Jordan is getting ready for Crown Prince Hussein’s wedding on Thursday. The normally peaceful desert nation has already prepared with fireworks, concerts, and a social media frenzy.
The US first lady, Jill Biden, and the king of the Netherlands will all attend the great royal wedding where King Abdullah II’s eldest son will wed his Saudi fiancée, Rajwa Al Saif.
The royal red motorcade, which is only used for exceptional occasions, will cross the capital, Amman, on a significant day for the Hashemite country as it celebrates the bride and groom.
The nation has been overcome with royal fever as the next in line to Jordan’s throne prepares to wed. Last week, pictures of Saif’s henna bridal party went viral online. She was wearing a white gown with the Arabic poem, “When I see you, life becomes sweet,” embroidered in gold.
A YouTube video depicting Hussein’s mother, Queen Rania, and his sisters, Princesses Salma and Iman, singing and dancing with partygoers was uploaded by the Royal Hashemite Court.
In a speech to her subjects, the queen stated, “Hussein is your son, and you are his family, and this is your wedding. Like any mother, I have long dreamed of his wedding day.”
Drones hovering over Amman after the party created the image of a crown in the sky.
While such overt displays are typical of western royalty, they are unusual in the Arab East, where conservative rulers rarely provide any information about their personal life.
One wedding party participant, 35-year-old Lara al-Laty, a worker at a travel agency, stated, “Everyone took pictures and posted them on social media – this perhaps wouldn’t be possible with other royal families.”
She posted photos of the celebration on her Facebook page, showing attendees donning customary abayas embroidered with Arabic lettering. “The atmosphere, the decor, and the ululations all had a humble Jordanian character that made you feel like you were at a family party,” she remarked.
The western-educated crown prince, who became the heir apparent when he was 15 years old, has been accustomed to the limelight over time. On his Instagram page, Hussein has 4 million followers and posts a variety of images from his travels, military exercises, and royal events.
Famous musicians from the Arab world descended on Amman, Jordan, on Monday to take part in a free concert honoring the marriage, including Tamer Hosny, an actor and singer from Egypt, and Ragheb Alama, a star in Lebanon.
Suhad al-Idrisi, her sister, and her niece, who were concertgoers, were all wearing T-shirts that said, “We are happy for Hussein.” Idrisi, 45, who prepared candy and roses for the celebration day, stated, “We have not seen such moments of joy in Jordan in a long time.”
She claimed that the Hashemite family was “not like other Arab ruling families” because they shared information about the wedding on social media and during live broadcasts, having “nothing to hide.”
Samih Maaytah, a former minister of information, claimed that King Abdullah II, who is 61 years old and has been in power since 1999, has long been preparing his eldest son to succeed him by accompanying him on significant trips and meetings.
In the parliamentary monarchy of Jordan, a nation of 11 million people, the king exercises broad political authority and serves as the head of state as well as chief commander of the armed forces.
Hussein followed in his father’s footsteps by enrolling in the British military academy Sandhurst and later studying history at Georgetown University in Washington. Although she was born and bred in strict Saudi Arabia, his future wife has a western education and attended Syracuse University in New York to study design.
According to Oraib al-Rantawi, the director of the Al-Quds Center for Political Studies, Hussein’s ascent to the throne “crowns an advanced step” with the royal wedding. He added that “this consolidates the prince’s network of relations” and that the high-profile celebration will enable him to interact with foreign royals and be closer to his people.
