The
Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. His Majesty
King Abdullah II belongs to the forty-third generation of descendants of the
Prophet Muhammad. His Majesty received his constitutional powers as King of the
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on February 7, 1999, the day when his father, His
Majesty King Hussein bin Talal passed away, may his soul rest in peace. His Majesty
King Abdullah II was born in Amman on January 30, 1962. His Majesty is the
eldest son of His Majesty King Hussein, may his soul rest in peace, and Her
Royal Highness Princess Muna Al Hussein. His Majesty received his primary
education at the Islamic Scientific College in Amman in 1966, at first, then
moved to St Edmund's School in Surrey, England, and then to Eaglebrook School
and Deerfield Academy in the United States of America to complete his secondary
education. In the
context of his training as an officer in the Jordanian Armed Forces, His
Majesty joined The Sandhurst Royal Military Academy in the United Kingdom in 1980.
After completing his military education there, he was designated the rank of
second lieutenant in 1981. His Majesty
was subsequently appointed as commander of a reconnaissance company in the
13/18 Battalion in the Hussar Forces (The Cavalry) of the British Royal, and
served with these forces in West Germany and England. In 1982, His Majesty King
Abdullah II joined Oxford University for a one-year program, where he completed
a course of special studies in the affairs of the Middle East. Upon His
Majesty's return to the Kingdom, he joined the Jordanian Armed Forces, with the
rank of first lieutenant, and served as a platoon commander and assistant
company commander in the 40th Armored Brigade. In 1985, he joined the Advanced
Armor Officers Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky, in the United States of America.
In 1986, His Majesty became commander of a tank company in the 91st Armored
Brigade in the Jordanian Armed Forces with the rank of captain. He also served
in the anti-tank helicopter wing of the Royal Jordanian Air Force. Prior to
that, His Majesty was qualified as a paratrooper, skydivier, and as a combat
pilot on Cobra helicopters. In 1987,
His Majesty King Abdullah II joined the College of Foreign Service at
Georgetown University in Washington, DC, as part of a fellowship program for
mid-career leaders. His Majesty completed a research and advanced study program
in international affairs, within the framework of the "Master's in Foreign
Service Affairs" program. His Majesty
resumed his military career iupon returning to the kingdom after completing his
studies. His Majesty was progressivly promoted while serving in the armed
forces as he held several positions, including the commander of the Royal
Jordanian Special Forces and the commander of special operations. His Majesty
served as an assistant company commander in the Royal Tank Battalion/17 from
January 1989 to October 1989, and from October 1989 to January 1991 in the same
battalion, after which His Majesty was promoted to the rank of major. His
Majesty King Abdullah II attended the Staff Course in 1990 at the British Royal
Staff College in Camberby, United Kingdom. From December 1990 to 1991, His
Majesty served as a representative of the Armored Corps in the Office of the
Inspector General in the Jordanian Armed Forces. His Majesty
King Abdullah II commanded the Second Royal Armored Brigade in 1992, and he
became a colonel in the leadership of the 40th Armored Brigade in 1993, then
became assistant to the commander of the Royal Jordanian Special Forces and
then as commander in 1994 with the rank of brigadier. In 1996, His Majesty
reorganized the Special Forces Operations Command to be formed from selected
units to be recognized as The Special Operations Command. His Majesty was
promoted to the rank of major general in 1998, and in the same year, during the
months of June and July, His Majesty attended the Defense Resources Management
course at the Monterey Naval School. In addition
to his military service as an officer, he has assumed the duties of Viceroy several
times during the absence of His Majesty King Hussein, may God rest his soul,
out of the kingdom. A Royal
Decree was issued on January 24, 1999, appointing His Majesty as Crown Prince,
its worthwhile knowing that His Majesty earlier assumed the mandate of the
Crown Prince by virtue of a supreme royal will issued in accordance with
Article 28 of the Constitution on the day of His Majesty’s birth date on
January 30, 1962, until April 1, 1965. Since His
Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein ascended the throne, His majesty has
been adhering to the approach of his late father, King Hussein, may his soul
rest in peace, in strengthening Jordan's positive and moderate role in the Arab
world, and has been working hard to finding a just, lasting and comprehensive
solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. His Majesty seeks to further
institutionalize democracy and political pluralism that were established by His
Majesty late King Hussein, may his soul rest in peace, and move towards
achieving sustainability in economic growth and social development with the aim
of achieving a better quality of life for all Jordanians. Since assuming the
throne, His Majesty the King has worked to strengthen Jordan's foreign
relations, and to strengthen the Kingdom's pivotal role in working for regional
peace and stability. During the reign of His Majesty, Jordan has joined the
World Trade Organization and free trade agreements were signed with sixteen
Arab countries, a free trade agreement with the United States of America, and
an association agreement between Jordan and the European Union, which laid to a
solid foundation for Jordan's integration into the global economy. His Majesty
King Abdullah II actively participated in laying the foundations for national
administrative reform, also in establishing transparency and accountability in
public sector. His Majesty has worked tirelessly to advance civil rights,
making Jordan one of the most progressive countries in the Middle East. He also
worked with set interest on enacting the necessary legislations that would
secure a full and undiminished role for women in the social, economic and
political life in the Kingdom. His Majesty
King Abdullah II married Queen Rania on June 10, 1993, and their majesties had
two sons, Prince Hussein, the Crown Prince, who was born on June 28, 1994, and
Prince Hashem, who was born on January 30, 2005, and two daughters, Princess
Iman, who She was born on September 27, 1996, and Her Highness Princess Salma
who was born on September 26, 2000. The King has four brothers and six sisters. His Majesty
King Abdullah II holds many decorations from Arab and foreign countries. He is
a qualified frogman, pilot and a free-fall parachute. Among his hobbies are car
racing (once won the National Rally Championship), water sports and diving,
especially that His majesty is a trained frogman. Among His Majesty’s other
hobbies is the acquisition of antique weapons. His Majesty
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The Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces
