King Abdullah became king of what country in 1999?
"minarets and marble floors. In 2012, King Abdullah opened the Museum of the Prophet (Arabic: ""متحف الرسول"", matḥaf ar-rusūl), which houses a number of relics associated with the Prophet Muhammad. King Hussein Mosque King Hussein Bin Talal Mosque, better known as the King Hussein Mosque, is the largest mosque in Jordan. Not to be confused with the 1924 Grand Al-Husseini Mosque, also known as King Hussein Mosque, in Downtown Amman. King Hussein Mosque was built in 2005 in the reign of King Abdullah II in West Amman, specifically in Al Hussein Public Parks at King Abdullah II Street near King"
"1999 after the death of his father King Hussein. Abdullah re-affirmed Jordan's commitment to the peace treaty with Israel and its relations with the United States. He refocused the government's agenda on economic reform, during his first year. King Abdullah's eldest son, Prince Hussein, is the current Crown Prince of Jordan. The current prime minister is Omar Razzaz who received his position on 4 June 2018 after his predecessor's austerity measures forced widespread protests. Abdullah had announced his intentions of turning Jordan into a parliamentary system, where the largest bloc in parliament forms a government. However, the underdevelopment of political"
"rousing welcome in January 1999. Soon after, however, he had to fly back to the US for further treatment. King Hussein died in February 1999. More than 50 heads of state attended his funeral. His eldest son Crown Prince Abdullah succeeded to the throne. Economic liberalization policies under King Abdullah II have helped to create one of the freest economies in the Middle East. In March 2001, King Abdullah and presidents Bashar al-Assad of Syria and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt inaugurated a $300m (£207m) electricity line linking the grids of the three countries. In September 2002, Jordan and Israel agreed"
"councils and to compete in the Olympics. Furthermore, Abdullah maintained the status quo when there were waves of protest in the kingdom during the Arab Spring. In November 2013, a BBC report claimed that, due to the close relations it had with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia could obtain nuclear weapons at will from that country. The King also had a longstanding relationship with Pakistan, and brokered a compromise between ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and General Pervez Musharraf, whom he had requested to be exiled to Saudi Arabia for a 10-year exile, following his ouster in the 1999 Pakistani coup d'état."
"August 2005. Abdullah was proclaimed king on the day of Fahd's death and promptly appointed his younger brother, Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the minister of defense and Fahd's ""Second Deputy Prime Minister,"" as the new heir apparent. On 27 March 2009, Abdullah appointed Prince Nayef Interior Minister as his ""second deputy prime minister"" and Crown Prince on 27 October. Sultan died in October 2011 while Nayef died in Geneva, Switzerland on 15 June 2012. On 23 January 2015, Abdullah died after a prolonged illness, and his half-brother, Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, was declared the new King. The head"
"ill-health prevented him from fully functioning. In the absence of a king who could provide strong central leadership, the state structure began to fragment and the country stagnated. King Abdullah, who came to the throne in 2005, was seen as a reformer and has introduced economic reforms (limited deregulation, encouragement of foreign investment, and privatization) and made modernizing changes to the judiciary and government ministries. The royal family dominates the political system. The family's vast numbers allow it to hold most of the kingdom's important posts and to have an involvement and presence at all levels of government. The number"
"Army. On 7 February 1999 King Hussein died and his eldest son Prince Abdullah bin Hussein acceded to the throne of Jordan, having two weeks previously been designated to succeed his father as ruler in place of the king's brother, Crown Prince Hassan bin Talal. On the same day, in compliance with his father's wish, King Abdullah II decreed that he, in turn, would be succeeded not by a son of his own but by his half-brother, Prince Hamzah, who was therefore accorded the title of crown prince. Nearly six years later, on 28 November 2004, King Abdullah removed Hamzah"
"it after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and lost in the 1967 Six-Day War. Its annexation of the West Bank was not recognized, and in 1988 the kingdom ceded its claim to the territory. An interview with Abdullah by Jeffrey Goldberg, published in ""The Atlantic"" in March 2013, sparked controversy when the king criticized local and international figures and parties. He called the Muslim Brotherhood a ""Masonic cult"" and ""wolves in sheep's clothing"", described ousted Egyptian president Mohammad Morsi as a man with ""no depth"" and said that Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan saw democracy as ""a bus ride"". Abdullah"
