As Jordan's King Abdullah II arrives in Pakistan on Friday for a two-day state visit, he brings with him a quarter-century of leadership marked by efforts to promote moderation and interfaith harmony across the Muslim world and beyond.
The Jordanian monarch was born in Amman in 1962 as the eldest son of the late King Hussein bin Talal and Princess Muna Al Hussein. He has led the Hashemite Kingdom since February 1999.
King Abdullah received his early education at the Islamic Educational College school in Amman and Deerfield Academy in the United States. He later attended Oxford University and the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington.
The Jordanian king pursued a distinguished military career after receiving his education at Britain's Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He rose from first lieutenant to major general and serving as commander of Jordan's special forces.
He was named crown prince on January 24, 1999, and assumed the throne the following month after his father's death.
King Abdullah married Queen Rania Al Abdullah on June 10, 1993. The royal couple has four children: Crown Prince Al Hussein, 31; Princess Iman, 29; Princess Salma, 25; and Prince Hashem, 20.
Interfaith leadership
King Abdullah has emerged as a leading voice for interfaith dialogue and moderation in Islam.
In 2004, he launched the "Amman Message," widely regarded as the first major initiative by a Muslim leader to affirm that terrorism and violence have no place in Islam. Two years later, he supported and funded "A Common Word Between Us and You," calling for peace and harmony between Muslims and Christians.
In 2010, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted his proposal for World Interfaith Harmony Week, observed annually during the first week of February.
His efforts have earned him numerous international awards, including the Peace of Westphalia Prize, the Templeton Prize, Italy's Lamp of Peace of St. Francis, the Scholar-Statesman Award from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, the Path to Peace Award and the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.
King Abdullah is also the author of "Our Last Best Chance: The Pursuit of Peace in a Time of Peril" (2011), which outlines Jordan's vision for resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The king's visit to Pakistan runs through Saturday.
