His Majesty King Hussein bin Talal was born in Amman on 14 November 1953. He grew up around his grandfather, the founding King, and received his academic and military education in Jordan and abroad. He was proclaimed King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on 11 August 1952, until formally assuming his constitutional powers on 2 May 1953 amidst critical regional and international circumstances.

Jordan witnessed political, economic, and social progress during the 47 years of King Hussein’s reign. He was a man of peace and war, distinguished for his bravery and foresight.

King Hussein’s motto “our most precious asset is the individual citizen” was the main principle in guiding development plans. Under his leadership, Jordan continued to fulfil its Arab, regional, and international duties.

King Hussein paid special attention to the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army, whose personnel achieved victory in the Battle of Al Karameh on 21 March 1968, through which they restored faith back to Arabs after the Arab-Israeli war of 1967.

In order to fill the constitutional void resulting from the inability to conduct parliamentary elections in the West Bank when it was a part of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, advisory councils were created to undertake that role.

During King Hussein’s reign, Jordan recognised the Palestinian Liberation Organization as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people during the 1974 Arab League Summit in Rabat. This step was followed by the legal and administrative disengagement from the West Bank in 1988. Thereafter, Jordan was able to focus on its democratic and constitutional process. The year 1989 marked the start of modern Jordanian democracy based on political pluralism and the expansion of women’s political engagement.

On the regional and Arab levels, Jordan was among the founders of the League of Arab States and has always been committed to its resolutions. King Hussein played a significant role in promoting Arab unity, enhancing joint Arab action, and supporting the Palestinian issue as the central Arab cause.