Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa are now parents.
On Saturday, the Royal Hashemite Court was announced that Princess Rajwa had given birth to a healthy baby girl named Iman. She is the first grandchild of King Abdullah and Queen Rania. The event marks another milestone for the royal couple, who tied the knot in a glittering wedding ceremony at Zahran Palace, Amman, in June 2023.
Here’s a look at the highlights of their relationship so far.
August 2022: The couple announce their engagement
The Royal Hashemite Court announced that Prince Hussein was engaged to Rajwa Al Saif, the daughter of Saudi businessman Khalid Al Saif and Azza Al Sudairi. In their official engagement photo, Princess Rajwa wore a blue pleated dress by Greek brand Costarellos, along with a pearl necklace.
The engagement took place at the home of Rajwa's father in Riyadh. It 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 Rajwa's family.
October 2022: First royal outing together
A couple of months after announcing their engagement, the couple made their first public appearance together. They learnt about Jordan’s history and heritage from Prince Hussein’s great uncle, Prince Hassan bin Talal.
The pair made stops throughout their tour that included the Royal Hashemite Court, where they viewed exhibitions and looked at the collections of the founding King Abdullah I, as well as the office of King Hussein. They showed the history of the royal Hashemite family from their early beginnings.
To mark her first official appearance in Jordan, Rajwa wore an elegant white buttoned shirt, tucked into an A-line black skirt and belt from Alexander McQueen. She carried a white Gucci GG Marmont bag and wore a gold necklace featuring the couple's initials, H and R.
March 2023: Attending Princess Iman’s wedding together
The engaged couple attended the first royal Jordanian wedding of the year as Prince Hussein's eldest sister, Princess Iman, married Jameel Thermiotis.
Rajwa stunned by wearing a mustard yellow draped cape dress designed by Serbian designer Roksanda Ilincic. The future princess kept her look minimal when it came to accessories, with dangling earrings in burgundy and the Knot Intrecciato Gold Mesh Clutch from Bottega Veneta.
June 2023: They celebrate their wedding day
The couple tied the knot, with Rajwa wearing a custom Elie Saab gown featuring a flower print on its full skirt and a wrap effect on the bodice. She wore a pair of white flats and a sparkling tiara as she walked to the venue on the grounds of Zahran Palace. Similar to when her mother-in-law married, Rajwa wore a diamond tiara for the occasion, which featured stylised Arabic calligraphy on the side, reading: “Rajwatum min Allah”, translating to “A prayer answered by God”.
Meanwhile, Prince Hussein looked dapper in a black military uniform, a look inspired by the outfit his father wore at his wedding to Queen Rania in 1993.
February 2024: They watch Jordan make history at the Asian Cup
In February, the couple was spotted in the stands as they watched Jordan qualify for its first Asian Cup semi-final by defeating Tajikistan 1-0 at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Qatar. Wearing the Jordanian team's white jerseys, the royals smiled and waved to the crowds during the match.
Prince Hussein was again seen with his mother Queen Rania and siblings Princess Salma and Prince Hashem at the Asian Cup final where Jordan lost 3-1 to Qatar. He wore the team's red away jersey, with the Jordan emblem emblazoned on the left breast, over a long-sleeved white shirt.
April 2024: The couple announce they are expecting a child
The news of Princess Rajwa’s pregnancy was announced by the Jordanian royal family in a statement. “The Royal Hashemite Court is pleased to announce that their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II and Princess Rajwa Al Hussein are expecting their first baby this summer,” it reads.
August 2024: The birth of Princess Iman
It was announced on Saturday that Princess Rajwa has given birth to Princess Iman, the first royal grandchild of King Abdullah and Queen Rania.
"The Royal Hashemite Court is pleased to announce that Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II and Princess Rajwa Al Hussein were blessed, on August 3, 2024, with a baby girl they named Iman," said the royal court.
It also shared a video showing Prince Hussein holding the baby while reciting the adhan, a traditional call to prayer for newborns.
King Abdullah took to social media to congratulate his son and daughter-in-law while also posting a tribute to his granddaughter. Translated from Arabic, the message reads: "I thank God for giving us our first granddaughter Iman bint Hussein. I congratulate beloved Hussein and Rajwa for their newborn.
"We ask God to raise her well and protect her for her parents. You have lit up our family, Grandpa!"
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
LIVERPOOL SQUAD
Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Joe Gomez, Adrian, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana, Andy Lonergan, Xherdan Shaqiri, Andy Robertson, Divock Origi, Curtis Jones, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Neco Williams
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
'Nightmare Alley'
Director:Guillermo del Toro
Stars:Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara
Rating: 3/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
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Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
Company%20profile
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STAGE%201%20RESULTS
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EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
STAY%2C%20DAUGHTER
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Fourth-round clashes for British players
- Andy Murray (1) v Benoit Paire, Centre Court (not before 4pm)
- Johanna Konta (6) v Caroline Garcia (21), Court 1 (4pm)
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Ipaf in numbers
Established: 2008
Prize money: $50,000 (Dh183,650) for winners and $10,000 for those on the shortlist.
Winning novels: 13
Shortlisted novels: 66
Longlisted novels: 111
Total number of novels submitted: 1,780
Novels translated internationally: 66
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
AS%20WE%20EXIST
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The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe
Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads
Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike
They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users
Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance
They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Company%20profile%20
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
The%20Little%20Mermaid%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rob%20Marshall%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHalle%20Bailey%2C%20Jonah%20Hauer-King%2C%20Melissa%20McCarthy%2C%20Javier%20Bardem%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
Stan%20Lee
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Teenage%20Mutant%20Ninja%20Turtles%3A%20Shredder's%20Revenge
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THE%20SPECS
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