On the morning of May 26, 2013, Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan participated in  the plenary session entitled, A New Vision for Arab Employment, during the 2013 World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa held at the King Hussein bin Talal Convention Center, Dead Sea, in Jordan.   Please click here to watch and listen to Her Majesty’s opening speech.

Her Majesty also met with “…members of the Young Global Leaders who briefed her about their participation in the World Economic Forum and the outcomes of their visits to a number of community development projects in Jordan…” according to Petra News.

Meanwhile, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II met with the United Nations Secretary-General Envoy for Youth, Mr. Ahmad Al-Hindawi, at the Dead Sea in Jordan.  He also visited a “…youth inventions exhibit at the WEF…”

Later in the afternoon, the crown prince accompanied his father, His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan, to inaugurate the new $100 million Dead Sea Crowne Plaza Hotel and Resort.  After the opening His Majesty and the crown prince were given a tour of the new resort and met with the staff.

Afterward, His Majesty King Abdullah II and Crown Prince Hussein met with various government and world leaders attending the 2013 World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa including the United States Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, and the President of Israel, Mr. Shimon Peres.

And, finally this evening, His Majesty and Crown Prince Hussein participated in the closing plenary session and award ceremony of the 2013 World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa.  During the event His Majesty gave a speech in which he called for “…peace in the Middle East and global support for Syrian refugees…”  His Majesty also presented the King Abdullah II Award for Youth Innovation and Achievement to several worthy recipients.

On Saturday, May 25, 2013, His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan officially opened the 2013 World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa held at the King Hussein bin Talal Convention Center, Dead Sea, in Jordan. Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II of Jordan were also present during this morning’s event.

According to the official website for the World Economic Forum in his opening address His Majesty urged:

“…for greater efforts to find a political solution in Syria to prevent further fragmentation. With Syrian refugees in Jordan now equal to 10% of the country’s population, the King called for immediate action to end the violence and start the process of rebuilding the country. The King also called for progress on what he described as the core crisis in the region: the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.”

Tomorrow morning, Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan will participate in a roundtable public session entitled, A New Vision for Arab Employment, alongside Ms. Ellen Kullman, Mr. Majid Jafar, Mr. Tarik Yousef and others.

Her Highness Princess Ameerah of Saudi Arabia will participate in a public session entitled, The Business Case for Gender Diversity, on Sunday as well.   Other panelists include the Minister for Social Development for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Ms. Reem Abu Hassan, and Mr. Khalid Alkhudair to name a few.

His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan met with the Executive Director of the International Press Institute (IPI), Ms. Alison McKenzie, this morning in Amman.

The IPI recently held their annual World Congress, under the theme Documenting Change: Empowering Media, and the 62nd General Assembly in Amman. Topics discussed during the three-day conference included issues regarding the Middle East and “…the relationship between the Arab Spring and the media…” 

His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan along with His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II welcomed the United States Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, to Al-Hummar Palace in Amman this afternoon.  During their meeting discussions focused on the latest developments in Syria as well as other important world issues.

His Majesty also met with British Foreign Secretary, Rt. Honorable Mr. William Hague to discuss British and Jordanian bilateral relations, developments in the Middle East, and the “…importance of re-launching negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis based on a two-state solution…” notes Petra News.

On Friday, His Majesty King Abdullah II will open the 2013 World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa to be held at the Dead Sea in Jordan.  Roughly 900 attendees from around the world are expected to participate in the three-day conference, including the United States Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, United States Republican Senator, Mr. John McCain, and former British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, to name a few.

The theme of this conference, according to the official website for the World Economic Forum, is:

“…Advancing Conditions for Growth and Resilience and will focus on shaping the region’s economic, social and governance systems of the future.

This year’s program has been shaped around three core areas: new partnerships for employment, entrepreneurship and infrastructure; strengthening economic governance; and advancing regional cooperation and resilience.” 

Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan arrived at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts in Amman this afternoon to attend the opening of the special exhibition, 70 Years of Contemporary Jordanian Fine Arts.

According to the official website for the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts this exhibition: 

“…showcase[s] over 200 works created by 195 Jordanian artists from different generations.

Boasting a historical documentation of the Jordanian artistic heritage throughout the years, the collection on display manifests the efforts made by the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts to compile a comprehensive visual representation of Jordan’s rich visual art history.

This exhibition is Jordan’s biggest to date, effectively reflecting the gallery’s role as a patron of the arts and as a reference source for those wishing to know more about Jordanian artists.

The works on display will also be featured in a catalogue that documents biographical information about their creators. The book will also include a chronological history of the Jordanian art movement in its various phases, while reflecting the role played by the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts as a promoter and patron of the arts.”

The exhibition ends on August 8, 2013.  If you interested in learning more about the exhibition and the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts please visit their official website here.

In other news, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II of Jordan was in Salt this afternoon to officially open the “…Saltos Hotel which is part of the Salt Vocational Training Center…” according to Petra News.  During today’s event the heir to the Jordanian throne toured the facility, met with staff, students and was “…briefed on the training program and its objectives…”