Prince Hassan celebrates 70th birthday today

AMMAN — HRH Prince Hassan today celebrates his 70th birthday.

Prince Hassan has engaged in many events, fixtures and engagements over the last year. 

At the centre of all of these has been his enduring commitment to the betterment of the lives of the people of the Middle East, and on a broader scale, those of the global humanitarian community, according to a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

Prince Hassan’s dedication to the causes of human dignity, inter-faith dialogue and conflict resolution have endured through his long years of service, and continues to be at the forefront of his efforts for Jordan, the region and the world.

Over the past year, the prince has been keenly involved with the work of the many institutions of which he is patron, and this involvement has, by no means, been limited to that of patron. 

Institutions such as the Royal Scientific Society, the Arab Thought Forum, the Higher Council for Science and Technology, the El Hassan Youth Award, the Royal Institute of Inter-Faith Studies and the West Asia–North Africa Institute have benefitted from the prince’s ongoing commitment to Jordan, and the Middle East as a whole.

The prince has reiterated his dedication to creating a “New Architecture for the Levant”, a plan to reinvigorate and rebuild the Middle East, with human dignity, inter-regional cooperation, intra-independence and a commonality of shared values at its core.

In October 2016, Prince Hassan was invited to speak at Al Azhar University in Cairo on the topic of “Islam and Peace Building, Domestically and Regionally”. 

The prince’s lecture was extremely well received by the audience and sparked lively discussions of this complex and important issue. 

Whilst in Cairo, Prince Hassan was able to meet both the Sheikh of Al Azhar and the Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. 

He discussed the ongoing efforts for peace in the Middle East and discussed the role that Islam can play in the pursuit of a long-lasting, inter-faith dialogue in the name of peace.

This commitment has led the prince to take part in many roundtable discussions, conferences and meetings; in order to initiate a beneficial and long-term solution to the many sectarian and social divisions that can be seen across the Middle East today. 

Prince Hassan knows that, with the vast wealth of talent to be found in Jordan and the Levant, a solution can and must be found.

Humanitarian issues remain at the forefront of his views for the Middle East. This dedication has taken shape in the  prince’s many visits to refugee camps and emergency medical facilities in order to see for himself the struggles faced by thousands of refugees who, because of the continued crisis in Syria, currently call Jordan home. 

Whilst on these visits, Prince Hassan has also been able to see, and been reassured by, the vast capacity for care and humanity shown by Jordanians across the board — from the many volunteers who spare their time, and devote it to the caring of the vulnerable, to the work of the armed forces who dedicate their lives to keeping Jordan safe and secure.

On the international front, Prince Hassan has taken part in many conferences over the last year. He represented His Majesty King Abdullah at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Jakarta in March 2016. 

Prince Hassan started the year commemorating the Great Arab Revolt, by delivering a lecture in London in January 2016 that highlighted the successes and legacy of the movement. 

He continues to be at the forefront of a drive to bring global recognition to the significant part played by Jordan on the global stage. 

Prince Hassan has also been selected to become the Honorary Chairman of the Board for the International Water Bank, established by the World Bank. This appointment is particularly appropriate for the prince, as the securing of clean and dependable water sources for the region, and enforcing the sanctity of water in a region so dependent upon it, is another area of His Royal Highness’ efforts to bring about awareness and enact change.

Out of his interest in the shared cultural heritage of the people of the region, the prince visited the Pella Archaeological Dig site in Tabaqat Fahl. 

From Bronze Age man to the Ottoman Empire; Pella has housed an overlapping series of communities, and reinforced his belief that the Middle East can return to the pluralistic society it was once famed for.

In this vein, Prince Hassan has dedicated a large part of his life to the ultimate aim of safeguarding the elevated position of Jerusalem. 

In the 34 years he served as Crown Prince, his dedication to Jordan nationally, regionally and internationally has transcended generations, and his work still permeates through the everyday lives of Jordanians. 

Prince Hassan has been involved with many of the great events that have shaped Jordan into the strong, reliable and humanitarian country it is today. 

Supervising the successive Development Plans for Jordan from 1973 until 1990, the creation of the Royal Scientific Society in 1970, his involvement in the 1994 peace treaty with Israel, and his call for a new humanitarian world order are all testament to his devotion to the people of Jordan, and his constant endeavours to further the advancement of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on the global stage. 

Prince Hassan is also known to have brought the first computers to the Kingdom in the early 1970s.

Prince Hassan’s 71st  year promises to be a busy and fulfilling one, continuing his ongoing work with the poor, marginalised and underprivileged. 

However, Prince Hassan is celebrating his birthday quietly, with his family.