Queen Rania skipped Jordan's Independence Day celebration on Sunday due to a back injury.
The Jordanian royal shared a photo of herself watching the celebration on television with Princess Iman, who gave birth to her first child, daughter Amina, in February.
"Happy Independence Day to our beloved Jordan. I look forward to celebrating this day alongside His Majesty each year, but I am tuning in from home after treatment for back pain - with my dear Iman graciously keeping me company," Queen Rania posted on Instagram.
In Arabic, she jokingly added that she has joined "the Jordanian disc club", suggesting spinal issues.
Jordan celebrated its 79th Independence Day with patriotic fervour on Sunday. Streets across Amman were lined with flags, while government buildings, historical sites and main roads were dressed in red, white, green and black – the colours of the Jordanian flag.
This year’s celebration featured cultural performances, air and drone shows and a special ceremony attended by the royal family at Al Husseiniya Palace in the evening.
The Royal Hashemite Court posted a photo of King Abdullah II accompanied by Crown Prince Hussein, Princess Salma and Prince Hashem arriving for the ceremony. Prince Hussein's wife, Princess Rajwa, who turned 31 in April, was not seen in the photo.
At the ceremony, King Abdullah bestowed medals upon several distinguished Jordanian individuals and leading national institutions in recognition of their significant contributions and services to the nation and its people, state news agency Roya News reported.
Crown Prince Hussein also posted a photo from the event. "Today, we celebrate the outstanding achievements of a group of Jordanians whose dedication continues to inspire. Happy Independence Day," he shared on Instagram.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
