Jordan itself is a beautiful country. It is wild, with limitless deserts where the Bedouin roam, but the mountains of the north are clothed in green forests, and where the Jordan River flows it is fertile and warm in winter. Jordan has a strange, haunting beauty and a sense of timelessness. Dotted with the ruins of empires once great, it is the last resort of yesterday in the world of tomorrow. I love every inch of it.
King Hussein I, Uneasy Lies the Head, 1962, p. 4.
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan lies in the heart of the Arab world. The Kingdom has a parliamentary system with a hereditary monarchy. Their Majesties King Abdullah bin Al-Hussein and Queen Rania Al-Abdullah actively protect and promote the Kingdom’s extraordinary cultural heritage.
His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein assumed his position as King on February 7th, 1999, the day his father, the late King Hussein, passed away.
King Hussein was the forty-second generation direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. He is remembered as the leader who guided his country to peace and stability during a period of turmoil in the Middle East. Like his father, King Abdullah Bin Al-Hussein is committed to democracy, civil liberties and human rights. This commitment has made Jordan a regional model of development and prosperity in the Middle East.
King Abdullah undertook his primary education at the Islamic Educational College in Amman, and later attended St. Edmund’s School in Surrey, England. His secondary education was undertaken at Eaglebrook School and Deerfield Academy in the United States of America.
Queen Rania Al-Abdullah was born to a notable Jordanian family of Palestinian origin. She attended the New English School in Jabriya, Kuwait and later the American University in Cairo. Her cultural responsibilities include being on the Board of Trustees of the new nationalJordan Museum, which houses the treasures of Jordan’s archaeological and cultural heritage, including the Hebrew Dead Sea Scrolls.
Queen Rania uses social media to reach out to people in Jordan and beyond. She has her own YouTube channel, Facebook site with over 100,000 friends and Twitter account with nearly 1 million followers. She also communicates with the public through her personal blog.
King Abdullah Bin Al-Hussein and Queen Rania Al-Abdullah were married in 1993. They have four children: Prince Hussein, Princess Iman, Princess Salma, and Prince Hashem.
