Rania Al-Abdullah ( ar, رانيا العبد الله, ; born Rania Al-Yassin, 31 August 1970) is Queen of Jordan as the wife of King Abdullah II. Rania was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents. She received her bachelor's degree in business at The American University in Cairo. In 1991, following the Gulf War, she and her family fled to

Amman Amman (; ar, عَمَّان, ' ; Ammonite language, Ammonite: 𐤓𐤁𐤕 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''Rabat ʻAmān'') is the capital and largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,061,150 a ...

, Jordan, where she met Prince Abdullah of Jordan. Before meeting him, she worked at

Citibank Citibank, N. A. (N. A. stands for " National Association") is the primary U.S. banking subsidiary of financial services multinational Citigroup. Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, and later became First National City ...

and then took a job in the marketing department at Apple Inc. Since marrying Abdullah in 1993, she has become known for her advocacy work related to education, health, community empowerment, youth, cross-cultural dialogue and micro-finance. Forbes magazine has ranked Rania as one of the world's 100 most powerful women. The 2022

Credit Suisse leaks Suisse secrets was a February 2022 leak of details of more than CHF 100 billion (roughly US$108.5bn, €95.5bn or £80bn) held in nominee accounts linked to over 30,000 clients of Credit Suisse, the largest ever leak from a major Swiss bank. ...

claimed that the Queen had an account in a Swiss bank. A statement by the Royal Hashemite Court said the account balance stated in the leak was incorrect and that the account was for the royal couple's children.

Personal life

Early life

Rania Al-Yassin was born on 31 August 1970 in Kuwait, to Palestinian parents. Her father, (1934–2022) was from Tulkarm in the West Bank. She also has Turkish roots on her maternal grandfather's side. Rania received a degree in

business administration Business administration, also known as business management, is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. From the point of view of management ...

from the

American University in Cairo The American University in Cairo (AUC; ar, الجامعة الأمريكية بالقاهرة, Al-Jāmi‘a al-’Amrīkiyya bi-l-Qāhira) is a private research university in Cairo, Egypt. The university offers American-style learning programs ...

. Upon her graduation, she worked briefly in marketing for

, followed by a job with Apple Inc. in

, Jordan.

Marriage and family

Rania met Jordanian Prince Abdullah bin Al-Hussein at a dinner party in January 1993. On 10 June 1993, they were married. Their wedding ceremony was considered a national holiday. The couple has four children: *

Crown Prince Hussein Hussein bin Abdullah ( ar, الحسين بن عبدالله, ''Al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAbdullāh''; born 28 June 1994) is Crown Prince of Jordan as the son of King Abdullah II. As a member of the Hashemite dynasty, the royal family of Jordan since 1 ...

(born 28 June 1994 at

King Hussein Medical Center King Hussein Medical Center (Arabic مدينة الحسين الطبية), is a medical complex of five hospitals situated in Amman, Jordan. The center is affiliated to the major Jordanian Royal Medical Services hospitals; also known as JRMS. JRMS ...

) * Princess Iman (born 27 September 1996 at

) * Princess Salma (born 26 September 2000 at

) * Prince Hashem (born 30 January 2005 at

) Abdullah ascended the throne on 7 February 1999, and proclaimed Rania queen on 22 March 1999.

Areas of work

Since her marriage, Queen Rania has used her position to advocate for various sectors of society in Jordan and beyond.

Domestic agenda

Education

Queen Rania has launched and championed several initiatives in education and learning. Queen Rania has stated that an essential aspect of education is to equip young people with the necessary skills to perform well in the workplace. In July 2005, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, the King and Queen launched an annual teachers' award, the Queen Rania Award for Excellence in Education.Queen Rania Award for Excellence in Education
The Queen is Chairperson of Jordan's first interactive children's museum, which opened in May 2007.King, Queen join Jordanian children at opening of children's museum
, Jordan Times, 23 May 2007. In April 2008, the Queen launched "Madrasati" ("My School"), a public-private initiative aimed at refurbishing 500 of Jordan's public schools over a five-year period. Queen Rania also established The Queen Rania Al Abdullah Center for Educational Technology on 6 June 2001, aiming to use modern technology to serve and develop education in Jordan. The Queen Rania Teacher Academy, which was launched in June 2009, provides professional development programs for current and new teachers in partnership with the Ministry of Education. The Queen Rania Scholarship Program partners with several universities from around the world to support scholarships and training for Jordanian students and workers in management, marketing, design, business administration, psychology, engineering, law, and other fields.

