A Western-educated trainee helicopter pilot with a huge Instagram following, Jordan’s 23-year-old Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah has emerged as the fresh-faced future of the desert kingdom’s monarchy.
Born on June 28, 1994, to King Abdullah and his glamorous wife Rania, Crown Prince Hussein has long been groomed to one day take over the Hashemite kingdom, where the monarch has broad executive and legislative powers.
He was officially appointed next-in-line at the age of just 15, before going on to study history at Washington’s Georgetown University and following in his father’s footsteps by attending Sandhurst.
The prince — or His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II, to give him his full title — should still have plenty of time to prepare to be king.
His 56-year-old father is young compared to other monarchs in the Arab world, and appears in good health.
Jordan’s royal family claims to be descended from the Prophet Mohammed and took the throne with British backing in 1921 when the Emirate of Transjordan, modern Jordan’s forerunner, was created from scratch.
Hussein is the ’42nd-generation direct descendant’ of the prophet, according to the prince’s official website.
Abdullah has taken his son with him on official trips around the globe, giving him an upclose schooling in the intricacies of world affairs that should prove useful.
Jordan’s rulers have traditionally trodden a careful path, maintaining a strong alliance with the West, while negotiating the minefield of Middle Eastern geopolitics.
The country borders war-torn Syria, houses vast numbers of Palestinians, has a peace treaty with Israel and manages the Muslim holy sites of Jerusalem.
Bolstering his credentials with the youth, Hussein has launched a series of initiatives aimed at young people, including an intern programme at US space agency NASA.
‘He is close to the youth, their activities, their problems and their hobbies,’ said Jordanian social activist Shaden Amarin, a 42-year-old bank employee.
‘You see him playing football with his friends sometimes, and playing guitar at other times, or flying a military aircraft and formally presiding over a security council session.’