Abdullah II of Jordan
Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein is King of Jordan, having ascended the throne on 7 February 1999. He is a member of the Hashemite dynasty, who have been the reigning royal family of Jordan since 1921, and is considered a 41st-generation direct descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
Some of the key events about Abdullah II of Jordan
- 1980Graduated from Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, USA
- 1984Completed military training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK
- 1993Assumed command of Jordan's Special Forces
- 1999Ascended to the throne of Jordan following his father's death
- 1999Faced criticism for dismissing his brother as heir apparent shortly after ascending to the throne
- 2001Launched the "Jordan First" national agenda to promote economic and social development
- 2004Established the King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau to enhance Jordan's defense industry
- 2005Criticized for signing a controversial peace treaty with Israel without public consultation
- 2006Initiated the National Agenda, a comprehensive reform plan for Jordan
- 2010Launched the King Abdullah II Fund for Development to support various social and economic initiatives
- 2011Encountered protests and calls for reform during the Arab Spring
- 2012Faced backlash for increasing fuel prices, leading to widespread demonstrations
- 2014Received the Peace of Westphalia Prize for efforts in promoting peace and international cooperation
- 2015Addressed the European Parliament, emphasizing the need for global cooperation against extremism
- 2016Criticized for expanding executive powers through constitutional amendments
- 2017Received negative attention for pardoning a soldier who killed seven Israeli schoolgirls
- 2018Confronted large-scale protests against austerity measures and tax reforms
- 2020Ordered the dissolution of parliament, raising concerns about democratic processes
- 2021Accused of involvement in offshore investments revealed in the Pandora Papers leak
- 2021Criticized for the alleged house arrest of his half-brother, Prince Hamzah bin Hussein
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