Wijdan Ali

Princess Wijdan Ali ( _ar. وجدان علي) was born in Baghdad, Iraq. She currently resides in Amman, Jordan with her husband Prince 'Ali bin Naif of Jordan.

She received her B.A. in history from Beirut University College in 1961, while studying art privately. She received a Ph.D. in Islamic art from the University of London in 1993.

In her art she develops the traditions of Arabic calligraphy in a modern format and forms part of the contemporary school of Arabic calligraphic painting. Her work, which has won awards in Belgium and France, is found in museums and private collections internationally.

Princess Wijdan Ali is founder of the Royal Society of Fine Arts and of the Jordan National Gallery.She is also founder and dean of the newly established Faculty of Arts and Design at the University of Jordan.

She was the first woman to enter the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jordan (1962) and also the first woman delegate to represent Jordan at United Nations meetings and the first woman diplomat at the United Nations General Assembly.

Princess Wijdan Bint Fawwaz Muhana took the oath of office as Jordan's new ambassador to Italy before King Abdullah on October 3rd, 2006.

Family and marriage

Princess Wijdan was born Sharifa Wijdan bint Fawaz on August 29, 1939 in Baghdad, Iraq to the noted architect Sharif Fawwaz al-Muhanna and his wife Sharifa Nafi'a bint Jamil 'Ali. Sharifa Wijdan's mother was a member of the Hashemite family and sister of Sharifa Zein bint Jamil 'Ali who would later become Queen Zein al-Sharaf of Jordan (mother of the late King Hussein). She is a descendant of The Prophet Mohammed.

Sharifa Wijdan bint Fawaz was married to Prince 'Ali Azim bin Naif of Jordan on April 11, 1966 in Amman, Jordan. Upon her marriage she became Princess Wijdan 'Ali "of Jordan"

Prince 'Ali is the son of Prince Naif bin Abdullah of Jordan and his wife Princess Mehrimah "Sultana" of Turkey, daughter of Major-General Prince Sultan Muhammad Zia ud-din "Effendi" of Turkey, GCVO.

Children

Prince Mohammed al-Abbas bin 'Ali. born on 17th February 1973. married to Princess Sima Abbas (Ghanem) who has a Bachelor Degree in Commerce from McGill University, Montreal, Canada (B.Com. 1998). She is now one of the owners of The Linen Closet. Both Prince Abbas and Princess Sima have one son and two daughters:

* Prince Hamzah al-Abbas. born in Amman, 16th April 2007.
* Princess Rania al-Abbas. born in Amman, 22nd March 2004.
* Princess Karma al-Abbas. born in Amman, 26th August 2002.

Princess Na'afa bint 'Ali. b. 27th December 1966. Mngr. Al-Kutaifa Estate.

Princess Rajwa bint 'Ali. b. at Amman, 29th June 1968. Artist and sculptor. Hon. Presdt. Balqa Plastic Arts Soc. Mbr. Brd. of Trustees National Gallery of Fine Arts.

Major Princess Basma Fatima bint 'Ali. b. 24th March 1970, educ. RMA Sandhurst, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst., Massachusetts, USA. cmsnd. 2nd-Lieut. Jordan Arab Army, prom. Maj., head of the Human Resources Dvsn. Chair. Jordan Royal Ecological Diving Soc. (JREDS) since 1993, National Environment and Wildlife Soc. (NEWS) since 1996, Royal Soc. for the Conservation of Marine Environment, Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Dvpt,. and the Red Crescent Soc. Hon. Presdt. Fertile Crescent Soc. of the Middle East, and the Planetary Coral Reef Foundn. (California, USA); Founder and President of the Pilot Phase Assessment Cttee. of Jordan for the Global Environmental Facility. Mbr. Soc. for the Preservation of Jordanian Heritage, RAC of Jordan, and of the Brd. of Dirs. Halfway House for Juvenile Delinquents (Boston, USA). Rcvd: Order of Merit from the Jordanian Armed Forces (1998), the King Hussein Gold Medal for Excellence, and the Medal of Administrative Competence (1995). m. 2004, Amjad Farrah, Jordanian International Rally Champion and FIA Middle East Championship for Drivers 2004.

External links

* [http://www3.ircica.org/metinler.php?kat_id=161&grup=ABOUT%20IRCICA Bio on ircica.org]
* [http://universes-in-universe.org/eng/islamic_world/articles/2003/princess_wijdan_ali/ Interview] printed [http://www.universes-in-universe.de/islam/eng/2004/01/jngfa/interview-print.html in] Nafas art magazine
* [http://www.4dw.net/royalark/Jordan/jordan2.htm]