Community and youth empowerment

Queen Rania - World Economic Forum on the Middle East Dead Sea Jordan 2007

Queen Rania's first venture was the establishment of the Jordan River Foundation (JRF) in 1995. The Jordan River Children Program (JRCP) was developed by Queen Rania to place children's welfare above political agendas and cultural taboos. This led to the launch, in 1998, of JRF's Child Safety Program, which addresses the immediate needs of children at risk from abuse and initiated a long-term campaign to increase public awareness about violence against children. The deaths of two children in Amman as a result of child abuse in early 2009 led Queen Rania to call for an emergency meeting of government and non-government (including JRF) stakeholders to discuss where the system was failing. In 2009, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her husband's accession to the throne, Queen Rania launched a community champion award ( Ahel Al Himmeh) to highlight the accomplishments of groups and individuals who have helped their local communities. Queen Rania initiated the Al-Aman Fund for the Future of Orphans in 2003. In her capacity as Regional Ambassador of INJAZ Al-Arab, Queen Rania has taught classes and engaged in dialogue with young people in other countries; she also launched INJAZ Al-Arab's presence elsewhere in the Arab world. She chaired a discussion with entrepreneurs in celebration of INJAZ Al-Arab's 10th anniversary, showcasing alumni's success stories At the 2008 World Economic Forum in Davos, she launched the "Empowering One Million Arab Youth by 2018" campaign, which was conceived by INJAZ Arabia.

Health

In 2005, Queen Rania established the

Royal Health Awareness Society Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a ...

(RHAS) to educate parents and children about the basics of nutrition and hygiene, the benefits of exercise, the harms of smoking, and other areas related to health. In 2011, the first specialized medical building for children was built in Jordan, Queen Rania Children's Hospital, established to improve the medical service for Jordanian children. The hospital provides for the care of children, especially complex medical cases including organ transplants and endoscopic operations.

Global agenda

Global education

Queen Rania - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting Davos 2003

In November 2000, in recognition of her commitment to the cause of children and youth, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) invited Queen Rania to join its Global Leadership Initiative.Queen Rania Joins UNICEF Leadership Initiative
U.N. Wire, 15 November 2000. In early 2002 Queen Rania joined the Board of Directors of the International Youth Foundation, based in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...

, Maryland, in the United States.HM Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan Joins International Youth Foundation's Board
, 22 March 2002. In January 2007, Queen Rania was named UNICEF's first Eminent Advocate for Children.
, UNICEF, Press Centre, 26 January 2007. In August 2009, Queen Rania became Honorary Global Chair of the

United Nations Girls' Education Initiative The United Nations Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI) is an initiative launched by the United Nations in 2000 at the World Education Forum in Dakar at the primary school Ndiarème B. It aims to reduce the gap in schooling for girls and to giv ...

(UNGEI).Queen Rania designated as Honorary Global Chair of the United Nations Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI)
, UNGEI, 15 July 2009. As a longtime supporter of the Global Campaign for Education (GCE), Queen Rania met with children and inspirational women in South Africa, both in the cities of Johannesburg and Soweto, in March 2009. One of the stories in the book, "Maha of the Mountains", was contributed by Queen Rania.
, The Big Read, The Global Campaign for Education, 2009. During her April 2009 US trip, Queen Rania joined leading education advocates Congresswoman Nita Lowey and Counsellor to the Secretary of the Treasury Gene Sperling to launch "The Big Read" as part of Global Campaign for Education's global action week calling for quality basic education for all children. She was also hosted by first lady of the United States,

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...

, during that same trip. On 20 August 2009, Queen Rania co-founded and led the launch of the " 1GOAL: Education for All" campaign alongside Gary Lineker, and with the help of top international footballers at Wembley Stadium, London.Queen lends support to 1GOAL initiative
, Jordan Times, 21 August 2009. On 6 October 2009, Queen Rania was joined by Prime Minister Gordon Brown of the UK, the President of

FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...

Sepp Blatter Joseph "Sepp" Blatter (born Josef Blatter; 10 March 1936) is a Swiss former football administrator who served as the eighth President of FIFA from 1998 to 2015. He has been banned from participating in FIFA activities since 2015 as a result of ...

