Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan
Born on August 31, 1970, in Kuwait, Queen Rania Al Abdullah has been the queen of Jordan since 1999. She is married to King Abdullah II and uses her position to support various causes, especially women’s and children’s rights.
Raised in Kuwait by Palestinian parents, Queen Rania completed her education there and graduated with a degree in business administration from the American University in Cairo in 1991. She began her career in IT and banking. In January 1993, she met Prince Abdullah at a dinner party, and they got engaged two months later. They married on June 10, 1993, making her a princess. When King Hussein died in 1999, Abdullah became king, and Rania became queen.
As queen, Rania has supported many causes, including women’s and children’s rights, education, and community development in Jordan. She founded several charities and regularly attends events. Known for her surprise visits to remote areas, she promotes empathy, compassion, and tolerance among different cultures. Her efforts to clear up misunderstandings about Arabs and Muslims have gained international attention.
Queen Rania is a global advocate for quality education for children and supports refugee rights worldwide. She has attended many international conferences, including co-chairing a discussion at the 2016 UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants. Her visits to refugee camps in Bangladesh, Jordan, and Greece highlight her commitment.
Her humanitarian efforts have earned her many awards, including the Humanitarian Award from the Foreign Press Association, the World Childhood Award, the Vital Voices Global Trailblazer Award, the Atlantic Council Global Citizen Award, the Influential Personality of the Year Award from the Arab Social Media Influencers Summit, and the YouTube Visionary Award.
Re-reported from the article originally published in She the People.