His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, Head of State
King Abdullah II, the son of the late King Hussein, took the throne in February 1999. In this position, His Majesty controls both the government and the armed forces, including appointing the members of the upper house of parliament, approving laws that can be overridden by a 2/3 vote in the lower house, approving constitutional amendments, serving as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and having the sole power to declare war. He also oversees the appointment and dismissal of judges, regional governors and Amman’s mayor. He previously served as a major general in the Jordanian army, commanding both the Jordanian Special Forces and later the Special Operations Command. King Abdullah supports the Arab Peace Initiative and has hosted U.S., Israeli and Palestinian delegations in an effort to advance the peace process. The king met with President Obama in Washington D.C. on April 21, the first visit from an Arab leader to the United States since the beginning of the Obama administration.
Nader Dahabi, Prime Minister and Minister of Defense
The king appoints the prime minister, who serves as the head of the government and, along with the cabinet, administers all internal and external state affairs. Dahabi previously served as chief executive officer of the Royal Jordanian Air Force, chief commissioner of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, minister of transportation, minister of tourism and antiquities and minister of transport. According to Jordanian officials, Dahabi reshuffled his cabinet in February to be better able to deal with social and economic issues. Dahabi, who has served in this role since November 2007, has emphasized the importance of resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict, including the creation of an independent Palestinian state as critical to peace in the region.
Nasser Lawzi, Chief of Royal Hashemite Court
The Royal Hashemite Court is the link between the king and the government and security forces. The king supervises the work of the chief of the royal court, which is considered the third most important position after the king and prime minister. King Abdullah appointed Lawzi to this position in October 2008. Lawzi earlier served as chairman of Royal Jordanian Airlines, information minister, minister of transport and minister of public works.
Nasser Judeh, Foreign Minister
Judeh replaced Salah al-Basheer as foreign minister during Dahabi’s cabinet reorganization. Judeh previously held the positions of information minister and government spokesman. In a recent interview with Middle East Progress, Judeh stressed the need to end the Arab-Israeli conflict through a two-state solution and a comprehensive peace based on the Arab Peace Initiative.
Nayef al-Qadi, Interior Minister
Nayef al-Qadi succeeded Eid al-Fayez as interior minister in February. The interior minister oversees the Police and Security Directorate, which controls general police activities, and shares responsibility for maintaining internal security and monitoring threats with the General Intelligence Department (GID) and the military.
General Mohammed Raqqad, Director of the General Intelligence Department
The GID carries out intelligence operations to safeguard against internal and external threats. Raqqad, formerly deputy GID director, was appointed director in December 2008. Raqqad replaced Muhammad Dahabi under whose tenure the Jordanian government opened up contacts with Hamas.
Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein, Ambassador to the United States and non-resident Ambassador to Mexico
Prince Zeid has held the position of ambassador to the United States since January 2007. He previously served as ambassador to the UN and president of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the ICC’s governing body.