, President

Jacob Zuma Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (; born 12 April 1942) is a South African politician who served as the fourth president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018. He is also referred to by his initials JZ and clan name Msholozi, and was a former anti-aparth ...

of South Africa, and other heads of state, for the Global Launch of 1GOAL, which took place across six locations worldwide.Queen joins world leaders in launching 1GOAL campaign
, Jordan Times, 7 October 2009.

Cross-cultural dialogue

Queen Rania has also been particularly vocal about the importance of cross-cultural and interfaith dialogue to foster greater understanding, tolerance and acceptance across the world. She has used her status to correct what she sees as misconceptions in the West about the Arab world.The 100 Most Powerful Women
, Forbes Magazine, 2011. Queen Rania has played a significant role in reaching out to the global community to foster values of tolerance and acceptance, and increase cross-cultural dialogue. For example, regionally and internationally, Queen Rania has campaigned for a greater understanding between cultures in such high-profile forums as the Jeddah Economic Forum, Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University,Keynote Address
, Harvard University, 3 May 2007. and the Skoll Foundation in the UK. She has also made public appearances, including a half-hour television interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show on 17 May 2006, where she spoke about misconceptions about Islam and especially women in Islam. She received the

North-South Prize ''North-South'' ( hy, Հյուսիս-Հարավ) or ''Four Buddies and the Bride'' is an Armenian comedy directed by Davit Babakhanyan and Vazgen Muradyan, starring Diana Malenko, Sona Shahgeldyan and David Tovmasyan. The film was produced b ...

from the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...

in March 2009 and the PeaceMaker Award from the Non-Profit Seeds of Peace. In September 2006, Queen Rania also joined the United Nations Foundation Board of Directors.HER MAJESTY QUEEN RANIA JOINS BOARD OF UNITED NATIONS FOUNDATION
, 13 September 2006. The UN Foundation builds and implements public-private partnerships to address the world's most pressing problems, and broadens support for the UN through advocacy and public outreach.

Microfinance

In September 2003, Queen Rania accepted an invitation to join the Board of Directors of the

Foundation for International Community Assistance FINCA International is a non-profit, microfinance organization, founded by John Hatch in 1984. FINCA is the innovator of the village banking methodology in microcredit and is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of modern-day microfinance. Wi ...

(FINCA).FINCA'S FINCA International Welcomes Queen Rania Al Abdullah, First Lady of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, to Its Board of Directors
, 15 September 2003. An emissary for the United Nations' International Year of Microcredit in 2005, Queen Rania's belief in microfinance and her partnership with FINCA has generated more Jordanian micro-businesses, with the official opening of FINCA Jordan in February 2008.

Environment

In October 2020, Queen Rania was named as a member of the Earthshot Prize Council, an initiative of Prince William to find solutions to environmental issues.

Online

YouTube

Queen Rania has used YouTube as a way to promote intercultural dialogue by calling on young people around the world to engage in a global dialogue to dismantle stereotypes of Muslims and the Arab world. On 30 March 2008, Queen Rania launched her own YouTube channel, initially to invite viewers to give their opinions of the Middle East and talk about stereotypes they may have of Arabs and Muslims. Between 30 March and 12 August ( International Youth Day), Queen Rania posted videos on YouTube in which she asked people to send her their questions about

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

and the Arab world. She provided responses to those questions and explained her view of the truth about various Arab and Muslim stereotypes. Over five months she posted videos on subjects that included honour killings, terrorism and the rights of Arab women. International personalities such as Dean Obeidallah, Maz Jobrani, and YouTube star Mia Rose also contributed videos to the campaign. In 2008, Queen Rania participated in YouTube's In My Name campaign. She appeared alongside The Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am in the video, "End Poverty – Be the Generation," which urged world leaders to keep the promises they made in 2000 at the United Nations Millennium Summit. She received the first ever

YouTube Visionary Award YouTube Live was a 2008 event streamed live on the Internet from San Francisco and Tokyo. It was launched November 22–23, 2008. It was hosted by a variety of YouTube celebrities, including The Black Eyed Peas rapper will.i.am, Tom Dickson of ...

in November 2008.

