Jordan

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department - Amman) Jordanian youth from around the Kingdom got a chance to participate in the World’s premier economic gathering when they joined Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah at a session tackling challenges facing youth in the Middle East.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department - Amman) Jordan’s first interactive Children’s Museum to open next year will enable Jordan’s children to explore and learn more about the world around them.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department – Amman) Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, on Wednesday, inaugurated four pilot public kindergarten classes in underprivileged areas, which will be applied in other governorates of the Kingdom with the goal of improving access, quality and relevance of education for children and youth.

(Office of Her Majesty Queen Rania, Press Department - Amman) Her Majesty Queen Rania, on Monday, received the 2005 ‘My Way’ Award in recognition of her extensive social work and contributions.

During a meeting with Mr. Ernst Fischer, Chairman of the Executive Board of the My Way Private Foundation of Austria and Mayor of Hagenbrunn, Queen Rania lauded the friendly relations between Jordan and Austria, thanking the Austrian foundation and commending them on their efforts.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department – Amman) A youthful spirit lies within us all. To reveal it, all we need to do is look within ourselves and reinvigorate how we view the world. This was the message behind Her Majesty Queen Rania’s opening remarks at the ¨Youth and Entrepreneurship¨ session of the World Economic Forum, on Saturday.

“My point is, the most precious aspects of youth are not tied to ages or stages.  Preserving them doesn’t mean clinging to the past – it means embracing the future,” Queen Rania said.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department - Amman) The Special Olympics movement awarded Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah its most distinguished award in appreciation of her humanitarian efforts and support of athletes with special needs.

Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region Special Olympics Director Ayman Abdul Wahab, handed Queen Rania the Special Olympics International Award with Chief Chamberlain HRH Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid, president of Special Olympics Jordan attending.

(Royal Hashemite Court, Communication & Information Division - Amman) King and Queen Launch a Blood Donation Campaign for Iraq

Their Majesties King Abdullah II and Queen Rania Al-Abdullah launched a blood donation campaign to assist injured and wounded people in Iraq.

The King and Queen themselves donated blood in expression of their stand by Iraqi people and of the brotherly bonds linking the Jordanian and Iraqi peoples.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department - The Dead Sea) Over 120 Women from around the world engaged in a lively dialogue to address vital issues relating to the participation of women in the social, economic, and political development process.

The session, held as part of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Extraordinary Meeting at the Dead Sea, brought together women activists representing business, social development and economic sectors to create a platform to change mindsets that limit opportunities for women.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department - Zarqa) As students headed back to their classrooms this week, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah visited Al-Hussein Girls’ School in Zarqa, which is run by the Directorate of Education and Military Culture of the Jordanian Armed Forces.

During the visit, Queen Rania stressed the importance of schools being a natural extension of the family where all ideals and morals develop by providing a suitable educational environment that can foster excellence and creativity.

Jordan's Queen Rania Al Abdullah emphasizes the need to teach Arab kids how to start their own businesses and create jobs. She's crisscrossed the region to drum up support for Injaz al-Arab, a fast-growing NGO that has helped 270,000 students learn business skills and set up their own mini-companies. Her Majesty answered Stefan Theil's written questions from the royal family's undisclosed vacation retreat. Excerpts: