Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah (Jordan)
Chair, Jordan River Foundation

Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah (formerly Rania Al-Yasin) was born in Kuwait on August 31, 1970 to a notable Jordanian family of Palestinian origin.

She completed her primary and secondary education in Kuwait and in 1991 obtained a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the American University in Cairo.

Upon her graduation from university, Queen Rania returned to Jordan and pursued a career in banking, followed by a brief career in the field of Information Technology.

His Majesty King Abdullah bin Al-Hussein (then Prince) married Queen Rania 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 to then Prince Abdullah, Queen Rania has channeled her energies behind initiatives that aim to improve the livelihood various sectors of society in Jordan and beyond.

In Jordan, Queen Rania’s activities encompass issues such as education, health, youth, and the environment, among others. Her Majesty has been particularly vocal about the importance of cross cultural and interfaith dialogue towards greater understanding, tolerance and acceptance across the world. She also has a special interest in several core issues: the promotion of excellence, creativity and innovation in education; the improvement of the quality of life of the family unit including the protection of children from violence and the promotion of Early Childhood Development; and the development of income-generating projects and the advancement of best practices in the field of microfinance.