Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, were in Jordan yesterday on the first full day of their Royal Solidarity Tour of Arab monarchies – and already it's embarrassing.
Officially, the nine-day trip which will also take in Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia is billed as a...
Blog archive: Jordan
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13th March 2013
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10th March 2013Prince Charles – heir to the British throne – is due to arrive in the Middle East on Monday for a nine-day "goodwill" visit to Arab monarchies. His tour will take in Jordan, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. These trips, which happen every few years, are usually a cue for the...
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17th January 2013Yesterday, one week ahead of Jordan's controversial parliamentary election, King Abdullah issued the second of his "discussion papers" intended "to share his vision on the kingdom's comprehensive reform process" (full text here). In his first paper, at the end of December, the king lectured...
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31st December 2012King Abdullah of Jordan has issued the first in a series of "discussion papers" intended "to share his vision on the kingdom's comprehensive reform process" (full text here). The paper is basically a lecture about citizenship, calling on Jordanians to participate actively in national...
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29th December 2012King Abdullah of Jordan will shortly be issuing a series ofdiscussion papers "outlining his vision on the kingdom’s comprehensive reform process," a statement from the Royal Court announced this week. "These papers seek to facilitate national dialogue and encourage citizens’ participation in...
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28th November 2012European diplomats in Jordan think the EU is being too uncritical of King Abdullah, according to a new policy memo from the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). "There is growing consensus among European diplomats in Amman that the reform process lacks meaningful substance,"...
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22nd November 2012Calls are growing for the reinstatement of Dr Rula Qawas who was dismissed from her post as dean of the languages faculty at the University of Jordan over a film complaining about sexual harassment on the campus. Last year, students from Qawas's feminist theory class made a two-and...
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21st November 2012Last week's riots could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for King Abdullah of Jordan. Gulf monarchs, nervous about any challenges to hereditary rule in the Arab region, are now looking at ways to prop up his throne. In the Financial Times [subscription] Simeon Kerr reports...
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19th November 2012King Abdullah of Jordan paid tribute to his security forces yesterday while visiting injured officers in hospital: "They are our brothers and our sons, who displayed the highest level of professionalism, responsibility and wisdom in dealing with the recent events," he said. Fifty-eight...
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12th November 2012Mohammed al-Dahabi, a former head of Jordanian intelligence, has been sentenced to 13 years in jail for "embezzling public funds, money laundering and abuse of public office". He has also been fined $30 million and ordered to return the $34 million he is said to have laundered and...
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6th November 2012The Islamic Action Front – the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan – has called on the government to prosecute "worshippers of demons". The IAF's call for a crackdown came after protesters attacked a café in Amman which was holding a Halloween party last Thursday...
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8th November 2011How stable is Jordan? That is the question addressed in a new report from the Brookings Doha Centre. In common with many of its regional neighbours, Jordan has witnessed street protests since the Arab Spring began, but nothing on a dramatic scale, and King Abdullah has been trying to fend...
