The event brought together most of the royal families from all over the world. Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah and Saudi architect Rajwa al-Saif tied the knot on Thursday in the presence of guests from around the world. Hussein bin Abdullah is the heir to the throne, designated by his father King Abdullah II at the age of 15. The bride was born and raised in a wealthy and influential family in Saudi Arabia, close to the Saudi royal family, before studying in the United States as her husband.
The bride and groom pronounced their vows at the Zahran Palace in Jordanian capital Amman in the presence of their families and 140 other guests, including the First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, the British princely couple William and Kate, the King of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander, and King Philippe of Belgium. Princess Beatrice, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II and eldest daughter of Prince Andrew, was also in attendance.
"Hussein is your son"
Such celebrations are rare in the Arab world, where conservative monarchies share little detail of their private lives. In a festive atmosphere, thousands of Jordanians celebrated the wedding of the spouses in the streets of the capital where their portraits were displayed. The Jordanian population has also been able to attend fireworks, air shows and concerts in recent days. "Hussein is your son, you are his family and this is your marriage," the groom's mother, Queen Rania, told the Jordanians on May 23 in a video posted on YouTube.
AHMAD ABDO
Jordan shares a long border with Saudi Arabia. The two monarchies, close partners, play an important role in Islam: the Saudi kingdom hosts the pilgrimage to Mecca every year while Jordan is the custodian of Muslim holy places in Jerusalem. Jordan has relative political stability compared to some neighbouring countries - such as Israel, Lebanon and Syria - but is heavily indebted, with a high unemployment rate (23%), according to the World Bank. The country relies heavily on international aid, especially from wealthy Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, the region's economic and diplomatic heavyweight.
For the Hashemite monarchy, the wedding is also an opportunity to restore its image, after a deep crisis in April 2021. Hamza, half-brother of King Abdullah II, was then accused of wanting to destabilize the kingdom, an unprecedented crisis that had shaken the Hashemite monarchy. The Jordanian authorities had accused a "foreign" hand of being at the origin of the crisis, which had turned attention to Riyadh. Shortly after, a close adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) was arrested in Amman. The crisis in Jordan had echoed the power games and purges within the royal family in Saudi Arabia, where King Salman in 2017 sidelined the titular crown prince in favor of his young son, MBS.