Ihab Mahmoud is one of hundreds of government high school pupils chosen to stand at roundabouts where the wedding convoy of Crown Prince Hussein will pass on Thursday.
The crown prince will marry his Saudi fiancee Rajwa Al Saif at a palace a few hundred metres from where Ihab is standing in west Amman, the affluent part of the city of four million.
Major figures in the Middle East will be among the guests, as authorities seek to solidify Jordan's image for stability under the Hashemite monarchy.
The pupils are wearing white T-shirts. On their shoulders are red-and-white scarves called shemagh. The traditional head dress is worn in Jordan and the Arabian Peninsula, particularly among the tribes.
MORE ON THE ROYAL WEDDING
"Usually on days off I play soccer but it is not every day that I get to wear a shemagh," says Ihab, as music in a van blasts Bedouin songs.
The authorities are portraying the event as a patriotic occasion, highlighting continuity among the Hashemites who have ruled Jordan since it was founded as a British protectorate in 1921. Thursday has been declared a national holiday.
Students from the University of Jordan were taken by bus into another area on the road, where a makeshift theatre was set up by a company partly owned by the state.
Alaa, a Chinese language student, says he likes the Crown Prince because "he is close to our generation".
The wedding car will be accompanied through the streets of the capital by red 1980s Land Rovers with sawn-off tops and air-cooled red BMW motorcycles.
The vintage machines belong to the Royal Convoy Units, part of a special military formation known as the Royal Guards that will be involved in the pomp and ceremony.
Not all people will be watching because of government encouragement.
Lina, a cancer hospital volunteer, was watching live coverage on state TV from her family home.
"We can't wait to see what Sheikha Moza will be wearing," she says, referring to the mother of Sheikh Tamim, emir of Qatar.
She says her two teenage children went to the streets on their own to wait for the convoy. Lina has also been receiving via WhatsApp non-stop video footage taken by a friend.
"My friend is very interested in royal marriages," she says. "A lot of people I know are."
But others merely want to relax on the day off.
"I closed today," said the owner of an Amman pharmacy. "I might turn on the TV to watch a news summary".
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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More coverage from the Future Forum
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 (PA) | Group 1 US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
Winner: Goshawke, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) | Listed $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Silva, Oisin Murphy, Pia Brendt
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) | Conditions $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
Winner: Golden Jaguar, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) | Group 3 $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
Winner: Drafted, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Sandeep Jadhav
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
Winner: Oasis Charm, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
Winner: Escalator, Christopher Hayes, Charlie Fellowes
