Jordan
Queen
Hijri 1389–Present (AH); Common Era 1970–Present (CE)
Queen Rania has been an enthusiastic supporter and advocate of women’s empowerment and children’s rights. She is an active philanthropist involved with numerous non-profits and UN agencies. Queen Rania was born to Palestinian parents in Kuwait, where she completed her primary education. She received her college degree in Business Administration from the American University in Cairo. After graduating, she worked for Apple and Citibank. In 1993 she met and married King Abdullah II of Jordan, who was then a prince. He succeeded his father as King of Jordan in 1999. Queen Rania’s philanthropic work focuses on gender equality, children’s rights, and micro-finance. Through the Madrasati Initiative, Queen Rania aims to improve the quality of Jordan’s public schools. She serves on the board of the Foundation for International Community Assistance (FINCA), which helps the world’s poor gain easier access to basic financial services. Queen Rania is also the chair of the Board of Trustees of the Jordan River Foundation, whose mission is to improve the wellbeing of Jordanian society through economic development and youth projects. In addition, she is also a board member of the World Economic Forum and the United Nations Foundation. In 2008, Queen Rania launched her own YouTube site, which she uses to dispel misconceptions about Islam and women in Islam by, for example, posting videos on development and social justice issues. Her YouTube site has millions of viewers.
