Connect with us

Global Banking and Finance Review is an online platform offering news, analysis, and opinion on the latest trends, developments, and innovations in the banking and finance industry worldwide. The platform covers a diverse range of topics, including banking, insurance, investment, wealth management, fintech, and regulatory issues. The website publishes news, press releases, opinion and advertorials on various financial organizations, products and services which are commissioned from various Companies, Organizations, PR agencies, Bloggers etc. These commissioned articles are commercial in nature. This is not to be considered as financial advice and should be considered only for information purposes. It does not reflect the views or opinion of our website and is not to be considered an endorsement or a recommendation. We cannot guarantee the accuracy or applicability of any information provided with respect to your individual or personal circumstances. Please seek Professional advice from a qualified professional before making any financial decisions. We link to various third-party websites, affiliate sales networks, and to our advertising partners websites. When you view or click on certain links available on our articles, our partners may compensate us for displaying the content to you or make a purchase or fill a form. This will not incur any additional charges to you. To make things simpler for you to identity or distinguish advertised or sponsored articles or links, you may consider all articles or links hosted on our site as a commercial article placement. We will not be responsible for any loss you may suffer as a result of any omission or inaccuracy on the website. .

Top Stories

Royal wedding showpiece highlights Jordan’s role as West’s stable ally

Published : , on

Royal wedding showpiece highlights Jordan’s role as West’s stable ally

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi

AMMAN (Reuters) -The heir to Jordan’s throne will marry amid much fanfare on Thursday, in a glittering ceremony that the country’s leaders, long backed by the West as a stabilising influence in a volatile region, hope will reinforce local and global alliances.

The 28-year-old Prince Hussein, named as heir by his father King Abdullah in 2009, will tie the knot with Saudi architect Rajwa Al Saif, 29, who hails from a prominent family with links to her country’s ruling dynasty.

Jordan has long relied on Western support to shore up its economy, one of the world’s biggest per capita recipients of U.S and European aid, and observers hope the wedding will also bring it closer to the regional powerhouse on its southern border.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is expected to attend, Jordanian officials say, and the banquet tables will be studded with European and Asian royalty and senior U.S. figures too, including U.S. First Lady Jill Biden and Britain’s Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate.

Prince Mohammed last visited Jordan a year ago following years of tensions, also prompting hopes then that warmer ties would unlock more fulsome economic support.

The wedding is also a milestone in Hussein’s path towards the monarchy, with officials and insiders saying King Abdullah feels more confident that his country’s prized stability will now be cemented.

The King had removed his younger half-brother Hamza as heir-designate in 2004.

Hamza was later accused of conspiring to overthrow the monarch in a foreign-inspired plot, but Jordan has not seen the upheavals that toppled neighbouring leaders and escaped relatively unscathed from the turmoil witnessed in the region in the last decade.

KING-IN-WAITING

In recent years, Hussein, a U.S-educated graduate of Georgetown and a Sandhurst officer, has increasingly taken on the duties of a future king in the country of 11 million, rubbing shoulders with world leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden.

At the Arab League summit in Jeddah last month, he walked alongside his father to greet Crown Prince Mohammad. The three were photographed together. At home, Hussein is regularly seen chairing meetings of government agencies.

In line with the customs of the Hashemite family, who claim descent from the Prophet Mohammed and ruled Mecca for centuries, the public ceremonies will begin as Hussein and his bride tie the knot in Amman’s Zahran palace.

Jordanians will get a glimpse of their future king and queen as their convoy takes a ten kilometre (six mile) route through the city streets under heavy security.

Despite its imperfections, many Jordanians say they prefer the continuity of their country’s political system, noting the years of conflict that have ravaged neighbouring Iraq and Syria.

“For us, the Hashemites are a safety valve,” said Alia Ibrahim, a teacher in a private school in Amman.

Washington’s desire for a stable ally in an otherwise volatile region meant it too has often turned a blind eye to Jordan’s slow democratic reforms and mixed human rights record. The U.S. maintains military bases in Jordan and conducts regular joint training exercises.

The kingdom is slowly recovering after years of sluggish growth and high unemployment under the latest of many International Monetary Fund programmes.

Still, many have staged protests over a cost-of-living squeeze, including deadly riots last year over rising fuel prices, and some criticise the prince’s wedding as a waste of public resources.

“How can we be happy when we are struggling to improve our daily lives? It’s the prince’s wedding, not ours,” said Abdullah al-Fayez, a retired servicemen living on slim savings on the outskirts of Amman.

(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; editing by John Stonestreet and Maya Gebeily)

Jesse Pitts has been with the Global Banking & Finance Review since 2016, serving in various capacities, including Graphic Designer, Content Publisher, and Editorial Assistant. As the sole graphic designer for the company, Jesse plays a crucial role in shaping the visual identity of Global Banking & Finance Review. Additionally, Jesse manages the publishing of content across multiple platforms, including Global Banking & Finance Review, Asset Digest, Biz Dispatch, Blockchain Tribune, Business Express, Brands Journal, Companies Digest, Economy Standard, Entrepreneur Tribune, Finance Digest, Fintech Herald, Global Islamic Finance Magazine, International Releases, Online World News, Luxury Adviser, Palmbay Herald, Startup Observer, Technology Dispatch, Trading Herald, and Wealth Tribune.

Global Banking & Finance Review

 

Why waste money on news and opinions when you can access them for free?

Take advantage of our newsletter subscription and stay informed on the go!


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact

Recent Post