Queen Rania of Jordan celebrates her 50th birthday today

Today is August 31 and Queen Rania of Jordan celebrates her 50th birthday. Born Rania al Yassin on August 31, 1970, in Kuwait to Palestinian parents. In 1993 she met Prince Abdullah II bin al-Hussein of Jordan at a party, and the two were married six months later. Rania is a strong progressive female voice in the Arab world and a powerful global advocate for education, health and women's rights.

As a princess, Rania established the Jordan River Foundation (JRF) in 1995 with the blessing of His Majesty King Hussein. A non-profit working to promote child safety and community empowerment, JRF provides employment opportunities for local and refugee women, while also focusing on efforts to tackle the issue of child abuse.

Upon the king's death on February 7, 1999, Abdullah became King of Jordan. Six weeks later, he officially elevated his then 28-year-old wife to the status of queen. Announcing her coronation over state television, King Abdullah declared that his wife's non-royal origins made her better connected to "the hopes and outlooks of people" since she "truly believes in their causes."

Stemming from her firm belief in the transformative power of education, one of her earliest efforts as Queen was the launch of The Children’s Museum – Jordan (CMJ), which aims to instill a lasting love for learning in children. CMJ’s Mobile Museum has since toured schools across the country as well, providing Jordanian children everywhere with the opportunity to experience the museum’s educational exhibits and to learn through play.

A mother of four, Queen Rania is deeply concerned with the wellbeing and happiness of Jordanian orphans, visiting orphanages regularly and hosting many events in their honor. In 2003, Queen Rania established Al-Aman Fund for the Future of Orphans, a non-profit organization that helps adult orphans after their graduation from public care centers at the age of 18.

Queen Rania has visited hundreds of schools across the country, speaking to students and teachers in every governorate. Inspired by these conversations and her observations of conditions on the ground, Her Majesty initiated several projects and initiatives to empower students through education.

These initiatives include Madrasati, which has brought together partners from the public, private, and civil society sectors to renovate hundreds of underserved schools. The Queen has also worked to establish partnerships with leading international educational institutions in order to bring world-class expertise to the Queen Rania Teacher Academy (QRTA).

On the global level, Her Majesty has been recognized repeatedly for her advocacy and humanitarian work, particularly her efforts to draw attention to the plight of the world’s refugees, improve access to education, and promote acceptance between all cultures. The Queen also serves as a member on the United Nations Foundation and the World Economic Forum’s Board of Directors, and the International Rescue Committee’s Board of Advisors.