The heir to the throne of Jordan married a young woman from one of the most important business families in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, in a glittering ceremony attended by members of the international royal family and heads of state, writes CNN.
From Britain’s Prince and Princess of Wales to US First Lady Jill Biden, nearly 140 guests arrived at Zahran Palace in the Jordanian capital Amman to see Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II, aged 28 years old, and his fiancee, Rajwa Alseif.
A 29-year-old Saudi architect and graduate of Syracuse University in New York, Alseif will be known as Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess of Jordan, and when the crown prince ascends the throne, her title will change to Queen Rajwa.
The bride is related to the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and the de facto leader, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), through her mother, who comes from the prominent Al-Sudairi family, writes news.ro. King Salman of Saudi Arabia is one of the so-called “Seven Sudairs”, the seven brothers of King Abdulaziz and Hussa bint Ahmed Al-Sudair, according to Saudi media.
The event began in the morning, when the King and Queen of Jordan began to receive guests at Zahran Palace. Jordan’s armed forces sang as attendees arrived to greet and congratulate the royal family.
The wedding then moved to a gazebo in the palace garden, where the couple and their fathers signed the marriage contract in an Islamic ceremony known as “Katb Al-Kitab” and exchanged rings.
Outside the palace, jubilant crowds cheered and waved flags as they awaited the motorcade carrying the newlyweds on a six-mile route through the capital. The streets have been decorated for several days with photos of the couple and the Jordanian flag.
Both Jordan and Saudi Arabia are among Washington’s strongest allies in the Middle East. Jordan is the custodian of the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and maintains relations with both the Palestinians and the Israelis. A global oil power, ties between Riyadh and the US have been strained lately, specifically because of the kingdom’s oil policies and its relationship with Russia.
Relations between Saudi Arabia and Jordan have recently thawed after years of tension. During a trip to Jordan last year, MBS was quoted by Saudi media as saying he was keen to “take relations [cu Iordania] in a new phase”.
Publisher : AP
