Abdullah II of Jordan
 Abdullah II of Jordan    | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 30 January 1962 |
| Member of | House of Hashim |
Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein is King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Custodian of the Holy Sites of Jerusalem, reigning since 7 February 1999, and is a 41st-generation direct descendant of Muhammad.[1]
Abdullah was born in Amman as the first child of King Hussein and his second wife, British-born princess Muna. A few weeks before his death in 1999, King Hussein named his eldest son Abdullah his heir, and Abdullah succeeded his father.
King Abdullah liberalised the economy when he assumed the throne, and introduced reforms that led to an economic boom which continued until 2008. Following the Arab Spring of 2011, Jordan's economy contracted, its petroleum supply was cut and trade with neighboring countries collapsed. More reforms took place amid unprecedented challenges stemming from regional instability, including an influx of 1.4 million Syrian refugees into the natural resources-lacking country.
King Abdullah is popular locally and internationally for maintaining Jordanian stability, and is known for promoting interfaith dialogue and a moderate understanding of Islam.[2]
On 4 October 2021, Richard Medhurst tweeted:
Yesterday, Jordan's King Abdullah had his first phone call with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since the war began in 2011. Jordan has resumed flights to Damascus and reopened the border. More Arab countries will choose rapprochement with Syria, as the Western-backed coup fizzles out.[3]
References
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