"by the kingdom's preeminent Shi'i scholar Hasan al-Saffar, as well as a group of Sunni clerics that had previously expressed their loathing for the Shi'i minority. Abdullah succeeded to the throne upon the death of his half-brother King Fahd. He was formally enthroned on 2 August 2005. King Abdullah's administration attempted reforms in different fields. In 2005, King Abdullah implemented a government scholarship program to send young Saudi men and women abroad for undergraduate and postgraduate studies in different universities around the world. The program offered funds for tuition and living expenses up to four years. It is estimated that"
"July 2002 while coming from Jeddah to Riyadh to participate in funeral prayers for Prince Ahmed, son of Prince Salman, who has been the King of Saudi Arabia since 2015. Prince Abdullah's family on the father's side is directly descended from Saud bin Faisal. Saud's rule as well as that of his brother Abdullah marked the end of the second Saudi state after an invasion of Ottomans early in the 19th century. Prince Abdullah received elementary and secondary education in Saudi Arabia. He then went to the United Kingdom for higher education where he studied engineering. Prince Abdullah's early career"
"the King went on a private trip to Morocco, where he is known to frequent. The King returned to Saudi Arabia from Morocco on 24 September. Nearly two months later, in November 2012, King Abdullah underwent another back surgery in Riyadh and left hospital on 13 December 2012. A report in April 2014 stated that the King had around six months left to live, citing a diagnosis of terminal lung cancer. On 2 January 2015, Abdullah was hospitalized in Riyadh for pneumonia and died on 23 January at the age of 90. Per Islamic tradition, his funeral was held the"
"year, he was appointed commander of the Saudi Arabian National Guard, a post he was still holding when he became king. He also served as deputy defense minister and was named crown prince when Fahd took the throne in 1982. After King Fahd suffered a serious stroke in 1995, Abdullah became the ""de facto"" ruler of Saudi Arabia until ascending the throne a decade later. During his reign he maintained close relations with United States and United Kingdom and bought billions of dollars worth of defense equipment from both states. He also gave women the right to vote for municipal"
"as Crown Prince on 18 June 2012, and would succeed him in 2015. In 2006, Abdullah set up the Allegiance Council, a body that is composed of the sons and grandsons of Saudi Arabia's founder, King Abdulaziz, to vote by a secret ballot to choose future kings and crown princes. The council's mandate was not to have started until after the reigns of both King Abdullah and late Prince Sultan were over. It was not clear what was to happen when Prince Sultan died before the end of Abdullah's reign, leaving a question as to whether the council would vote"
"Abdullah of Saudi Arabia Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (, """", Najdi Arabic pronunciation: ; 1 August 1924 – 23 January 2015) was King of Saudi Arabia and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques from 2005 to his death in 2015. He ascended to the throne on 1 August 2005 upon the death of his half-brother, King Fahd. Abdullah, like Fahd, was one of the many sons of Ibn Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia. Abdullah held important political posts throughout most of his adult life. In 1961 he became mayor of Mecca, his first public office. The following"
"a position held by his dynasty since 1924. Abdullah was born on 30 January 1962 in Amman, to King Hussein, and Hussein's British-born second wife, Princess Muna. He is the namesake of his great-grandfather, Abdullah I, who founded modern Jordan. Abdullah's dynasty, the Hashemites, ruled Mecca for over 700 years—until the House of Saud conquered Mecca in 1925—and have ruled Jordan since 1921. The Hashemites are the oldest ruling dynasty in the Muslim world. According to family tradition, Abdullah is the 41st generation agnatic descendant of Muhammad's daughter Fatimah and her husband, Ali, the fourth caliph. As Hussein's eldest son,"
"offer his support. On 23 January 2015, King Abdullah died and was succeeded by King Salman. History of Saudi Arabia The history of Saudi Arabia in its current form as a state began with its foundation in 1744, although the human history of the region extends as far as 20,000 years ago. The region has had a global impact twice in world history: At other times, the region existed in relative obscurity and isolation, although from the 7th century the cities of Mecca and Medina had the highest spiritual significance for the Muslim world, with Mecca becoming the destination for"
"raid. In 2005, King Fahd died and his half-brother, Abdullah ascended to the throne. Despite growing calls for change, the king continued the policy of moderate reform. The country's continued reliance on oil revenue is of particular concern. King Abdullah pursued a policy of limited deregulation, privatization, and seeking foreign investment. In November 2005, following 12 years of talks, the World Trade Organization gave the green light to Saudi Arabia's membership. In December 2006, Saudi Arabia pressured Britain into halting a fraud investigation into the £43bn Al-Yamamah arms deal with Saudi Arabia. Then, in September 2007, Saudi Arabia agreed a"