Twitter

To coincide with the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Jordan on Friday, 8 May 2009, Queen Rania started using the micro-blogging website Twitter with the username @QueenRania. On the occasion of the World Economic Forum held at the

Dead Sea The Dead Sea ( he, יַם הַמֶּלַח, ''Yam hamMelaḥ''; ar, اَلْبَحْرُ الْمَيْتُ, ''Āl-Baḥrū l-Maytū''), also known by other names, is a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank ...

in Jordan, June 2009, she conducted her first Twitter interview, answering five questions from the general public via her Twitter account. When she joined Twitter, she also gave an interview with TechCrunch on "how Twitter can help change the world", where she said ''It's about using social media for social change: creating a community of advocates who can use their voices on behalf of the voiceless, or leverage their talents, skills, knowledge, and resources to put more children into classrooms, or pressure their elected representatives to get global education top of the agenda''.

Publications

* As a tribute to King Hussein, and on the first anniversary of his death, Queen Rania produced ''The King's Gift'', a children's book about him. Proceeds of the book go to the benefit of underprivileged children across Jordan. (,

Michael O'Mara Books Michael O'Mara Books is a small, family-run, privately owned publishing house in the United Kingdom. Established in London in 1985, by an American expatriate, Michael O'Mara, a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and his British wife, Lesl ...

, 2000) * Her second book, entitled ''Eternal Beauty'', which she wrote in celebration of Mother's Day 2008 tells the story of a young girl's conversation with a little sheep as she searches for the most beautiful thing in the world. The book was released as part of the Greater Amman Municipality's contest – Mama's Story. * For the 2009 Big Read event, Queen Rania wrote ''

Maha of the Mountains Maha and MAHA may refer to: * Maha (name), an Arabic feminine given name * ''Maha'' (film), a Tamil thriller film * MaHa, Nepali comedy duo, Madan Krishna Shrestha and Hari Bansha Acharya * Maha Music Festival, an annual music festival held on th ...

'', which tells of a young girl's determination to get an education and the challenges she faced. * '' The Sandwich Swap'' is a book inspired by an incident in her childhood. It tells the story of Lily and Salma, two best friends, who argue over the 'yucky' taste of their respective peanut butter and jelly and hummus sandwiches. The girls then overcome and embrace their differences. The book was co-authored by Queen Rania and Kelly DiPucchio.(,

Hyperion Books Hyperion Books can refer to: * Hachette Books, book publishing division formerly known as Hyperion Books * Disney-Hyperion, an imprint that was retained by Disney Publishing Worldwide when its division, Hyperion Books, was sold to Hachette USA publi ...

, 20 April 2010) In May 2010 the book went to the top of the New York Times Bestseller List for children's books.

Affiliations

Queen Rania campaigned for

Petra Petra ( ar, ٱلْبَتْرَاء, Al-Batrāʾ; grc, Πέτρα, "Rock", Nabataean Aramaic, Nabataean: ), originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu or Raqēmō, is an historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. It is adjacent to t ...

to be voted as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, including personally welcoming New7Wonders to Petra during its official World Tour.

International roles and positions

*In November 2000, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) invited Queen Rania to join its Global Leadership Initiative. *At the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2007, Rania was named UNICEF's first Eminent Advocate for Children. *In August 2009, Queen Rania was named Co-Founder and Global Co-Chair of 1GOAL. *July 2009, the United Nations made Queen Rania Honorary Chairperson for the

(UNGEI). *For their Global Action Week in April 2009, the Global Campaign for Education named Queen Rania their Honorary Chairperson. *In early 2002, Queen Rania joined the Board of Directors of the International Youth Foundation, based in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. *In September 2002, Queen Rania became a member of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Foundation Board.Queen Rania, Member of the World Economic Forum Foundation Board
World Economic Forum. She is also on the Foundation Board of the Forum of Young Global Leaders (YGL) and has been the Chairperson for the Nominations and Selection Committee since July 2004, when the forum was established.
, World Economic Forum. *In September 2006, Queen Rania joined the United Nations Foundation Board of Directors. *Rania was a member of the

Every Child Council Every may refer to: People * Every (surname), including a list of people surnamed Every or Van Every * Every Maclean, New Zealand politician in sunda 19th century * Every baronets, a title in the Baronetage of England Other * Suzuki Every, a kei ...

for the GAVI Alliance. *Rania was an Honorary Member of the International Advisory Council for the

International Center for Research on Women The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, with regional offices in New Delhi, India, Nairobi, Kenya, and Kampala, Uganda. ICRW has project offices in Mumba ...

(ICRW). *Queen Rania is Co-Chair of the Arab Open University. *She was Honorary Chairperson of the Jordanian Chapter of Operation Smile.

