Jordan marks 15 years since King Hussein’s passing

AMMAN — Jordanians on Friday mark the 15th anniversary of the passing of His Majesty King Hussein, who died at the age of 63 on February 7, 1999 following a battle with cancer.

Jordanians also mark the anniversary of His Majesty King Abdullah’s assumption of constitutional powers, as he was proclaimed King on the same day 15 years ago.

A direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, King Hussein was born on November 14, 1935 as the eldest son of King Talal and Queen Zein Al Sharaf.

He was proclaimed King on August 11, 1952 at the age of 18 and assumed his constitutional powers on May 2, 1953.

At the time of his death, King Hussein was the longest serving executive head of state in the world.

Throughout his five-decade rule, he worked hard to raise the living standards of his people and during his reign the literacy rate dramatically rose.

King Hussein’s commitment to democracy, civil liberties and human rights helped make Jordan a model state in the region.

He believed that the key to a brighter future lay in working together towards the goals of conflict resolution, peace, education for enlightened citizenship and leadership, and the values of community, mutual understanding and sustainable development.

Enhancing joint Arab coordination was a priority for King Hussein, who believed that solving outstanding issues and conflicts between Arab countries should be done through upholding the higher Arab interest and believing in the common destiny of the Arab nation.

During his reign, several agricultural projects were implemented, including the establishment of the East Ghor Canal, known as the King Abdullah Canal, which irrigates hundreds of thousands of dunums of land in the Jordan Valley, as well as several dams and artesian wells.