Biography

Born in Amman in 1962, His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein attended Oxford University and the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, received his military education at Britain’s Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and pursued a distinguished military career, rising from first lieutenant to major general and serving as commander of Jordan’s special forces. In February 1999, he ascended to the Throne of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan after the passing of his father, His Majesty King Hussein.

Ever since, King Abdullah II has devoted himself to defending Jordan as an island of progress in a turbulent region. This has included investing in the immense human capital of his people, combating the scourge of terrorism and extremism within a holistic approach, and working tirelessly to protect and expand the prospects for peace in the Middle East. Despite Jordan’s scarce resources, the King has opened Jordan’s doors to millions of refugees, following a long Hashemite tradition of hospitality to displaced people in need.

As the 41st generation direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, King Abdullah II has taken the lead in advancing harmony and peace both within Islam and among the world’s great religions. In 2004, he launched the “Amman Message,” the first major initiative by a Muslim leader to affirm that terrorism and violence have no place in Islam. In 2006, His Majesty supported and funded “A Common Word Between Us and You”, which calls for peace and harmony between Muslims and Christians. And in 2010, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted his proposal for a World Interfaith Harmony Week, which has been observed annually ever since in the first week of February.

In recognition of his efforts to promote peace and moderation, spread interfaith harmony, and safeguard Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem under the Hashemite Custodianship, King Abdullah II has received several prestigious awards, including the Peace of Westphalia Prize, the Templeton Prize in the United States, Italy’s Lamp of Peace of St. Francis, and the Scholar-Statesman Award from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

His Majesty is married to Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah. They have four children—two sons, Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Al Hussein and Prince Hashem, and two daughters, Their Royal Highnesses Princess Iman and Princess Salma.

King Abdullah II is the author of Our Last Best Chance: The Pursuit of Peace in a Time of Peril (2011), in which he sets out Jordan’s vision for resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict.