in San Francisco and Four Seasons in Toronto.

Outside of business, Prince Al-Waleed is an active philanthropist and the founder of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundations, dedicated to supporting global cultural understanding, disaster recovery, and empowerment of women and youth, as well as various community development projects in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and around the world.

His foundation provides medical and healthcare, social assistance to orphanages, infirmaries, prisoners and the disabled.

In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI awarded the Pontifical Medal to the foundation in recognition of the achievement and efforts made in encouraging tolerance between the different religious faiths and social groups in Lebanon.

The National Order of Merit Honorary Companion

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Alsaud (investor, philanthropist)

Officer

Anġlu Camilleri (Posthumous – politician); Alfred Pisani (hotelier)

Fr Marius J. Zerafa (Dominican priest, art expert)

Honorary Officer

Frank Zarb (businessman)

Member

Marco Cremona (engineer, hydrologist, ecologist); Sammy Galea (musician); Anthony Edward Guillaumier (businessman, philanthropist); Maurice Micallef (film-maker and director); Immanuel Mifsud (author and teacher); Lillian Sciberras (teacher, author, poet); Alan Tua (teacher and physicist)

Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika

Maria Attard (philanthropist); Paul P. Borg (teacher, author, poet); Andrew Coleiro (conductor); Josette Falzon (athlete, philanthropist); Fr Alberto Gauci (Franciscan friar, missionary); Alfie Guillaumier (author, historian); Gejtu Pace (legal officer); Francis Henry Said (business man, broadcaster); Marc Storace (singer, musician); Karl Vella (Posthumous – philanthropist)

Distinguished Service Medal

Major James Louis Grech; Major Etienne Scicluna; Captain Joseph Gatt

Lieutenant Mark Mercieca; Warrant Office 1 Daniel Mifsud; Staff Sgt Jason Nappa; Staff Sgt Alexander Galea; Sgt Edward Santillo; Sgt Pierre Magro; Sgt Glenn Xuereb; Sgt Antoine Caruana; Sgt David Zammit; Sgt Rohan Paul Dalli; Bombardier Anthony Vella; Lance Bombardier Peter Baldacchino; Lance bdr Christopher Attard; Lance bdr Matthew Musù; Lance bdr Matthew Saliba; Lance bdr Clint Muscat; Lance bdr James Grima; Lance bdr Kirsten Schembri; Gunner Josef Parnis; Gunner Adam Sammut; Gunner Roderick Cuschieri; Gunner David Mangion; Gunner Clayton Gatt; Gunner Andrew Vella Gregory; Gunner Clint Xuereb; Gunner Karl Doublet; Gunner Melchoir Grech; Gunner Luke Manduca; Gunner Stanley Muscat; Gunner Kenneth Ciantar; Gunner Christian Attard; Gunner Joseph Vella; Gunner Warren Ciappara; Gunner Christopher Xerri