Honours

Foreign

*: Grand Cordon of the

Order of Leopold Order of Leopold may refer to: * Order of Leopold (Austria), founded in 1808 by emperor Francis I of Austria and discontinued in 1918 * Order of Leopold (Belgium), founded in 1832 by king Leopold I of Belgium * Order of Leopold II, founded in Congo ...

(18 May 2016) * : Member First Class of the Most Esteemed Family Order of Laila Utama (13 May 2008) *: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (19 October 2009) * : ** Grand Cross of the

Order of Saint James of the Sword The Military Order of Saint James of the Sword ( pt, Ordem Militar de Sant'Iago da Espada) is a Portuguese order of chivalry. Its full name is the Ancient, Most Noble and Enlightened Military Order of Saint James of the Sword, of the Scientifi ...

(16 March 2009) ** Grand Cross of the Order of Infante Henry (5 March 2008) *: ** Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III (21 April 2006)Royal Decree 502/2006
. Boletin Oficial del Estado (BOE). Reference: BOE-A-2006-7242. ** Dame Grand Cross of the

Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic The Order of Isabella the Catholic ( es, Orden de Isabel la Católica) is a Spanish civil order and honor granted to persons and institutions in recognition of extraordinary services to the homeland or the promotion of international relations a ...

(18 October 1999)

Awards

*2001: Life Achievement Award of International Osteoporosis Foundation, Italy *2002: Ambrogino D'Oro Award from the Municipality of Milan, Italy *2002: Gold Medal of the President of the Italian Republic from Pio Manzù International Research Center, Italy *2003: German Media Award from Deutscher Medienpreis, Germany *2005: Golden Plate Award, Academy of Achievement, USA *2005: Sesame Workshop Award from Sesame Workshop, USA *2007: Mediterranean Prize for Social Solidarity from the Mediterranean Foundation in Italy *2007: Global Humanitarian Action Award from UNSA-USA and the Business Council of the UN, USA *2007: Bambi Award for Attention Based Charity by Hubert Burda Media, Germany *2007: John Wallach Humanitarian Award from Seeds of Peace, USA *2008: World Savers Award from Conde Nast Traveler, USA *2008: David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award from Synergos University, USA *2009: The Marisa Bellisario International Award from the Fondazione Bellisario, Italy *2009: North South Prize by the North South Prize, Portugal *2009: FIFA Presidential Award, Switzerland *2010: Arab Knight of Giving Award from Arab Giving Forum, UAE *2010: The Leadership Award from White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood, USA *2010: James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award from Tech Awards, USA *2010: Glamour's 2010 Woman of the Year, USA *2013: Atlantic Council's Global Citizen Award, USA *2015: Walther Rathenau Award from Walther Rathenau Institut, Germany *2015: World Childhood Award from Queen Silvia's World Childhood Foundation, USA *2016: Andrea Bocelli Humanitarian Award, Italy *2016: Foreign Press Association's Humanitarian Award, UK *2016: The Golden Heart Award, Germany *2016: Medal of Honor for Women from Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid, presented by his Son Sheikh Hamdan at the Global Women Forum in Dubai *2017: Global Trailblazer Award, USA *2017: The Fellowship Award from Fashion for Relief in Recognition of Her Majesty's Humanitarian Efforts Towards Children Caught in Conflict, France *2018: The Influential Personality of the Year Award, at the third annual Arab Social Media Influencers Summit (ASMIS) in Dubai *2020: The PWI Most Beautiful Woman In The World Award 2020 *2022: Zayed Award for Human Fraternity 2022 *2022: Path to Peace Award 2022

Honorary doctorates

* 2001 Honorary Doctorate in Law (LLD) from the University of Exeter, UK. * 2008 Honorary Doctorate Degree in Educational Sciences from the University of Jordan. * 2008 Honorary Doctorate in International Relations from the University of Malaya, Malaysia. * 2015 Honorary Doctorate in "Science Development and International Cooperation" from the University of Sapienza, Italy.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rania Of Jordan, Queen 1970 births Living people The American University in Cairo alumni Apple Inc. employees Arab Open University staff Arab queens Citigroup employees Jordanian Internet celebrities Jordanian royal consorts Jordanian feminists Jordanian Muslims Jordanian people of Palestinian descent UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors Jordanian YouTubers Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Dames Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic Grand Cordons of the Order of the Precious Crown Proponents of Islamic feminism Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany United Nations Foundation People from Tulkarm Princesses by marriage United Arab Emirates Health Foundation Prize laureates