"to Saudi Arabia. King Faisal was reported not to forgive Prince Talal but privately assured his mother that his assets would be unfrozen and that he could safely return home. After the September 11 attacks, Prince Talal challenged the ""potentially very confusing"" claim that rulers and religious scholars should jointly decide affairs of state. He openly stated his support for the establishment of an elected assembly in Saudi Arabia in 2001. In September 2007, he announced his desire to form a political party to advance his goal of liberalizing the country. In 2009, Prince Talal stated, ""King Abdullah is the"
"Abdullah was out of the country. Prince Salman launched a Twitter account on 23 February 2013. In September 2012, Salman was named as the deputy chairman of the military service council. He is a strong advocate for philanthropy in poor Muslim nations such as Somalia, Sudan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. On 23 January 2015, Salman, aged 79, succeeded as king after his half-brother Abdullah died of pneumonia at the age of 90. The newly appointed king issued a statement which read ""His Highness Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and all members of the family and the nation mourn Custodian of the"
"title was named at that time, the king was expected to appoint his son and heir apparent, Prince Hussein, crown prince. Hussein received the title on 2 July 2009. King Abdullah and Queen Rania have four children: Crown Prince Hussein (born 28 June 1994), Princess Iman (born 27 September 1996), Princess Salma (born 26 September 2000), and Prince Hashem (born 30 January 2005). The ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Al-Maktoum, is married to Abdullah's half-sister Princess Haya. Abdullah has listed skydiving, motorcycling, water sports, and collecting ancient weapons as his interests and hobbies, and is a fan of the science-fiction"
"UK, King Abdullah was accused by protestors of being a ""murderer"" and a ""torturer"". Concerns were raised about the treatment of women and homosexuals by the Saudi kingdom and over alleged bribes involving arms deals between Saudi Arabia and the UK. King Abdullah's heir apparent was his half-brother Crown Prince Sultan until the latter's death on 22 October 2011. The title of Crown Prince then passed to Prince Sultan's full-brother, Nayef, until his death in Geneva, Switzerland, on 16 June 2012, while undergoing medical tests for an undisclosed ailment. His third heir apparent was his half-brother Salman, who was named"
"Islamic declaration of faith: King of Saudi Arabia The King of Saudi Arabia is Saudi Arabia's absolute monarch who serves as head of state and head of government. He is the head of the Saudi royal family, the House of Saud. The King is called the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (), a title that signifies Saudi Arabia's jurisdiction over the mosques of Masjid al Haram in Mecca and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina, replacing His Majesty in 1986. King Abdulaziz (known in the West as Ibn Saud) began conquering today's Saudi Arabia in 1902, by restoring his family as"
"1980 as a training officer in the Jordanian Armed Forces, later assuming command of the country's Special Forces in 1994, and he became a major general in 1998. In 1993 Abdullah married Rania Al-Yassin (of Palestinian descent), and they have four children: Crown Prince Hussein, Princess Iman, Princess Salma and Prince Hashem. A few weeks before his death in 1999, Hussein named Abdullah his heir, and Abdullah succeeded his father. Abdullah, a constitutional monarch, liberalized the economy when he assumed the throne, and his reforms led to an economic boom which continued until 2008. During the following years Jordan's economy"
"the King Hussein Leadership Prize.She is the president of the international board, the governing board of international movement for the UWC movement. King Hussein died on 7 February 1999 from lymphatic cancer. After his death, his first-born son, Abdullah II, became king and Hamzah became crown prince. In 2004, Prince Hamzah was unexpectedly stripped of his status as heir designate. On 2 July 2009, Abdullah named his eldest son as heir to the throne, thereby ending the previous five years' speculation over his successor. Noor divides her time among Jordan, Washington, D.C., and the United Kingdom (in London and at"
"year, King Abdullah announced a package of $93 billion, which included 500,000 new homes to a cost of $67 billion, in addition to creating 60,000 new security jobs. Although male-only municipal elections were held on 29 September 2011, Abdullah allowed women to vote and be elected in the 2015 municipal elections, and also to be nominated to the Shura Council. Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy. However, according to the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia adopted by royal decree in 1992, the king must comply with Sharia (Islamic law) and the Quran, while the Quran and the Sunnah (the traditions"
