Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
School period
Gallery of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
1964
Amman, Jordan
King Hussein of Jordan photographed in his house in Amman with his first son Abdullah in arms, while his wife Muna is holding their second son, Faysal. Amman, Jordan, March 1964.
Gallery of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
1970
England, United Kingdom
King Hussein of Jordan pictured with his two sons Prince Abdullah and Prince Faisal in a soft-top car on a road in England on 7th December 1970. Photo by P. Shirley.
Gallery of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
1970
Longford TW6, United Kingdom
Princess Muna al-Hussein with her son Abdullah, now King Abdullah II of Jordan, at Heathrow Airport, London, United Kingdom, 12th January 1970.
Gallery of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
1973
Jordan
King Abdullah II of Jordan as a young prince during a visit to the Royal Jordanian Air Force in 1973.
College/University
Career
Gallery of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2010
Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG, United Kingdom
King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein and Queen Rania and Princess Iman of Jordan attend the Royal Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle on August 18, 2010, in Edinburgh, Scotland. The visit marks the first occasion a Sovereign from the Middle East has attended Scotland's annual showpiece military event. Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell.
Gallery of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2010
801 Mt Vernon Pl NW, Washington, DC 20001, United States
United States President Barack Obama (C) greets President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev (L) as King Abdullah II (R) of Jordan, and upper row (L-R), President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, President of South Africa Jacob Zuma, and President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev look on during the group photo session of the Nuclear Security Summit April 13, 2010, in Washington, DC. Forty-seven countries have gathered at the invitation of the United States government to talk about nuclear safety and how to make dangerous materials less accessible to terrorists. Photo by Alex Wong.
Gallery of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2014
Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom
King Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein of Jordan (in his role as Colonel in Chief The Light Dragoons) attends the 90th annual Combined Cavalry Old Comrades Association Parade in Hyde Park on May 11, 2014, in London, England. Photo by Max Mumby.
Gallery of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2014
Al-Sha'b St, Amman, Jordan
King Abdullah II of Jordan (R) and President of the Republic of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga (L) meet at the royal offices on February 20, 2014, in Amman, Jordan. Jahjaga is on a four-day official visit to Jordan. Photo by Jordan Pix.
Gallery of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2015
Carretera del Pardo, s/n, 28071 Madrid, Spain
King Felipe VI of Spain (R) receives King Abdullah II of Jordan (L) at the Zarzuela Palace on November 20, 2015, in Madrid, Spain. Photo by Carlos R. Alvarez.
Gallery of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2015
Spreeweg 1, 10557 Berlin, Germany
German President Joachim Gauck (L) and King Abdullah II of Jordan review a guard of honor upon King Abdullah's arrival at Schloss Bellevue Palace on May 13, 2015, in Berlin, Germany. King Abdullah is on a one-day official visit to Berlin and will meet with Chancellor Merkel later in the day. Photo by Sean Gallup.
Gallery of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2015
First St SE, Washington, DC 20004, United States
King Abdullah II of Jordan (2nd left) poses for photographs before meeting with members of the Senate Appropriations Committee at the United States Capitol on February 3, 2015, in Washington, DC. The King held meetings with members of Congress hours after reports that captured Jordanian pilot, First Lieutenant Moaz al-Kasabeh, was burned alive in a cage by ISIS. Photo by Chip Somodevilla.
Gallery of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2017
10 Downing St, Westminster, London SW1A 2AA, United Kingdom
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May (L) greets King Abdullah II of Jordan as he arrives in Downing Street on March 1, 2017, in London, England. Mrs. May and King Abdullah are expected to discuss regional trade and security issues. Photo by Carl Court.
Gallery of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2017
00120 Vatican City
Pope Francis meets King Abdullah II of Jordan at the Apostolic Palace on December 19, 2017, in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Francis visited Jordan in May of 2014. Photo by Franco Origlia.
Gallery of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2017
Al-Sha'b St, Amman, Jordan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) arrives for talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II (R) at the al-Husseineyah royal palace on August 21, 2017, in Amman, Jordan. Photo by Salah Malkawi.
