Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah was born Rania Al Yassin on August 31, 1970, to a notable Jordanian family of Palestinian origin.
After secondary school, she went on to the American University in Cairo to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
Upon her graduation from university in 1991, Queen Rania pursued a career in banking in Jordan, followed by a brief career in the information technology sector.
Queen Rania married then Prince Abdullah bin Al Hussein on June 10, 1993. They have four children: HRH Prince Hussein, born June 28, 1994; HRH Princess Iman, born September 27, 1996; HRH Princess Salma, born September 26, 2000, and HRH Prince Hashem, born January 30, 2005.
Since her marriage, Queen Rania has focused her energies on creating opportunities for disadvantaged members of Jordanian society and beyond.
Her Majesty’s core concerns include:
• Improving the quality of Jordanian family life, by empowering local communities, protecting children from violence;
• Promoting quality, access, excellence, and innovation in education in Jordan;
• Advocating for access to quality, global education;
• Championing cross-cultural and inter-faith dialogue to foster greater understanding and tolerance around the world;
• Encouraging sustainability throughout the public and private sectors;
• Tackling issues affecting youth.
Empowering the Community
Queen Rania established the Jordan River Foundation (JRF) (www.jordanriver.jo)
JRF knows that a decent job is about much more than earning an income: It's about securing the dignity at the heart of a decent life.
- Her Majesty Queen Rania, Young Global Leaders,
Dead Sea, Jordan, May 13,2009.
in 1995, as a non-governmental organization dedicated to improving the livelihoods of families and communities across Jordan. JRF works through partnerships with the private sector to provide local projects that empower women and men, developing their knowledge and skills in handicraft production, entrepreneurship, and small business management.
JRF also operates income-generating projects, including Jordan River Designs, Wadi Al-Rayan, and Bani Hamida. These initiatives primarily assist women in creating additional sources of income to support their families. Yet, they also encourage women to become decision-makers within their family and skilled participants in the Jordanian economy. Additionally, these projects have contributed to the revival of a heritage of craft production and rug-weaving in Jordan.
JRF has established an international presence in recent years, replicating its model of work around the region. Through partnerships and exchanges, JRF is now in places like Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Palestine. There is also the JRF US Board, which fosters support within the United States for the activities of JRF.
Protecting the Family
In 1998, Queen Rania oversaw the launch of JRF’s Child Safety Program, which
Too many children live under the shadow of child abuse: their confidence destroyed, their trust in others fractured, and their ability to love compromised...Their hurt is our heartbreak...their wonds are our scars...and their silence is our shame. But we are here to shine a light on that shadow> We are here to break that cycle of sadness.
- Her Majesty Queen Rania, Child Helpline International,
Amman, Jordan, November 17, 2008.
aims to address the problem of child abuse in the country. The Program works on two fronts: protecting children most at risk from violence, and raising public awareness of child abuse. “Dar Al-Aman,” the Child Safety Center, was the first of its kind in the Arab region when it became operational in August 2000. The Center offers protection and rehabilitation to abused and neglected children, as well as professional counseling to their families. In 2005, JRF opened the Queen Rania Family and Child Center which promotes positive, hands-on training for parents, and provides constructive, educational activities for children. In November 2008, Jordan launched its first child helpline to provide Jordanians with an easy and safe method to report child abuse.
Queen Rania heads the National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA) which contributes to improving the quality of life of all Jordanian families. The Council acts as an umbrella organization for two national bodies: the National Team for Family Safety and the National Team for Early Childhood Development. Chaired by Her Majesty, the Team for Family Safety was founded in 2000 to safeguard women and children from domestic violence, and to establish a unified policy on preventing, managing, and treating cases of abuse. The Team for Early Childhood Development was founded in 1999 to draw up a national strategy for comprehensively tackling the issue of early childhood development in Jordan.
The NCFA’s ten-year National Plan of Action for Children, launched in October 2004, is designed to ensure all children live in an environment that supports their right to protection and development.
The Queen Rania Society for the Welfare of Servicemen's Families (QRS) is an organization that provides support and assistance to working and retired military personnel, their families, and their dependants. QRS offers vocational training, counseling and guidance, as well as allocates a monthly income to orphans and widows of deceased military personnel.
Quality, Access, Excellence, and Innovation in Education
Queen Rania believes that education is vital for giving people hope, improving lives,
We are pushing the boundaries of education, within and beyond the classroom...because we want our most precious citizens to grow up equipped with the knowledge, skills, strategies, and values that will allow them to excel in a fast-paced and competitive world.
- Her Majesty Queen Rania, May 2007.
and ensuring stability throughout the world. To this effect, over the past few years, Her Majesty has launched, championed and given patronage to a number of initiatives in Jordan dedicated to education and learning.
