RIYADH: The marriage between Saudi Arabia’s Rajwa Al-Saif and Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II marks a special moment for both countries.
Arab News spoke to Jordan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ali Al-Kayed to understand more about the relationship between both kingdoms and his hopes for the future in light of Thursday’s royal wedding.
“The relations between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are deeply rooted in history in terms of strong fraternal and popular relations, as well as intermarriage, kinship and neighborly relations,” he said, when asked how the marriage would affect ties between both countries.
“The relations between the two brotherly countries are characterized by strategic and historical depth, united by civilization, good neighborliness, similar geography and established brotherhood, in addition to the common, mutual and largely compatible interests, which differentiates it from other relations,” the ambassador added.
Al-Kayed also noted both Jordan and Saudi Arabia’s missions to support causes beyond their borders, highlighting the desire for cooperation from both countries.
“These relations are consolidated in the high level of communication, cooperation and permanent coordination between the governments of the two brotherly countries under the leadership of His Majesty the Hashemite King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein, may God protect and preserve him, and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, may God protect and preserve him, in the interest of both peoples, their security and stability, and in support of Islamic and Arab causes,” he said.
King Abdullah II was recently in Riyadh to attend the 32nd Arab summit. Before that, he completed a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia in April, during which he held talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah and discussed bilateral ties. For his part, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince visited Jordan in June 2022, while King Salman touched down in the country in 2017 for a series of talks with King Abdullah II and to attend the 28th Arab summit.
Ahead of the royal wedding, Al-Kayed touched on the history of state visits between both kingdoms.
“The two kingdoms, previously and as of late, are similar in international and regional political positions with the converging visions and starting points at the level of their two supreme leaderships regarding all international issues and events that concern the Middle East region or other international issues, in an atmosphere of deep understanding and mutual consultation embodied by the successive historical visits between the kings of the two states in mutual respect,” he said.
And when it comes to culture, fans of Al-Saif may be keen to know if the princess will have to adapt to a different way of life as she takes on her role as a working member of Jordan’s royal family.
“There is no cultural difference between Jordan and Saudi Arabia; as the two people share the same social and cultural traditions,” Al-Kayed said.
He added: “They are united by an inherent brotherhood, a similar heritage, and neighborly relations cementing the bonds of love and strength between the two peoples, constituting — for any observer of customs, traditions, history and unity — a model of cohesion in Arab relations.”
