This year is set to be a busy one for the Jordanian royal family, with two weddings taking place.
On Sunday, Princess Iman, 26, wed Jameel Alexander Thermiotis at the family’s palace on the outskirts of Amman, walked down the aisle by her elder brother, Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, 28, who will also tie the knot this year.
Prince Hussein announced his engagement last year to Rajwa Al Saif. The engagement took place at Al Saif's father's home in Riyadh. The news was announced on Twitter with four photos showing the couple together, with Prince Hussein's parents, King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, pictured alongside members of Al Saif's family.
The pair will wed on June 1, the Royal Hashemite Court announced.
As the couple prepare for their nuptials, we take a look back at some of the most high-profile Jordanian royal weddings that have come before.
1955: King Hussein and Dina bint Abdul-Hamid
On April 19, 1955, King Hussein of Jordan married his first wife, Dina bint Abdul-Hamid. The pair were distant cousins, and first met in London three years earlier, while Dina was studying at the University of Cambridge.
Their engagement was announced in 1954 by King Hussein’s mother, Queen Zein Al Sharaf. Dina became the Queen of Jordan after the pair’s wedding, and 10 months later, on February, 13, 1956, she gave birth to the king's first child, Princess Alia.
However, the marriage ended in divorce in 1957, after which Dina became known as HRH Princess Dina Abdul-Hamid of Jordan.
1961: King Hussein and Antoinette Gardiner
Four years after the end of his first marriage, King Hussein married second wife, Antoinette Gardiner, on May 29, 1961.
Antoinette, who was born in Britain, is said to have meet King Hussein while working as a secretarial assistant on the set of Lawrence of Arabia.
After the pair married, she changed her name to Princess Muna al-Hussein. Together, the couple had four children, Abdullah II of Jordan, Prince Faisal, and twins Princess Aisha and Princess Zein.
The couple divorced in 1972.
King Hussein was also married to Alia Toukan on December 24, 1972, but she died in a helicopter crash in 1977. He then married Lisa Halaby on June 15, 1978, who became Queen Noor of Jordan.
1970: Princess Basma and Timoor Daghistani
Princess Basma bint Talal of Jordan, sister of King Hussein, married Colonel Timoor Daghistani on April 2, 1970.
Together, the couple had two children: Farah Daghistani and Ghazi Daghistani.
The pair divorced in the late 1970s. Princess Basma is the paternal aunt to current King Abdullah II of Jordan.
1993: King Abdullah II of Jordan and Queen Rania
At the time of their marriage in 1993, King Abdullah II was the Jordanian Crown Prince. He first met Rania Al-Abdullah in January 1993 at a dinner party. At the time, she was working in Amman in the marketing department of Apple.
Rania, who was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents, had moved to Jordan two years earlier. Five months after first meeting, the pair were married on June 10, 1993. The day was considered a national holiday.
Together, the couple have four children: Crown Prince Hussein, Princess Iman, Princess Salma and Prince Hashem.
2004: Prince Hamzah and Princess Noor
Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, younger brother of King Abdullah II, married his second cousin, Princess Noor bint Asem bin Nayef, at Al Baraka Palace in Amman on August 29, 2003, although an official ceremony was held the following year, on May 27, 2004.
The couple had a daughter, Princess Haya bint Hamzah, born on April 18, 2007.
They divorced in 2009.
2020: Princess Raiyah and Ned Donovan
Princess Raiyah, daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan and Queen Noor of Jordan, married Roald Dahl's grandson, Ned Donovan, in July 2020.
The couple got engaged on October 26, 2019, and a royal statement at the time read: "The Royal Hashemite Court extends its sincere congratulations to Her Royal Highness Princess Raiyah and to Mr Donovan on this occasion."
The grandson of beloved British children's book author Roald Dahl, Donovan is a freelance journalist, and has contributed to The Spectator, New Statesman and The Telegraph. His mother is Tessa Dahl and his father is an entrepreneur, Patrick Donovan.
Donovan converted to Islam before the wedding, and took the name Faris.
2023: Princess Iman and Jameel Alexander Thermiotis
Princess Iman, the eldest daughter of King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, married Jameel Alexander Thermiotis on March 12, 2023.
The couple got engaged in July 2022 in the presence of the monarch and queen, as well as Princess Iman's three siblings and several members of Thermiotis's family.
Thermiotis was born in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1994 and is of Greek descent. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and works in finance in New York.
The wedding took place at the family’s palace on the outskirts of Amman in the presence of members of the royal family, friends and dignitaries. Princess Iman's elder brother, Crown Prince Hussein, walked her down the aisle.
She wore a custom Dior white gown with a lace neckline and cuffs, and a trailing veil, paired with a diamond tiara reportedly owned by her grandmother, Princess Muna Al Hussein, the mother of King Abdullah.
A version of this article was first published on July 7, 2022.
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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