In April 2008, Queen Rania launched Madrasati, which means “My School” in Arabic, (www.madrasati.jo). Madrasati brings together public, private and non-profit partners in a grassroots initiative to renovate 500 public schools in urgent need of repair. Led by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Madrasati is enriching learning environments and enhancing opportunities for school children in Jordan and the Arab world. In April 2009, Her Majesty launched the second phase of Madrasati, extending the reach of the program outside Amman and opening the initiative up to neighboring countries. In the same year, the Royal Health Awareness Society began collaboration with Madrasati to improve hygiene, health, fitness, and nutrition among Jordanian children and their families.
In June 2009, Her Majesty launched the Queen Rania Teachers’ Academy (QRTA), in partnership with Columbia University, as a center of excellence in teacher education in Jordan and the region. In October 2005, Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania launched, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, an annual teaching award, known as the Queen Rania Al Abdullah Award for Excellence in Education. The aim was to set a national standard of excellence in teaching, and to celebrate, encourage and honor those who reach it. In a similar vein, Her Majesty also launched the Queen Rania Al Abdullah Award for Distinguished Principals in November 2008.
In August 2004, Her Majesty established the International Academy, Amman (IAA), a not for profit ‘Model School of Excellence’, and a central pillar of Her Majesty’s charitable organization, the Jordanian Education Society (JES). JES works to raise the standards of education across Jordan; for example, the IAA liaises with local government schools by forging partnerships, exchanging expertise, training teachers, and providing scholarships for talented but impoverished students.
Launched in partnership with the World Economic Forum in 2003, the Jordan Education Initiative (JEI) leverages public-private partnerships to equip Jordan’s classrooms with computer technology and inspiring cutting edge curriculums, as well as training teachers in more student-centered methods. Bringing together partners from all over the world, JEI is integral to Jordan’s education reform, and is providing a generation of Jordan’s children with access to the latest technology and teaching. The JEI model has been exported to and adapted in several countries.
Queen Rania established the Kingdom’s first interactive children’s museum to encourage and nurture lifelong learning in children and their families. The Children’s Museum of Jordan (www.cmj.jo) opened its doors to the public on May 23, 2007. It has more than 150 engaging and educational exhibits designed for children aged 14 and under. Underprivileged children, and those attending Madrasati schools, are granted free access.
Her Majesty is dedicated to promoting Early Childhood Development (ECD), and is accredited with raising the profile and importance of ECD in Jordan. Queen Rania facilitated the creation of a national curriculum, collaboration with British universities, teacher training, and the establishment of numerous ECD Centres. Her Majesty wrote the foreword for UNICEF’s Early Childhood Development Report 2008 for Jordan.
Believing that all students, regardless of economic background, should have the opportunity to pursue and excel in further education, Her Majesty has secured over one hundred scholarships, all over the world, from Jordan and Europe, to the United States and the Far East. Subjects are as commonplace as law, public service, and ICT, and as diverse as Digital Environment Design and Telecom and Digital Business.
Access to Quality, Global Education
Education is more than a basic human right. It's a passport to economic growth...a shield against malnutrition and disease...a stepping stone toward peace. It's the driving force behind achieving most of the other Millenium Development Goals.
- Her Majesty Queen Rania, High Level Event on Education for All,
Oslo, Norway, December 16,2008
Advocating for access to quality, global education for all the world’s children is at the top of Her Majesty’s international agenda. From interviews with CNN to influential conferences like the Clinton Global Initiative and the World Economic Forum, Her Majesty has promoted the rights of millions of children to attend school, especially girls.
On behalf of UNICEF and the Global Campaign for Education (GCE), Queen Rania has visited South America, Northern and Southern Africa, and South Asia to campaign for broader access to schools and higher quality education for children. In support of Education for All (EFA), Her Majesty spoke at the High Level Event on Education for All in Oslo, in December 2008.
She has also supported the UN Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) and the efforts of the Class of 2015 to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), notably Goals 2 & 3 for universal primary education and gender equality. Outside UN Headquarters in September 2008, Queen Rania gave her voice to the In My Name Campaign, calling on global leaders to fulfill their MDG promises, alongside other activists, like Mary Robinson, Will.i.am, and Angelique Kidjo.
In April 2009, Queen Rania was named honorary chair of Global Action Week by the GCE to fight illiteracy worldwide and highlight the importance of education. She wrote a story for the Big Read, a book, translated into multiple languages, that has rallied people worldwide to demand an education. As of June 2009, over 13 million people had read the book in over 120 countries.
Cross-Cultural Dialogue
Our world house has a common room as well. It is a room where color, race, and creed do not get in the way - not because those things do no exist, but because they aren't important. What's important in the common room are the values that we share: the basic belief that each of us is worthy of respect.
- Her Majesty Queen Rania, Harvard University, May 2007.
