Rarely do Middle Eastern social events make it into European tabloids. With the “Dream Wedding of Amman” last Thursday, for the first time positive news was emblazoned on the covers of magazines that normally deal with the dramas of European royal families. The eldest son of King Abdullah II had invited prominent guests from all over the world to the Jordanian capital for his wedding. The 28-year-old Crown Prince Hussein married Rajwa Alsaif, the daughter of a very wealthy Saudi building contractor who has close ties to the royal family in Riyadh. His construction company, Al Saif Group, is considered one of the largest and most influential companies in the entire Middle East.
Weeks before the wedding, there were celebrations all over the country, with the bridal couple looking down at the Jordanians, who were plagued by a severe economic crisis, on huge billboards. To mitigate the criticism of the immense costs of the event, the king, who has been in power for 24 years, had 4,000 Jordanians from all over the country serve the traditional dish mansaf in the palace. Prominent musicians from the Arab world gave a free mega concert in Amman.
Among the 1,700 wedding guests were not only the ruling houses from the Gulf States and monarchs from Asia, but also many western diplomats and politicians. In addition to the American First Lady Jill Biden and the Royals from the Netherlands, the British Crown Prince William and his wife Kate were in the spotlight of the photographers. The British royal family is said to have intensive business and personal contacts with the rulers in Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
The newlyweds could overcome a historical trauma
Jordan is considered an important US ally in the region and shares borders with civil war-torn Syria, Israel and the West Bank. The royal family relies on American security guarantees and the protection of the Muwaffaq Salti air force base, which the Pentagon is currently expanding. Because of the 700,000 Syrian refugees in the country and the huge increase in food prices, there have recently been several protests against the government. Jordan’s role as a stability factor in the region is under threat. The wedding is intended to turn things around and represents a reorientation towards Saudi Arabia. It helps that the bridal couple ends a historical trauma.
Groom Hussein comes from the Hashemite family, who based their claim to rule in Jordan on their direct descent from the Prophet Muhammad and who ruled Mecca for centuries. The Hashemites were expelled from Mecca in 1924 by the Ibn Saud family, who have ruled Riyadh ever since. Born in the Saudi capital, bride Rajwa Alsaif is related to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The younger generation is hoping for faster reforms
Jordanian media are cheering the political rapprochement between the two countries, whose relationship had been on hold for two years after alleged Saudi help in a palace revolt against Abdullah II. Jordan, which is poor in raw materials, could now receive investments and a cash injection from Riyadh. The young generation in both countries hopes that the new generation that has now begun in the royal houses will further accelerate the long-awaited social reforms.
Crown Prince Hussein studied history at Georgetown University in the United States and, like his father and grandfather, attended the British Military Academy in Sandhurst. In 2015, he became the youngest person to chair a session of the United Nations Security Council. Rajwa Alseif studied architecture and visual communication in New York and Los Angeles and is fluent in English, French and Arabic.
Like many of the eleven million Jordanians, Mohamed al-Masri sat in front of the television last Thursday and saw the wedding couple arrive in front of the Zahran Palace in a Rolls-Royce Phantom V. “An elite is partying there that isn’t doing anything to combat growing poverty,” criticizes the 24-year-old student. “Nevertheless, I’m proud. The couple gives me hope that one day my well-educated generation will be in charge.”