UAE President awards Order of Zayed to King Abdullah of Jordan

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomed His Majesty King Abdullah II Bin Al-Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on a state visit to the UAE on Wednesday.

Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed said, “I was pleased to receive King Abdullah II of Jordan to discuss the deep-rooted and historic bonds between our nations. Through robust economic partnership and people-to-people engagement, the UAE and Jordan remain united in joint efforts to fortify regional cooperation, development, and stability.

The UAE President has conferred the Order of Zayed on His Majesty King Abdullah II Bin Al-Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan during his official visit to the UAE.

The Order of Zayed is considered the highest civilian honour granted by the UAE, and is bestowed upon world leaders and heads of state. The award bears the name of the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed, whose legacy of humanitarianism, international cooperation and the pursuit of peace continues to have an impact throughout the world today.

His Majesty’s procession was greeted at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi, with an official reception ceremony featuring a cavalcade of horsemen on Arabian horses in the palace courtyard.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed then escorted King Abdullah II to the dais, where the national anthems of the UAE and Jordan were played, followed by a 21-gun salute in honour of His Majesty’s visit.

Prior to His Majesty’s arrival at Qasr Al Watan, the UAE’s national aerobatic team, Al Fursan, took to the skies above the palace, forming a depiction of the Jordanian flag.

In attendance at the reception were His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court; H.H. Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi; Sheikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi; Sheikh Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi; Lt. General Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior; Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Advisor for Special Affairs at the Presidential Court; Ali Bin Hammad Al Shamsi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for National Security; Dr. Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President; Dr. Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; Mohamed Hassan Al Suwaidi, Minister of Investment; Humaid Obaid Abu Shabas, President of the Supreme Audit Institution; and Sheikh Khalifa Bin Mohammed Bin Khalid Al Nahyan, UAE Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Accompanying His Majesty during his visit is His Royal Highness Prince Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II, Crown Prince of Jordan.

The visiting delegation includes Dr. Bisher Al-Khasawneh, Prime Minister of Jordan; Ayman Al-Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates; Zeina Toukan, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation; Jafar Hassan, Director of His Majesty’s Office; along with a number of ministers, senior officials, and Nassar Al-Habashneh, Jordan's Ambassador to the UAE.