Hussein bin Abdullah, Crown Prince of Jordan

Hussein bin Abdullah al-Hashimi (born 28 June 1994) is Crown Prince of Jordan as the eldest son of King Abdullah II and Queen Rania. He is a member of the House of Hashim, the royal family of Jordan since 1921, and is considered to be a 42nd-generation direct descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Hussein is currently a major in the Jordanian Armed Forces. He served as a regent on several occasions and has accompanied his father on a number of local and international visits. Hussein also represented Jordan at international forums including the United Nations Security Council, United Nations General Assembly, United Nations Climate Change Conference, and the World Economic Forum. He began his education in Jordan, and, in 2016, graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in International History. In 2015, at the age of 20, Hussein became the youngest person to chair a UN Security Council session. After graduating from Sandhurst in 2017, he made a global debut when he addressed the UN General Assembly in September of that year.

Hussein is in charge of the Crown Prince Foundation, which is responsible for a technical university and a number of scientific and humanitarian initiatives. He also champions the National Council for Future Technology, a body dedicated to advancing Jordan's technological standing, and leads several initiatives to promote tourism and technical education and vocational training in Jordan. In 2023, he married Rajwa Al-Saif, with whom he has a daughter, Princess Iman.

Early life and education Hussein was born on 28 June 1994 at King Hussein Medical Center in Amman to the then-Prince Abdullah and Princess Rania. Hussein is the namesake of his grandfather, King Hussein. Hussein claims descent in the male line from Muhammad's daughter Fatimah and Ali, the fourth caliph. The Hashemites ruled Mecca for over 700 years until its 1925 conquest by the House of Saud, and have ruled Jordan since 1921. The Hashemites are the oldest-ruling dynasty in the Muslim world, and are the second-oldest-ruling dynasty in the world, after the Imperial House of Japan. His paternal grandmother, Princess Muna, is an English convert to Islam, and his mother is of Palestinian descent.

Crown Prince Hussein is the eldest child of King Abdullah and Queen Rania, and he was born during the reign of his paternal grandfather, King Hussein. Crown Prince Hussein has three siblings: Princess Iman, Princess Salma and Prince Hashem.

Heir apparent

Abdullah was not expected to succeed to the throne despite being King Hussein's eldest son; King Hussein had appointed his own younger brother Prince Hassan - Abdullah's uncle - as heir designate in 1965.

On 28 November 2004, King Abdullah removed Hamzah from his title as crown prince.

Official duties The Crown Prince and the King met with U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington, D.C., February 2024

Unlike the King's role, that of the Crown Prince is mostly ceremonial under the Constitution and the title is not associated with any political post. Hussein performed his first official engagement in June 2010, when he represented his father at the celebrations of the anniversary of the Arab Revolt and the Armed Forces Day.

Crown Prince Hussein has served his father on both official and military missions, The foundation established the Haqiq initiative, which aims to encourage youth for volunteerism; a NASA internship program; MASAR initiative to encourage space technology innovation; and the Hearing Without Borders initiative that funds cochlear implants for Jordanians with impaired hearing. The cubesat project was named after the late King Hussein's amateur radio callsign.

In 2013, Crown Prince Hussein participated in a training session with the members of the Jordanian special forces elite 71st Counter Terrorism Battalion. On 14 July 2014, Hussein visited the King Hussein Medical Center in Amman where injured Palestinians who fled Gaza were receiving medical treatment.

On 23 April 2015, the then-20-year-old Prince Hussein became the youngest person ever to chair a UN Security Council session.

Personal life

The Crown Prince's Instagram account has 5.3 million followers ; he posts pictures that showcase his hobbies, which include reading, playing football, cooking, motorcycling and playing the guitar. He also enjoys playing chess in his spare time.

On 17 August 2022, the Royal Hashemite Court announced the engagement of Crown Prince Hussein to Saudi citizen Rajwa Al Saif. The couple met via a mutual friend. The engagement ceremony was held at the home of Al Saif's father in Riyadh. Al Saif attended the Syracuse University School of Architecture. On 3 August 2024, the couple had their first child, Princess Iman. She is the first grandchild of King Abdullah and Queen Rania.

Honours National honours

Foreign honours 55px Member 1st class of the Order of the Renaissance (5 February 2019).

55px Commander Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Polar Star (15 November 2022).