Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein

Infobox Jordanian Royalty|princess
name = Princess Haya bin Al Hussein
Arabic name = ھيا)
title = Princess Haya of Jordan; Sheikha Haya of Dubai


caption =
spouse = Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
issue = Sheikha Al Jalila
royal house = Hashemite
titles ="HRH" Princess Haya of Jordan
royal anthem =
father = Hussein of Jordan
mother = Alia al-Hussein
date of birth = birth date and age|1974|5|3|mf=y
place of birth = Amman, Jordan

Princess Haya of Jordan ( _ar. ھيا), born Birth date and age|1974|5|3|mf=y is one of King Hussein I of Jordan's daughters and the junior wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's two wives.

Education

Princess Haya studied in Britain, where she attended Badminton School for Girls in Bristol, Bryanston School in Dorset and later St Hilda's College, Oxford University, from which she graduated with a BA Honours degree in P.P.E. (Politics, Philosophy, and Economics.)

Sports & activities

Princess Haya is an avid sportswoman. She participated in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney Australia representing Jordan in show jumping, where she was also the flag bearer for the Jordanian delegation, and regularly takes part in equestrian events. She has been elected as president of the International Equestrian Federation for a standard four year term ending in 2010 [http://www.princesshaya.net/profile.shtm The Official Website of HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein - Profile] ] . Princess Haya was also selected as a member of the international athletes commission at the International Olympic Committee. On June 7, 2008, New Approach, the three-year-old colt owned by Princess Haya, trained in Ireland by Jim Bolger and ridden by Kevin Manning, won the Derby Stakes, the world's premier Classic race for thorughbred race horses, over one and half miles at Epsom Downs. Princess Haya was able to lead the horse into the winning enclosure, accompanied by Sheikh Mohammed.

Princess Haya has engaged in a range of humanitarian activities and founded Tikyet Um Ali, the first Arab NGO dedicated to overcoming hunger, in her native Jordan and now serves as Chairperson of Dubai International Humanitarian City. She was appointed a UN Messenger of Peace in July 2007 by Secretary-General Ban-Ky Moon and earlier was the first woman and first Arab to serve as an ambassador for the World Food Programme (2005-2007). She is a founding member of Former Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Global Humanitarian Forum based in Geneva . ] [ [http://www.princesshaya.net/affiliates.shtm The Official Website of HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein] ] and serves on the boards of many other non-profit organizations.

Marriage and children

On April 10, 2004, Princess Haya married Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, becoming his junior wife; his senior wife is Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum.

On December 2, 2007 in Dubai, Haya gave birth to her first daughter, HH Sheikha Al Jalila bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. [ [http://www.petra.gov.jo/Artical.aspx?Section=&Artical=9469 Jordan News Agency - Petra - Sheikh Rashid Al Maktoum, Princess Haya name their new baby girl Aljalila] ] The baby's birth coincides with the United Arab Emirates' 36th celebration of National Day. [ [http://www.daylife.com/photo/07Bz867e5WaGM Photo from Reuters Pictures - ] Daylife]

Titles and Styles

Haya, being styled "Royal Highness" and "Princess", outranks her husband who bears the lower style of "Highness". Haya is thus allowed to remain HRH Princess Haya instead of taking on the lower style HH Sheikha Haya. Any children she may bear with her husband will be styled as children of a Sheikh.

References

External links

* [http://www.princesshaya.net/ Official website]