Article images: courtesy The National
In this exclusive interview, Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud talks about his latest Dubai venture, the rise in popularity of plant-based protein and the food industry of the future
When Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud first decided to go vegan, a domino effect was put in motion. It was 2009 and the plant-based diet was scarcely talked about, even in big cities like London and New York, never mind in the Saudi royal’s home city of Riyadh. But, he was overweight, had sky-high cholesterol and knew he needed to do something drastic to achieve a healthy lifestyle.
Fast forward 10 years and Prince Khaled is now one of the biggest and best-known proponents of veganism, not just in the Middle East, but across the planet. Not only has the successful venture capitalist been among the first to back some of the world’s now most prosperous vegan companies, such as Beyond Meat, he has also managed the unthinkable for many vegans: he convinced his mum and dad to switch to a completely plant-based diet.
