Abdullah II, << ab DUHL uh or ab dool LAH >> (1962-…), became king of Jordan in 1999, following the death of his father, Hussein. He is the oldest son of Hussein and Princess Muna al-Hussein. Before taking the throne, Abdullah was a career military officer. He is a member of Jordan’s Hashemite dynasty (family of rulers).
Abdullah ibn al-Hussein was born on Jan. 30, 1962, in Amman, the capital of Jordan. His family, the Hashemites, traces its ancestry back to Muhammad, the prophet whose life and teachings form the basis of Islam. Abdullah attended high school at Deerfield Academy in the United States. In the 1980’s, he studied international relations at Oxford University in the United Kingdom and Georgetown University in the United States. He also had military training at schools in both countries.
In 1981, Abdullah joined the Jordanian army as a second lieutenant. He was promoted to colonel in 1993 and became commander of Jordan’s special forces in 1994. While in the military, Abdullah represented his father on diplomatic missions to the Middle East, Europe, and the United States.
As king, Abdullah has promoted a program of social, political, and economic reforms. During his reign, Jordan has entered a number of free trade agreements and joined the World Trade Organization (WTO). The WTO is an organization that seeks to expand international trade and promote economic growth. Abdullah has also worked to improve education and to increase Jordanians’ access to new information technology.
Abdullah has sought to provide a strong, moderate voice in addressing the Arab-Israeli conflict and other disagreements affecting the Middle East. In 2001, the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States led to heightened concerns over international terrorism. Abdullah criticized extremists who used religion to justify violence, and he stressed that terrorists did not represent Arabs or Muslims.
Abdullah is married to Queen Rania Al Abdullah, a Palestinian from the West Bank. The couple married on June 10, 1993. They have two sons, Hussein and Hashem, and two daughters, Iman and Salma. Queen Rania has led a number of efforts to relieve poverty and to improve education in Jordan and elsewhere.
See also Rania Al Abdullah, Queen of Jordan.
