AMMAN (JT) -- Jordan today marks His Majesty King Abdullah's 45th birthday.
Born in Amman on January 30, 1962, King Abdullah is the eldest son of His Majesty the late King Hussein and HRH Princess Muna. He began his primary education at the Islamic Educational College in Amman, and later attended St. Edmund's School in Surrey, England. For his secondary education, he attended Eaglebrook School and Deerfield Academy in the US.
King Abdullah joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom in 1980, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1981. He joined the Jordan Armed Forces in 1982, moving up the ranks in the military to become commander of the Royal Jordanian Special Forces and Special Operations. He also served with the Royal Jordanian Airforce Anti-Tank Wing where he received his wings as well as his qualification as a Cobra attack pilot.
King Abdullah got married to Her Majesty Queen Rania on June 10, 1993 and they have four children: Their Royal Highnesses Prince Hussein, Princess Iman, Princess Salma and Prince Hashem.
Since his accession to the throne, King Abdullah has focused on enhancing the capabilities of citizens, enriching the concept of respect and dignity of citizens, ensuring the sovereignty of the law, realising equality and justice and equal opportunities for citizens, in addition to focusing on pushing the development process forward and highlighting the effective role of Jordan at the international level.
Upgrading the national economy in cooperation with concerned parties in the private and the public sectors, enhancing citizens' abilities to face the burdens of life and enriching democracy were among the King's top priorities when he came to the Throne.
The Monarch has focused on enhancing the living conditions of citizens and improving the economy. Upon his directives, several projects have been implemented across the Kingdom to provide housing units for the underprivileged.
The homes -- which are provided with electricity, water and sewage services -- are donated at no charge to the beneficiaries, who are picked according to a standard mechanism.
In his Speech from the Throne at the inauguration of the 4th ordinary session of the Parliament in November last year, King Abdullah said the government would distribute 5,000 plots of land with infrastructure to poor families during 2007 and complete the construction of 1,400 housing units for the underprivileged.
The Monarch also ordered the allocation of plots of land to needy families to build houses. In addition, he issued directives for the implementation of development and service projects in various parts of the country to enhance the living standards of citizens.
In his Letter of Designation to Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit, King Abdullah instructed the government "to prepare practical and quick plans to deal promptly with poverty and unemployment, and... design a transparent, computerised database that can identify poor families and to guarantee that support is channelled to those who deserve it."
In the letter, King Abdullah also ordered the government to work on "including larger segments of society in health insurance plans and social care within available means."
Last September, the Monarch also launched a housing project for teachers, seeking to make it easier for the country's teachers to own their own homes. The King also donated JD2 million to the Education Ministry's housing and social security funds. In addition, private and corporate donations to the two funds totalled JD8 million. The project envisions the construction of 35,000 housing units around the country to be built on land donated by King Abdullah under a Royal Makruma. The target is to complete 5,000 units a year.
To activate the participation of citizens in the decision-making process, King Abdullah inaugurated the "We are All Jordan" Forum at the Dead Sea last year, where he called for a consensus on national priorities in order to build a better future for Jordan.
He announced a decision to establish the "We are All Jordan Commission," to follow up on recommendations set by the forum,
King Abdullah also pays a great attention to the youth sector in the country, meeting with representatives in schools, universities and youth institutions.
In the We are All Jordan Youth Forum in September, the King underlined the need for youth participation in the decision-making process and in building the future of the country.
Stressing his support for young people, the King said: "With your determination and insistence, we will build Jordan and preserve its accomplishments... entrenching democracy and pluralism that will lead to the creation of a civilised community capable of dealing with current developments and challenges."
To stand up to the different internal and external challenges, the first step is to preserve national unity... and to place the interests of Jordan on the top of all interests and consideration," King Abdullah told the forum.
The King also supports the cultural sector in the country. Earlier this month, he ordered the allocation of JD10 million to enhance cultural activities in the country and support Jordanian intellectuals.
Under the plan, an independent fund will provide financial support for publishing, creative work, preservation of antiquities, establishing museums and creating jobs.
The King also ordered the establishment of a cultural centre that would include an opera house, to be designed to accommodate more than 1,500 attendees, as well as a library, a museum and other facilities.
The national economy and the welfare of Jordanian citizens are at the top of the King's priorities. During his visits to other countries, the Monarch always highlights the country's conducive investment climate and encourages investors to launch projects in the Kingdom.
This has boosted investor confidence in Jordan and increased the export volume and cooperation agreements signed with other countries.
Meanwhile, King Abdullah received cables of congratulations from the leaders of several countries expressing their best wishes on the occasion. The Monarch also received cables from Jordanian officials, who expressed their allegiance and appreciation of his efforts for the country's continued progress and prosperity.
© Jordan Times 2007