Gallery of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2018
Amman, Jordan
Jordan's King Abdullah II (2nd-R), his wife Queen Rania and (2nd-L), Crown Prince Al Hussein (R), and Prince Hashem (L) attend the graduation ceremony of Princess Salma (C) from the International Academy on May 22, 2018, at Amman, Jordan.
Gallery of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2018
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500, United States
United States President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump meet with King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan in the Oval Office of the White House on June 25, 2018, in Washington, DC. Photo by Olivier Douliery-Pool.
Gallery of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2019
New York, NY 10017, United States
King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein of Jordan speaks at the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, 2019, in New York City. World leaders are gathered for the 74th session of the United Nations amid a warning by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his address yesterday of the looming risk of a world splitting between the two largest economies - the United States and China. Photo by Stephanie Keith.
Gallery of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2019
Westminster, London SW1A 1AA, United Kingdom
Queen Elizabeth II with Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan, Queen Rania of Jordan, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and Princess Anne, Princess Royal during a private audience at Buckingham Palace on February 28, 2019, in London, England. Photo by Yui Mok.
Gallery of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2019
Berlin, Germany
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and King Abdullah II of Jordan speak to the media following talks between the two leaders at the Chancellery on September 17, 2019, in Berlin, Germany. The two discussed the recent attack on Saudi Arabian oil installations, among other issues.
Gallery of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2019
55 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris, France
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte greet King Abdullah II of Jordan and his wife Queen Rania prior to a meeting at the Elysee Presidential Palace on March 29, 2019, in Paris, France. King Abdullah II of Jordan is on an official visit to France.
Achievements
The New York Times Magazine cover featuring King Abdullah II of Jordan.
Membership
Awards
Templeton Prize
2018
3101 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016, United States
King Abdullah received the 2018 Templeton Prize at a ceremony held at the Washington National Cathedral, in the presence of ambassadors.
Order of Al-Hussein bin Ali
Supreme Order of the Renaissance
Order of the Hashemite Star
Order of Military Gallantry
Order of the Star of Jordan
Order of Independence
Order of Military Merit
Order of King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein for Excellence
Al-Hussein Medal of Excellence
Long Service Medal
Administrative and Leadership Competence Medal
Administrative and Technical Competence Medal
Administrative and Training Competence Medal
Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
Order of al-Khalifa of Bahrain
Order of Leopold
Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei
Order of the White Lion
Order of the White Rose
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Order of the Chrysanthemum
Medal commemorating the 10th anniversary of the capital
Other photo of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
1964
Amman, Jordan
King Hussein of Jordan photographed in his house in Amman with his first son Abdullah in arms, while his wife Muna is holding their second son, Faysal. Amman, Jordan, March 1964.
Other photo of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
1970
England, United Kingdom
King Hussein of Jordan pictured with his two sons Prince Abdullah and Prince Faisal in a soft-top car on a road in England on 7th December 1970. Photo by P. Shirley.
Other photo of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2010
Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG, United Kingdom
King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein and Queen Rania and Princess Iman of Jordan attend the Royal Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle on August 18, 2010, in Edinburgh, Scotland. The visit marks the first occasion a Sovereign from the Middle East has attended Scotland's annual showpiece military event. Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell.
Other photo of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2010
801 Mt Vernon Pl NW, Washington, DC 20001, United States
United States President Barack Obama (C) greets President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev (L) as King Abdullah II (R) of Jordan, and upper row (L-R), President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, President of South Africa Jacob Zuma, and President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev look on during the group photo session of the Nuclear Security Summit April 13, 2010, in Washington, DC. Forty-seven countries have gathered at the invitation of the United States government to talk about nuclear safety and how to make dangerous materials less accessible to terrorists. Photo by Alex Wong.
Other photo of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2014
Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom
King Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein of Jordan (in his role as Colonel in Chief The Light Dragoons) attends the 90th annual Combined Cavalry Old Comrades Association Parade in Hyde Park on May 11, 2014, in London, England. Photo by Max Mumby.
Other photo of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2014
Al-Sha'b St, Amman, Jordan
King Abdullah II of Jordan (R) and President of the Republic of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga (L) meet at the royal offices on February 20, 2014, in Amman, Jordan. Jahjaga is on a four-day official visit to Jordan. Photo by Jordan Pix.
Other photo of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2015
Carretera del Pardo, s/n, 28071 Madrid, Spain
King Felipe VI of Spain (R) receives King Abdullah II of Jordan (L) at the Zarzuela Palace on November 20, 2015, in Madrid, Spain. Photo by Carlos R. Alvarez.
Other photo of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2015
Spreeweg 1, 10557 Berlin, Germany
German President Joachim Gauck (L) and King Abdullah II of Jordan review a guard of honor upon King Abdullah's arrival at Schloss Bellevue Palace on May 13, 2015, in Berlin, Germany. King Abdullah is on a one-day official visit to Berlin and will meet with Chancellor Merkel later in the day. Photo by Sean Gallup.
Other photo of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2015
First St SE, Washington, DC 20004, United States
King Abdullah II of Jordan (2nd left) poses for photographs before meeting with members of the Senate Appropriations Committee at the United States Capitol on February 3, 2015, in Washington, DC. The King held meetings with members of Congress hours after reports that captured Jordanian pilot, First Lieutenant Moaz al-Kasabeh, was burned alive in a cage by ISIS. Photo by Chip Somodevilla.
Other photo of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2017
10 Downing St, Westminster, London SW1A 2AA, United Kingdom
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May (L) greets King Abdullah II of Jordan as he arrives in Downing Street on March 1, 2017, in London, England. Mrs. May and King Abdullah are expected to discuss regional trade and security issues. Photo by Carl Court.
Other photo of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2017
00120 Vatican City
Pope Francis meets King Abdullah II of Jordan at the Apostolic Palace on December 19, 2017, in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Francis visited Jordan in May of 2014. Photo by Franco Origlia.
Other photo of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2017
Al-Sha'b St, Amman, Jordan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) arrives for talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II (R) at the al-Husseineyah royal palace on August 21, 2017, in Amman, Jordan. Photo by Salah Malkawi.
Other photo of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2018
Amman, Jordan
Jordan's King Abdullah II (2nd-R), his wife Queen Rania and (2nd-L), Crown Prince Al Hussein (R), and Prince Hashem (L) attend the graduation ceremony of Princess Salma (C) from the International Academy on May 22, 2018, at Amman, Jordan.
Other photo of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2018
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500, United States
United States President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump meet with King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan in the Oval Office of the White House on June 25, 2018, in Washington, DC. Photo by Olivier Douliery-Pool.
Other photo of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2019
New York, NY 10017, United States
King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein of Jordan speaks at the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, 2019, in New York City. World leaders are gathered for the 74th session of the United Nations amid a warning by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his address yesterday of the looming risk of a world splitting between the two largest economies - the United States and China. Photo by Stephanie Keith.
Other photo of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2019
Westminster, London SW1A 1AA, United Kingdom
Queen Elizabeth II with Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan, Queen Rania of Jordan, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and Princess Anne, Princess Royal during a private audience at Buckingham Palace on February 28, 2019, in London, England. Photo by Yui Mok.
Other photo of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2019
Berlin, Germany
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and King Abdullah II of Jordan speak to the media following talks between the two leaders at the Chancellery on September 17, 2019, in Berlin, Germany. The two discussed the recent attack on Saudi Arabian oil installations, among other issues.
Other photo of Abdullah II of Jordan (Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein)
2019
55 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris, France
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte greet King Abdullah II of Jordan and his wife Queen Rania prior to a meeting at the Elysee Presidential Palace on March 29, 2019, in Paris, France. King Abdullah II of Jordan is on an official visit to France.
(A call for peace by the most dynamic leader of the Arab w...)
A call for peace by the most dynamic leader of the Arab world. At a time of unprecedented upheaval in the Middle East, King Abdullah II of Jordan is almost unique in enjoying widespread popular support. He is the ultimate modern-day monarch, as comfortable at a business conference as he is at a meeting of the Arab League. In this prescient memoir-cum-manifesto, he makes an urgent plea to push for a solution to the Arab-Israeli crisis. He writes with disarming frankness about his own upbringing and warns of the brewing resentment in the region. A call to arms by the most dynamic young ruler in the Arab world, Our Last Best Chance helps explain the volatile underpinnings of the new Arab awakening.
Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein is the king of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan since 1999. His eponymous ancestor is traditionally considered to be Hashim ibn Abd Manaf, great-grandfather of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.
Background
Ethnicity:
Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein is of Arab and English descent.
Abdullah II of Jordan was born on January 30, 1962, Amman, Jordan. He is the eldest son of King Hussein and his British-born second wife, Princess Muna Al-Hussein (born Antoinette Avril Gardiner). Abdullah is the 41st generation direct descendant of Prophet Mohammad. His eponymous ancestor is traditionally considered to be Hashim ibn Abd Manaf, great-grandfather of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. He has four brothers and six sisters, seven of whom are his paternal half-siblings. Abdullah served as the crown prince until age three when unrest in the Middle East prompted Hussein to name Abdullah’s adult uncle, Prince Hassan, heir to the throne.
Education
Abdullah II received an elementary education at the Islamic Educational College in Amman, enrolling in 1966; and then attended Saint Edmund's School in Surrey, Britain, before attending Eaglebrook School and Deerfield Academy in the United States to complete secondary education. Within training as an officer in the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army, Abdullah II joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom in 1980. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant after completing military education there. In 1982, he completed a one-year special studies course on the Middle East at Oxford University. In 1985, Abdullah II attended an advanced armor course in Fort Knox, Kentucky in the United States. In 1987, he attended the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and undertook advanced study and research in International Affairs within the framework of the master's program in Foreign Service.
Abdullah II served in the British armed forces as well as in Jordan’s armed forces. In 1993 he was appointed deputy commander of the country’s elite Special Forces. He became commander of the Special Forces in 1994 and held that post until assuming the throne.
In January 1999 King Hussein, whose health was deteriorating, named Abdullah the new heir to the Hashemite crown. Hours after the death of his father on February 7, 1999, Abdullah became king of Jordan; he was officially crowned on June 9.
During his reign, Abdullah oversaw the upgrading and modernization of Jordan's armed forces to confront a variety of external security threats, the most serious of which emanated from the insurgency in Iraq and the Syrian Civil War. Apart from a series of deadly bombings in Amman in 2005 that were orchestrated by al-Qaeda in Iraq, Jordan was largely successful in avoiding the violence that plagued its neighbors. The country's close military cooperation with the United States, however, was generally unpopular with average Jordanians.
Meanwhile, a new and ominous threat emerged in eastern Syria and western Iraq in 2013: the extremist group Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL; also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria [ISIS]), which included reconstituted elements of Jordan's enemy al-Qaeda in Iraq. Jordan joined a United States-led air campaign against the group in September 2014. Although Jordan initially sought to downplay its participation in the campaign, Abdullah took on a visible leadership role, and Jordan greatly increased the number of airstrikes it carried out after ISIL fighters captured and brutally murdered a downed Jordanian pilot in early 2015. The continued instability in Iraq and Syria throughout the late 2010s, along with the outbreak of civil war in Yemen, left Jordan hosting one of the largest refugee populations per capita in the world, forcing Abdullah to seek international assistance in order to support its refugees.
Abdullah faced occasional criticism and street protests, mostly by Islamists, labor activists, and people dissatisfied with high unemployment and rising costs of living. These demonstrations remained contained, however, and never reached the size of protests that had unseated several other Middle Eastern leaders during the Arab Spring. Instead, Abdullah’s primary domestic challenge with the Arab Spring came with the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, which sent refugees streaming across the border. The total number of displaced Syrians living in Jordan eventually reached as many as 1.5 million. Still, demonstrations at home were disruptive enough to cause Abdullah to dismiss his government several times.
Attempts to address economic issues continued to foment discontent in the 2010s. After entering a loan program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2016, Jordan undertook a number of austerity measures even as unemployment and the cost of living remained high. Subsidies for food staples were cut, sales tax was increased substantially, and income tax was raised by 5 percent, spurring in 2018 protests at a level unseen since 2011.
Abdullah is widely admired for being the most influential Muslim in the world and for maintaining peace and stability in his country. His approach to promoting interfaith dialogue has made him one of the most admired Muslim leaders in the world. King Abdullah was awarded the 2018 Templeton Prize, the most prestigious prize in the world in religious affairs. He is the second Muslim, and the first statesman, ever to be granted this honor. The prize recognizes those who have "made an exceptional contribution to affirming life's spiritual dimension." The judges mentioned, in particular, the King's work in promoting intra-Islamic religious harmony, reclaiming the narrative from extremists, as well as between Islam and other faiths.
(A call for peace by the most dynamic leader of the Arab w...)
2010
Religion
Abdullah II of Jordan is Sunni Muslim. King Abdullah II is also lauded as an interfaith leader for his support of the 2007 A Common Word initiative. He was also the initiator and driving force behind the United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week Resolution in 2010. In 2014 King Abdullah hosted Pope Francis in Jordan (having previously hosted both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II). In 2015 the Baptism Site of Jesus Christ on Jordan's River Bank was unanimously voted a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thus, at the same time that da’ish was destroying Syria and Iraq’s historical and archaeological treasures, King Abdullah was preserving not just Muslim Holy Sites, but Christian Holy Sites and universal historical treasures as well.
Politics
In his new role, Abdullah continued to follow many of his father's policies. Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, Abdullah supported the United States' efforts to combat terrorism, and, after the United States-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, United States forces were permitted to maintain bases in Jordan. Support for an Arab-Israeli peace agreement also was a high priority for Abdullah, and he continued to demonstrate his commitment to the peace process by participating in negotiations for a two-state solution, meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, and calling international attention to the issue. Growing tensions between the Israelis and the Palestinians in the late 2010s soured Jordan's relations with Israel, however, and Abdullah faced mounting pressure from Jordanians to reevaluate the countries' relationship. In 2019 he declined to renew a lease of Jordanian land long cultivated by Israeli farmers.
Views
Within Jordan, Abdullah promoted economic and social modernization, introducing free-market reforms and a variety of initiatives to improve the status of women. Political liberalization took a lower priority; although Abdullah made some gestures toward enabling greater political participation, these were tentative and often reversed. Above all, Abdullah sought to restrain the Islamic Action Front, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, and the country’s largest opposition group and pushed electoral reforms that were intended to increase voting based on a platform rather than personal or tribal interests.
Quotations:
"In my region, in every region, we must cooperate, and quickly, to address key issues - political freedoms, improving the role of women, and bridging the knowledge gap."
"People thrive where there is mutual respect. Civilisation is built on it. Futures are better for it.
But co-existence must be made, and made again, in every generation."
"A dialogue of respect is the rock-bed of all societies. Attacking and excluding others, insulting other peoples and their faith and convictions - this is no way forward. The future lies in unity and respect, not division and stereotypes."
"Radicalisation thrives on economic insecurity and exclusion. To create stakeholders in a peaceful world, people need opportunities to fulfill their potential and build good lives. Helping them is a powerful message of respect."
"History, geography and future bind us. Let no one separate us. Together, we can create pillars of mutual respect that will support the common good for generations to come."
Personality
Abdullah is a car racing enthusiast. When he was younger he even was a winner of the Jordanian National Rally Racing Champion. Abdullah is a qualified frogman, pilot, and free-fall parachutist. His other interests are water sports, scuba diving, and collecting ancient weapons and armaments.
King Abdullah has been revealed as an avid fan of the science fiction show Star Trek. He even had his aides arrange for him to make a cameo appearance in Star Trek: Voyager in 1995. The then-Prince Abdullah bin Hussein got on so well with the show's stars Ethan Phillips and Robert Picado he invited them to visit him in Jordan. When they arrived, they were delighted to find their host had not only arranged tours of the country's historical monuments, he had also laid on a mini-convention of the program's fans. Phillips recalled: "He's just about the friendliest, easy-going guy. Very engaging, very warm."
Interests
collecting ancient weapons and armaments, motorcycling
Sport & Clubs
scuba diving, parachuting, car racing
Connections
Abdullah is married to a Palestinian woman Rania Al-Yassin, whom he met in 1993 during a dinner. They immediately connected, got engaged two months later, and married in June 1993. Abdullah is only the second Jordanian king to marry only once. The couple has four children: Hussein, Iman, Salma, and Hashem. Their eldest son, named after Abdullah's father has been crowned as the prince.