"Gyanendra was peacefully deposed in May 2008 and the country became a federal republic. One of the world's oldest monarchies was abolished in Ethiopia in 1974 with the fall of Emperor Haile Selassie. The majority of current monarchies are constitutional monarchies. In most of these, the monarch wields only symbolic power, although in some, the monarch does play a role in political affairs. In Thailand, for instance, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned from 1946 to 2016, played a critical role in the nation's political agenda and in various military coups. Similarly, in Morocco, King Mohammed VI wields significant, but not"
"Hussein during his stay at the Mayo Clinic to keep him updated. Batikhi discredited the King's brother Hassan, and often voiced his support for Hussein's eldest son Abdullah as successor. Abdullah, who was 36 years old at the time, enjoyed great support from the army. He was crown prince when he was born in 1962, but Hussein transferred the title to his brother Hassan in 1965 due to political uncertainty back then. On his way back to Jordan in January 1999, Hussein stopped in London. Doctors advised him to rest and stay in England for a few weeks, as he"
"crowned King Abdullah in response to major geopolitical shifts in the Middle East region. The occupation of Iraq made the region ""a center for reconstruction, globalization and reorganization"" with the entry of the United States as a major player. In addition to its regional influence in the Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia is one of the leading actors in the Islamic world and has a central role in global energy policy. The Council was formed to act as an organizational mechanism that coordinates the Kingdom's internal and external policies relating to national security, enabling it to respond effectively to rapidly changing"
"God, give him advice and take care of him."" Abdullah's investiture took place on 9 June 1999. A reception at Raghadan Palace attended by 800 dignitaries followed a motorcade ride through Amman by the 37-year old king and his 29-year old wife, Rania—the then youngest queen in the world. Although Jordan is a constitutional monarchy, the king retains wide executive and legislative powers; he is head of state and commander-in-chief of the Jordanian Armed Forces and appoints the prime minister and the directors of security agencies. The prime minister is free to choose his cabinet. The Parliament of Jordan consists"
"grandfather, Abdullah I. The new king carefully laid his father's face to one side in rest and passages from the Quran were read. Finally trumpets sounded the Last Post and a military bugler played. Attending guards fired a salute. The new king kept a stern face, although relatives around him wept. Queen Noor watched from the gates of the cemetery as the king was buried. On the date of his death on 7 February 1999, King Hussein was the longest-serving executive head of state in the world. Hundreds of dignitaries attended the funeral in the largest gathering of world leaders"
"head of the Saudi Arabian Red Crescent Society. King Abdullah's seventh son, Prince Turki, who was a pilot in the Royal Saudi Air Force, was governor of the Riyadh Province (2014–2015). The youngest son, Prince Badr, was born in 2003, when Abdullah was about 79 years old. In October 2015, his son, Prince Majed bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, was arrested in Los Angeles for using cocaine, being drunk, threatening female employees, and forcing them to watch him having gay sex with a male employee. King Abdullah's daughter Princess Adila is married to Faisal bin Abdullah bin Mohammed. She"
"a that allowed victims of the 9/11 attacks to sue the Saudi Arabian government for their losses in 2016. After President George W. Bush's two visits to Saudi Arabia in 2008—which was the first time a U.S. president visited a foreign country twice in less than four months—and King Abdullah's three visits to the US—2002, 2005 and 2008—the relations have surely reached their peak. The two nations have expanded their relationship beyond oil and counter terrorism efforts. For example, King Abdullah has allocated funds for young Saudis to study in the United States. One of the most important reasons that"
"a cabinet. In the January 2013 election, pro-regime figures were victorious as opposition groups continued a boycott. Since December 2012, the king has published seven discussion papers outlining his vision of democracy and reform in Jordan. In December 2012, Abdullah was the first head of state to visit the West Bank after a United Nations General Assembly vote upgraded the Palestinian Authority to a nonmember observer state. Jordan sees an independent Palestinian state, with the 1967 borders, as part of the two-state solution and of supreme national interest. Jordan, the only country bordering the West Bank other than Israel, ruled"