Queen Rania has played a significant role in fostering values of tolerance and understanding through increased cross-cultural dialogue. Regionally and internationally, Her Majesty has campaigned for greater interaction between cultures in such high profile forums as the Jeddah Economic Forum, the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Google Zeitgeist, and the Skoll Foundation in the UK.
In March 2008, Queen Rania launched a YouTube channel to dispel stereotypes (www.YouTube.com/QueenRania). Her Majesty’s videos break down myths and misconceptions about the Arab and Muslim worlds, engaging viewers to respond with their own videos. To continue her outreach, Her Majesty started a Twitter account in May 2009 (www.twitter.com/QueenRania) and launched a Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/QueenRania).
In recognition of Her Majesty’s work to improve cross-cultural relations, the Council of Europe awarded Queen Rania the North South Prize, along with Jorge Sampaio, the former President of Portugal. In November 2008, YouTube presented Her Majesty with the inaugural YouTube Visionary Award “in honor and recognition of her channel… which promotes tolerance, acceptance and equality for all people”.
Sustainability
It's about doing well and doing good at the same time, like turning a profit while giving young people skills and experience...like satisfying a customer while protecting the environment...like keeping costs down while paying employees competitive wages.
- Her Majesty Queen Rania, World Economic Forum, May 20
In May 2008, Queen Rania launched the Arab Sustainability Leadership Group (ASLG), the first of its kind in the region. Committed to encouraging sustainability and reporting, it aims to encourage businesses to balance profit with environmental protection and equal opportunity. In the same month, the Jordan River Foundation became the first non-profit organization in the Middle East to issue a sustainability report.
Since the launch, ASLG has grown to include 13 companies from countries across the region, including Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Palestine. In May 2009, they published their first Arab Responsible Competitiveness Index (ARCI) as a measure of progress in the region on questions facing Arabs and how sustainable practices can be part of the solution; Her Majesty wrote the foreword.
Preparing Youth for the Workplace
We have to do better job of marrying the boardroom with the classroom so that the skills that the children acquire are actually relevant in the market place.
- Her Majesty Queen Rania, CNBC interview, May 2009.
Queen Rania believes that an essential aspect of education is to equip youth with the necessary skills that enable them to succeed in the local, regional, and global job markets.
Her Majesty is a strong supporter of INJAZ (Junior Achievement World Wide) (www.injaz.org.jo), established by Save the Children in 1999 and launched as a Jordanian NGO by Her Majesty in 2001. INJAZ recruits private sector volunteers to teach training courses that develop leadership skills in young people, familiarize students with financial issues, and tap into the needs of the local market.
In her capacity as the Regional Ambassador of INJAZ Arabia, Queen Rania has volunteered as a teacher, joined youth around the world in frank dialogue sessions, and launched INJAZ’s presence elsewhere in the Arab world. At the 2008 World Economic Forum in Davos, she announced the Empowering One Million Arab Youth by 2018 campaign.
The Queen Rania Centre for Entrepreneurship was founded in October 2004 to nourish the entrepreneurial spirit and intellectual wealth of Jordan. The Centre provides an array of services that foster creativity, incubate good ideas, encourage risk-taking, develop soft skills, and promote healthy business cultures.
To ensure disadvantaged youth are not left behind, in 2003 Queen Rania established the Al Aman Fund for the Future of Orphans. Her Majesty argues that the main goal of the fund is to secure orphans with education and training opportunities as they grow up, so that they leave the care centers able to build their futures and join the wider community.
Other Causes for Jordan
In Jordan, we know our destiny is in our hands... and we are stronger when we join our hands together.
- Her Majesty Queen Rania, New York, United States, September 23, 2008.
Over the years, Her Majesty has focused on enabling and spotlighting the Jordanian community. She led the introduction and establishment of microfinance in Jordan, setting up local institutions for the benefit of locals wishing to start a business. Her Majesty also recognized the outstanding work and voluntary efforts of unsung Jordanian heroes who had created positive and lasting changes in their communities, through Ahel Al Himmeh (Community Champions Award) (www.himmeh.jo). The initiative was launched on March 10, 2009 in celebration of the 10th anniversary of His Majesty King Abdullah’s accession to the Throne.
As a tribute to His Majesty the Late King Hussein, and on the first anniversary of his death, Queen Rania wrote “The King’s Gift”, a children’s book about the Late King. Proceeds of the book go to underprivileged children across Jordan. Her Majesty also wrote “Eternal Beauty”, in celebration of Mothers’ Day in 2008. The book, which tells the story of a young girl’s conversation with a little sheep as she searches for the most beautiful thing in the world, was released as part of the Greater Amman Municipality’s writing contest – Mama’s Story.
