World
Jordan’s Royal Wedding: Everything you need to know about the big day
Jordan’s Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II is scheduled to marry Saudi national Rajwa Al Saif on June 1 in a highly anticipated royal wedding.
As the son of Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, Crown Prince Al Hussein’s wedding is set to be the biggest royal celebration of 2023.
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Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II gets engaged to Saudi national Rajwa Khalid bin Musaed bin Saif bin Abdulaziz Al Saif. (Twitter)
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming royal wedding:
Who is the bride-to-be?
Al-Saif, whose full name is Rajwa Khaled bin Musaed bin Saif bin Abdulaziz Al Saif, was born in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh on April 28, 1994. Her parents are Saudi businessman Khalid Al Saif and Azza Al Sudairi.
The bride-to-be received her bachelor’s degree in architecture from Syracuse University.
Apart from design, another hobby of hers is horseback riding. On her 28th birthday, her fiancé shared a black-and-white portrait on Instagram of Al Saif with a horse.
After she weds Prince Al Hussein, her title will be ‘Crown Princess of Jordan’ before becoming ‘Queen Rajwa’ when her husband takes the throne as king.
Where will the Jordanian royal wedding take place?
The Royal Hashemite Court announced that the eagerly awaited wedding ceremony will take place at Zahran Palace in the Jordanian capital of Amman.
As the date of the wedding of HRH Crown Prince Al Hussein and Miss Rajwa Khalid Alseif nears, we are pleased to share the official logo to mark the occasion, which is Arabic for “we rejoice”#CelebratingAlHussein
Download the high-quality version here:https://t.co/H6taT7DBqi pic.twitter.com/nwxMGKLA6c— RHC (@RHCJO) May 14, 2023
Wedding processions will then move to Al Husseiniya Palace.
The palace, built in 1957, was the same location where King Abdullah II wed Queen Rania in 1993. The Jordanian king and queen, who will celebrate three decades together on June 10, left Zahran Palace in a convertible car to take part in a procession through the streets of Amman, where they greeted adoring crowds.
King Abdullah II of Jordan and Queen Rania waving to crowds on their wedding day in 1993. (Twitter)
Who will attend?
The Jordanian royal wedding is expected to witness global country heads, Jordanian community leaders, prominent members of society, family members, friends and celebrities come together to celebrate the bride and groom.
Queen Rania and Rajwa al-Saif at the pre-wedding henna party. (Instagram)
The couple will welcome several international royal guests and dignitaries, including Princess Hisakoa and Princess Tsuguko of Japan, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, and the Crown Prince Haakon of Norway.
No further details have been shared on which dignitaries from Arab countries will be in attendance.
What pre-wedding celebrations will take place?
As part of the Jordanian royal wedding celebrations, the Amman International Stadium in the capital will see a star-studded lineup of musical performances on May 29.
Jordanian singers Diana Karazon and Zain Awad, Lebanese singer Ragheb Alama and Egyptian singers Tamer Hosny and Ahmad Saad are all expected to perform. The event is free for ticket holders only.
The skies of the capital Amman have witnessed drone shows in the evening this week to mark the royal occasion. (Al Mamlaka TV)
The Ministry of Culture will also hold various events, including folkloric performances and fireworks shows on June 1.
Activities will be held in all governorates in Jordan, starting at 5:00 pm on the wedding day. More information will be shared on official government accoutnts.
On May 31, an exclusive dinner for several Jordanian and Arab guests will take place at the Raghadan Palace. The palace was home to King Abdullah I and is commonly used to host meetings with visiting heads of states and other ceremonial events.
A special invitation was sent out to guests that included the embelem of the royal Hashemite crown and the names of Prince Al Hussein and Al Saif. Among the conditions listed on the invite is a dress code only allowing national or traditional clothing and not bringing cell phones.
Pre-wedding celebrations underway
Pre-wedding celebrations have already been underway for Prince Al Hussein and Al Saif in the weeks leading up to the occasion.
This week, Queen Rania hosted a pre-wedding traditional henna night for the bride-to-be that saw the bride’s mother and the groom’s sisters – Princesses Iman and Salma – in attendance.
Princesses Iman and Salma at the pre-wedding henna party. (Instagram)
The occasion was marked with traditional Jordanian dances and poetry. Queen Rania also gave a speech expressing her love for her son Prince Al Hussein and the newest addition to their family.
Watch: Jordan’s Queen Rania shares a video from a pre-wedding henna party she hosted for Rajwa al-Saif, the fiancée of Jordan’s Crown Prince Al Hussein.https://t.co/QNPWHgL3Li pic.twitter.com/Tzr3he5aBq
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) May 23, 2023
Women from across the Jordanian community also attended the henna party.
A week earlier, Jordan’s Crown Prince Al Hussein celebrated his upcoming wedding with his comrades at the 40th King Hussein Bin Talal Royal Armoured Brigade with festivities that included traditional dances and songs.
Watch: Jordan’s Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah celebrates his upcoming wedding with his comrades at the 40th King Hussein Bin Talal Royal Armoured Brigade with festivities that included traditional dances and songs. https://t.co/PTZmpbntX6 pic.twitter.com/TpAwxxIG56
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) May 18, 2023
The event also featured poetry, tug-of-war games, and other activities.
Read more:
Video: Jordan’s Crown Prince celebrates upcoming wedding with comrades
Photos: Rajwa al-Saif dons dress by Saudi designer for pre-wedding henna party
Celebrations continue ahead of anticipated royal Jordanian wedding