Queen Rania and her daughter Princess Salma have been taking in the sights of Jordan's Wadi Rum desert.
Known for its dramatic landscape and sandstone heights, the valley is a tourist hotspot and has long been a favourite among Hollywood filmmakers scouting for otherworldly vistas.
Also known as Valley of the Moon, the protected area was designated a Unesco Heritage Site in 2011.
During Wednesday's trip, Queen Rania and Princess Salma met local tour operators and explored a range of activities, from hiking to rock-climbing routes and Bedouin cultural experiences.
They also took part in an immersive experience aboard the Ottoman-era Hejaz Railway steam train. This included a recreation of a battle that took place during the Great Arab Revolt, an armed uprising by the Hashemite-led Arabs against the Ottoman Empire in 1916.
The historic Hejaz Railway, that once connected Damascus to Madinah, is going to be revived as part of an agreement between Turkey, Syria and Jordan.
Queen Rania and Princess Salma then sat down with local tour operators around a bonfire. “Call me biased, but I simply cannot imagine a more breathtaking spot on Earth,” Queen Rania posted on Instagram. “A must-see, and just a short drive away from our stunning Petra.”
In the photos, both Queen Rania and Princess Salma can be seen wrapping a red and white keffiyeh over their practical yet elegant desert attire, blending comfort with understated style.
Queen Rania chose a deep red, long-sleeved top paired with black trousers and sturdy lace-up boots, while Princess Salma was dressed in a light-coloured jacket, finishing off her look with loose-fitting trousers and practical shoes.
Wadi Rum is two hours from the ancient city of Petra and about an hour’s drive from the coastal town of Aqaba. A popular filming destination for local and international films, it has distinctive sand dunes that have doubled as Mars in several blockbusters, including The Martian and Red Planet.
It has also been the site for fictional desert planets in films from the Star Wars franchise to Dune, and was where Aladdin found the Cave of Wonders and befriended the Genie.
“Some 600 projects are filmed here every year,” Bashar Abu Nuwar, a senior co-ordinator at Royal Film Commission told The National. “This includes advertisements, music videos, short films, as well as feature-length works.”
