AMMAN — The Kingdom is celebrating His Majesty King Abdullah’s 58th birthday today.

 

Born in Amman on January 30, 1962, King Abdullah is the eldest son of His Majesty the late King Hussein and HRH Princess Muna.

 

A Royal Decree was issued on January 24, 1999, naming him Crown Prince. He assumed his constitutional powers as King on February 7, 1999, upon the passing of His Majesty the late King Hussein.

 

King Abdullah began his primary education at the Islamic Educational College in Amman and later attended St. Edmund’s School in Surrey, England. His secondary education took place at Eaglebrook School and Deerfield Academy in the US.

 

King Abdullah joined the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in the United Kingdom in 1980 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1981.

 

He joined the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army in 1982, moving up the ranks in the military to become commander of the Royal Jordanian Special Forces and Special Operations.

 

He also served with the Royal Jordanian Air Force Anti-Tank Wing, where he received his wings in addition to his qualification as a Cobra attack pilot.

 

In 1987, the King joined the faculty at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in Washington, DC, and completed an advanced research and study programme in international affairs alongside a Master’s Degree in Foreign Service affairs.

 

The King rejoined the military in 1989, becoming commander of the Royal Jordanian Special Forces and Special Operations in 1994 with the rank of Brigadier General.

 

In 1996, the King restructured the Special Forces to comprise selected units and was promoted to the rank of Major General in 1998.

 

King Abdullah married Her Majesty Queen Rania on June 10, 1993, and they have four children: Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Hussein, Princess Iman, Princess Salma and Prince Hashem.

 

Since his accession to the Throne in 1999, King Abdullah has focused on enhancing the capabilities of citizens, enriching the concept of respect and dignity of citizens, ensuring the sovereignty of the law, realising equality and justice and equal opportunities for citizens, in addition to focusing on pushing the development process forward and highlighting the effective role of Jordan at the international level.

 

In November, 2018, His Majesty was the first head of state to be awarded the Templeton Prize, a prestigious award granted in appreciation for his exceptional efforts to promote interfaith harmony, safeguard Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites and protect religious freedom.

 

Last year, King Abdullah’s declaration to terminate the annexes on the Baqoura and Ghumar areas to Israelis in the peace treaty and imposing full Jordanian sovereignty on them constituted a political victory for the Jordanian diplomacy based on the Kingdom’s constants to take all necessary procedures for Jordan and Jordanians. 

 

On January 15, His Majesty delivered an address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, covering a number of regional and international concerns.