Middle East

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department- Amman) – Under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, the Columbia University Middle East Research Center (CUMERC) in conjunction with the Earth Institute at Columbia University and the Jordanian Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MoPIC), held a signing ceremony for the Institute for Sustainable Development Practice on Monday December 6, 2010.

[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhuhOP3kVoA]]

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You might think that the United Arab Emirates with its futuristic skyscraper cities would be the beating heart of what is Middle Eastern technology today. However, a much more unassuming, low-key country is earning itself that title through an impressive number of persevering, talented and creative entrepreneurs.

Jordan is at the top of the list for the most technology startups, and its developers are at the forefront of some of the most popular Middle Eastern startups to have come out of the region.

In addition to her efforts on behalf of education, human rights and women's issues, Jordan's monarch focused this year on bridging gaps between the U.S. and the Middle East. In August she announced via Twitvid, a Twitter video application, the winners of a tourism contest she sponsored, which will bring an American to Jordan and send a Jordanian to the U.S. on all-expense-paid trips. She's a queen of social media, too, with more than 1.3 million followers on Twitter and more than 300,000 fans on Facebook; she also maintains her own website and YouTube channel.

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Beautiful and intelligent, and balancing a modern outlook with a deep concern for her people, Jordan's Queen Rania seems in many ways to represent the optimistic face of the Middle East's future.

Since she entered the spotlight after she married then Prince Abdullah in 1993, she has become known for her philanthropic work, pushing for better educational facilities for Jordan's school children and supporting efforts to empower women.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department – Amman) In a time where children are meant to be waking up to the sounds of laughter and honking school buses, many of the children of the Middle East are hearing cries of pain, bullets and bombs. As the situation in the region continues to worsen, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah spoke out on behalf of the victims of war through a televised taped message to supporters of the Peace One Day movement, to raise awareness about the humanitarian crises.  

(Royal Hashemite Court, Media & Communication Directorate - Amman) Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania on Monday met with a delegation of US congressional aides and reviewed the situation in the Middle East, efforts to push the peace process forward and bilateral cooperation.  

King Abdullah underlined the significance of a just and permanent peace settlement to the Middle East conflict, saying the region will continue to suffer from tension and instability as long as such a solution is not reached. 

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department - Amman) Jordanian youth from around the Kingdom got a chance to participate in the World’s premier economic gathering when they joined Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah at a session tackling challenges facing youth in the Middle East.

(Royal Hashemite Court, Communication & Information Division - Amman) Jordan and Kuwait on Sunday called for the resumption of the Middle East peace process and urged the international community to continue aiding the Palestinians.

His Majesty King Abdullah and Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah said at a Dar Al Salwa meeting here dialogue and negotiations should lead to the implementation of the roadmap and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

(As it appeared in Slate)