King, Brunei sultan attend annual Flag Parade

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF), and Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei attended the annual Flag Parade at Al Rayah parade ground in the Royal Hashemite Court on Thursday.

 King Abdullah and Sultan Bolkiah presented the Great Arab Revolt Flag to the 9th Prince Mohammed Mechanised Battalion during the Parade, which featured the participation of 550 JAF personnel, according to a Royal Court statement.

 His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hussein and Prince Abdul Mateen Haji Hassanal Bolkiah were in attendance, the statement said.

 The parade culminated in the presenting of the Great Arab Revolt Flag to the 9th Prince Mohammed Mechanised Battalion, symbolising the JAF’s role as guardians of the values of the Great Arab Revolt, which have been the anchor of Jordan’s independence and modernisation.

 The flag will remain with the 9th Prince Mohammed Mechanised Battalion, after having been carried by the 39th Jafar Bin Abi Talib Mechanised Battalion, according to the statement. 

In the next Flag Parade, another unit will receive the Flag from the 9th Prince Mohammed Mechanised Battalion to celebrate the values and significance of the Great Arab Revolt in the national consciousness through this annual occasion, which marks Army Day and the anniversary of the Great Arab Revolt.

 A 21-gun salute welcomed His Majesty and Sultan Bolkiah upon arrival at Al Rayah parade ground in the Royal Red Motorcade, escorted by cavalry. 

The King and Sultan Bolkiah were received by Crown Prince Hussein, Prince Abdul Mateen Bolkiah, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat.

 The Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) – Arab Army – Music Band played the national anthems of the two countries, marking the start of the Parade. 

The parade reflected discipline and precision through well-coordinated marches, featuring musical pieces from national, international, and Bruneian heritage, as well as shows by cavalry and camel units, and a Royal Jordanian Air Force air display.

 The parade concluded with the participating units saluting His Majesty and Sultan Bolkiah before exiting Al Rayah, with the national anthem played.

 His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad, His Majesty’s chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs and personal envoy, His Royal Highness Prince Rashid Bin El Hassan, senior officials, heads of security agencies, and senior JAF officers, as well as the official Bruneian delegation attended the Parade.

 Chief of the Pakistan Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and a number of ambassadors to Jordan were also in attendance.

 The first Flag Parade was held on June 2, 2016 to mark the Centennial of the Great Arab Revolt, which was launched by Sharif Hussein Bin Ali on 10 June 1916.

 The parade is an annual national military spectacle, inspired by a tradition that dates back to the establishment of the Emirate of Transjordan, reflecting discipline and precision through well-coordinated marches. 

The JAF Music Band; the Royal Guards Command’s Street Liners and Honour Guards Group, including the Foot Guards and Mounted Guards; the 9th Prince Mohammed Mechanised Battalion; the 39th Jafar Bin Abi Taleb Mechanised Battalion; the Royal Camels Unit, the Royal Jordanian Air Force, and the Royal Artillery Platoon participated in this year’s Flag Parade.

 The 9th Prince Mohammed Mechanised Battalion was formed on 15 November 1949. It fought in the 1967 War and the war of attrition that followed. It has also been part of peacekeeping forces in Haiti and Afghanistan.

 The battalion, which is part of the 51st Hashemite Mechanised Brigade, received the King’s Colours on 6 March 2018, and it undertakes security duties on the northern and western borders within the Northern Military Zone.

 Fifty-seven of the Battalion’s finest have been martyred, 31 of whom fell during combat in Palestinian battles and in defence of Jerusalem.