King tasks Prince Talal with preparing record of national occasions

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah has sent a letter to HRH Prince Talal Bin Mohammad tasking him with preparing a comprehensive record of the Kingdom’s national occasions and the ways to celebrate them. 

His Majesty directed Prince Talal, the King’s special adviser, to include the traditions and formalities that should be observed when celebrating the Kingdom’s national occasions, which are “beacons of light” in Jordan’s history and national heritage, a Royal Court statement said.

His Majesty stressed that pivotal occasions such as the Independence Day, the Great Arab Revolt anniversary and Army Day should remain a source of pride and inspiration for future generations.

“Our fathers and ancestors have sacrificed to make these achievements come true; our armed forces had many martyrs and fought heroic battles defending this country and the nation’s dignity,” the King said in the letter, dated June 11.

Celebrating these occasions honours these sacrifices and achievements, he added.

The Kingdom’s Independence Day, annually celebrated on May 25, marks the day Jordan won its full independence from the British mandate and was declared a Kingdom in 1946.

Celebrations marking the 1916 Great Arab Revolt anniversary and Army Day, which falls on June 10, customarily kick off on Independence Day.

Sharif Hussein, the emir of Mecca and king of Hijaz, launched the Great Arab Revolt in June 1916 with the objective of establishing an independent and unified Arab state.

The Great Arab Revolt secured Arab rule over most of the Arabian Peninsula, Syria and all of modern Jordan, founded by Sharif Hussein’s son, the late King Abdullah I.