Amman, Aug. 30 (Petra) -- Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah celebrates her birthday on Monday, August 31, marking the close of another year spent alongside His Majesty King Abdullah II, advancing the King’s Royal vision for Jordan and serving its people.
Queen Rania’s birthday comes at a particularly joyful time for the family, following the arrival of two new grandchildren. Earlier this month, Her Royal Highness Princess Iman bint Abdullah II and her husband Mr. Jameel Alexander Thermiotis welcomed twin baby girls, Talia and Rania. Now a proud grandmother of four, Queen Rania’s commitment to children, youth, and family protection has been a guiding principle in both her personal life and public service.
In the past year, Her Majesty has continued to champion humanitarian causes at home and abroad, complementing His Majesty’s efforts to strengthen Jordan’s global and regional role as a force for humanitarian action, sustainable development, and peace.
Throughout her international engagements, Queen Rania has repeatedly highlighted rising global conflict and unrestrained emerging technologies as threats to humanity’s shared progress, while also affirming our collective capacity to confront them.
In her speech at the 2025 Mexico Siglo XXI Conference in Mexico City, the Queen noted that Israel’s war in Gaza, then nearing its two-year mark, was "challenging perspectives and fundamental assumptions" of people around the world, and exposing how narratives can be distorted to dehumanize entire populations.
"Such a moral collapse emphasizes that tech without humanity is hollow – capable of moving us faster, but not forward," Her Majesty said.
She underscored that while technology will shape the future, humans will shape technology. "With the right perspective, we can reorient our progress; not just toward what is possible, but toward what is right," she added. Speaking at the UN headquarters in New York last September, Queen Rania warned that a recent surge in global violence poses a grave threat to women and girls, particularly those whose suffering receives the least attention.
Marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, she stressed that women’s rights "cannot be filtered through the lens of political expediency," pointing to the silence surrounding women in Gaza.
The Queen has also underscored the importance of for humility in driving progress, noting that humility encourages us to seek out alternative solutions, consider different perspectives, and stay open to other opinions.
Addressing the 10th annual ET Now Global Business Summit in New Delhi last February, Her Majesty described humility as "a core leadership value in today’s world," rooted not in "hesitation or self-doubt, but as honesty about our limitations." Stressing the importance of flexibility and openness to change, the Queen explained Jordan has endured by adapting to uncertainty.
"Through it all, we have held firm to human dignity, even when the cost was high and the credit low. That is the Jordan I am proud to call home – a reliable, honest partner in a complicated world," she said. "We may be a small country, but what defines us is what we stand for. And that is why, in my eyes, Jordan stands very tall." For over two decades, Queen Rania has worked tirelessly to empower Jordanians and improve opportunities for families across the country. This year, she continued to follow up with initiatives focused on empowering women and youth, supporting children, education and training, and promoting local development, while also promoting domestic tourism and Jordan’s rich cultural and historical sites.
Queen Rania is the founder and chairperson of a number of local foundations and initiatives aimed at providing opportunities and improving quality of life across Jordan. These include the Queen Rania Foundation for Education and Development (QRF), which works to identify and address educational gaps in Jordan and the region, as well as the Jordan River Foundation (JRF), a non-profit committed to community empowerment and child safety, This year, two of Her Majesty’s local initiatives – Al Aman Fund for the Future of Orphans and the Royal Health Awareness Society (RHAS) – celebrated their 20th anniversaries. Al Aman Fund supports the education and training of orphans over the age of 18, while RHAS educates and empowers individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles.
//Petra//
