King Abdullah II of Jordan is celebrating his 60th birthday today in Jordan.
The King shares his birthday with his youngest child, Prince Hashem, who is marking his 17th birthday.
The Royal Hashemite Court has released a birthday logo and new image to mark the occasion. King Abdullah also released a letter to the Jordanian people on his special day.
In his letter, the King spoke about Jordan’s potential and his hope for the future of the country. He remembered his late father and asked that the people and government work together. The King also stressed the importance of embracing the future and challenging oneself in making decisions.
“This year, as I turn 60 and as our dear country embarks on a new centennial, I evoke the calling of the Hashemites to which I have dedicated myself—as a soldier in the Arab Army and a Jordanian citizen who believes in this homeland—in service of our beloved Jordan and its great people. I will not forget, as long as I live, the words of my father, may God rest his soul, as he bid farewell to our world, that devotion and loyalty to this land is an honour and a duty that we carry across generations,” the King said.
He closed his letter by expressing his faith in the Jordanian people and that serving them is his purpose in life.
The King remarked: “I have infinite faith in my dear people. You are the source of hope and determination, and serving you is the ultimate purpose to which I have dedicated my entire life.”
His full letter can be read here.
King Abdullah was born on 30 January 1962 in Amman to King Hussein and his second wife, Princess Muna. He was the heir apparent until his father made his uncle, Prince Hassan, Crown Prince of Jordan in 1965.
He was educated in Jordan, the UK and the United States and underwent military training at Sandhurst.
Abdullah met Rania Al-Yassin in 1993, and the pair became engaged two months later. They married on 10 June 1993. Together, they have four children: Crown Prince Hussein (b. 1994), Princess Iman (b. 1996), Princess Salma (b. 2000) and Prince Hashem (b. 2005).
Two weeks before King Hussein’s death, Hussein made Abdullah Crown Prince, replacing Hassan. Abdullah became King of Jordan upon the death of his father on 7 February 1999.