International Roles and Positions
In November 2000, cognizant of her commitment to the cause of children and youth, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) (www.unicef.org) invited Queen Rania to join its Global Leadership Initiative. The Queen works alongside other world leaders, including former South African President Nelson Mandela, in a global movement to improve the welfare of children.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2007, Her Majesty was named UNICEF's first Eminent Advocate for Children in recognition of her commitment to creating a better world for children.
In early 2002, Queen Rania joined the Board of Directors of the International Youth Foundation, based in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. She joins a distinguished group of business, government, and civil society leaders from across the globe to support the work of one of the world’s largest public foundations helping young people learn basic life skills and get the education, training, and opportunities they need to succeed.
In September 2002, Queen Rania became a member of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Foundation Board. She is also on the Foundation Board of the Forum of Young Global Leaders (YGL) and has been the Chairperson for the Nominations and Selection Committee since July 2004, when the forum was established. In January 2003, the Queen attended her first meeting as the only serving member from the Arab world. Her Majesty was invited to become a member of the Board in recognition of her concern for the state of the world and her commitment to engaging in collaborative efforts to meet the challenges of this century.
In September 2006, Queen Rania joined the United Nations Foundation Board of Directors. The UN Foundation builds and implements public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the UN through advocacy and public outreach.
Her Majesty is a member of the Every Child Council for the GAVI Alliance, which works with major donors around the world, like the World Bank, UNICEF, WHO, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to secure immunizations and vaccines for millions of children around the world.
Her Majesty is an Honorary Member of the International Advisory Council for the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), an organization committed to working towards empowering girls through education.
Queen Rania is Co-Chair of the Arab Open University.
She is Honorary Chairperson of the Jordanian Chapter of Operation Smile.
Her Majesty is patron of the Arab International Women’s Forum.
Notable Keynote Addresses
2009
North South Acceptance Prize, Portuguese Parliament, Portugal
Global Philanthropy Forum, Washington, DC, United States
2008
Abraaj, Dubai
Sorbonne, France
Global Reporting Initiative, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Google Zeitgeist, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
University of Malay, Malaysia
Condé Nast, New York, United States
Education For All, High Level Event, Oslo, Norway
2007
Jeddah Economic Forum, Saudi Arabia
Skoll Foundation, United Kingdom
Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, United States
Tallberg Symposium, Sweden
Young Global Leaders, Dalian, China
California State Governor’s Conference, California, United States
2006
India Today Conclave, Delhi, India
Launch of Global Women’s Action Network, Dead Sea, Jordan
Deauville Women’s Conference, France
8th World Conference on Injury & Safety Prevention, Durban, South Africa
Women as Global Leaders: Communities in Transition, Zayed University, Dubai
2005
Ambrosetti Forum, Lake Como, Italy
International Finance Corporation, Washington, DC, United States
2004
Jeddah Economic Forum, Saudi Arabia
2003
World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland
2002
AMIDEAST 50th Anniversary Policymakers Summit, Marrakech, Morocco
La Roche College Commencement Address, Pennsylvania, United States
2001
The American University in Cairo Midyear Commencement, Cairo, Egypt
Awards and Honorary Degrees
In March 2009, Queen Rania was given the North South Prize by the Council of Europe for her contributions to inter-cultural dialogue.
In November 2008, Her Majesty was presented with the YouTube Visionary Award for her YouTube channel, which promotes tolerance, acceptance and equality for all people.
In September 2008, the David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award was given to Her Majesty, in New York, United States, for her efforts in education and cross-cultural dialogue.
In November 2007, Queen Rania was awarded the 59th Bambi Award in Dusseldorf, Germany for her humanitarian work.
In October 2007, Her Majesty received the Global Humanitarian Action Award from the United Nations Association USA, in New York, United States.
In May 2007, the John Wallach Humanitarian Award was given to Her Majesty, in New York, United States, by Seeds of Peace.
In February 2007, Her Majesty was presented with the Mediterranean Peace Prize for Social Solidarity, in Rome, Italy.
In September 2005, the Municipality of Milan awarded Queen Rania with Honorary Citizenship.
In December 2004, Her Majesty received the UAE Medical Mission Shield from the Emirates World Heart Organization "Zayed Charity Mission", for her role, support and contribution to humanitarian causes.
In September 2002, the Ambrogino d’Oro Award of Milan, Italy, was given to Her Majesty for her contributions to humanitarian and social causes.
Her Majesty also received an honorary doctorate in International Relations from the University of Malaya in Malaysia on May 16, 2008.
On March 30, 2008, Her Majesty received an honorary doctorate in Educational Sciences from the University of Jordan (UJ).
Queen Rania was also awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, on July 12, 2001.
Extra Information
Her Majesty is fluent in Arabic and English.
For more on Queen Rania, please visit her official website at www.queenrania.jo.
You can also find out more on Queen Rania here:
www.YouTube.com/QueenRania
www.Twitter.com/QueenRania
www.Facebook.com/QueenRania