King Abdullah of Jordan’s state visit to Washington next month will hold a much different context to the one he made during the administration of Donald Trump, when US-Jordan relations reached a low point.
The July 19 visit, the first for an Arab leader to the White House since President Joe Biden took office in January, reinforces the special relationship that the kingdom has with this administration.
The Jordanian king in November received Mr Biden's first phone call to the Arab world and the two have known each other since before King Abdullah ascended the throne in 1999.
Mr Biden was also quick to call and offer support to the king after the dispute that occurred in the royal family last April.
Diplomatic sources told The National it was always understood that King Abdullah would be the first Arab leader to receive an invitation to the White House, but the pandemic and policy reviews delayed it.
Merissa Khurma, director of the Middle East Programme at the Woodrow Wilson Centre, said the visit would help to rebalance the relationship after the tension of the past four years.
"This is significant as it sends a strong message of support to the Jordanian monarch personally, and also to Jordan," Ms Khurma told The National.
It is "a timely reinforcement that Jordan remains a key US ally in the region, especially after a bumpy relationship with the previous White House, whose so-called deal of the century shook the foundations of the [Palestinian-Israeli] two-state solution that Jordan upholds".
The “deal of the century” is a term coined by Mr Trump for his attempt to broker Arab-Israeli peace.
Through the deal, the former president avoided actively pursuing a two-state solution, moved the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and cut aid to the UN refugee agency UNRWA.
Mr Trump closed the Palestinian delegation's office in Washington, legitimised settlement expansion in the West Bank and cut assistance to the Palestinian Authority – decisions that were at odds with Jordan's historic position.
The king last visited Washington in 2018, and those differences kept him away from the White House for the last two years of the Trump presidency.
The Biden administration reversed many of those decisions, resuming aid to UNRWA and embracing a two-state solution.
The new team leaned heavily on Egypt and Jordan to help reach a ceasefire in Gaza in May.
“Given recent developments in the Palestinian-Israeli arena, the Gaza war, as well as both the Palestinian and Israeli domestic political scenes, there is certainly a lot to discuss,” Ms Khurma said.
She said Amman regarded the conflict as a national security issue because of its investment in the two-state solution and custodianship of the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
Another major item on the agenda is likely to be Syria, because the administration is still charting its policy towards the country, Ms Khurma said.
Jordan is one of the few countries that has maintained a diplomatic presence in Damascus and it also hosts about 800,000 Syrian refugees.
Trilateral front with Egypt and Iraq
Curtis Ryan, a US academic who studies Jordan, saw a larger regional context for the visit.
"Jordan and its partners see the new three-way alignment or axis with Iraq and Egypt as an alternative power centre in Arab politics that helps to bring non-Gulf voices back to the forefront of Arab politics," Mr Ryan told The National.
King Abdullah and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi made a joint visit to Baghdad on Sunday.
“When these three were last this close, in 1989 and '90, before the Gulf War, they worked as a united front in dealing with Gulf allies over aid, oil and investment,” Mr Ryan said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi is also expected to visit the White House later in the summer.
"Jordan is very interested in gaining Iraqi and Egyptian support for its positions regarding Jerusalem, and also in co-operation, especially in the energy sector in terms of electricity, gas and even oil pipelines," Mr Ryan said.
The Biden administration has pledged to increase support for Jordan's economy, which has suffered from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Amman is one of the regional recipients of the Biden administration's global initiative to distribute 80 million doses of its vaccine supply.
The US has been the largest provider of assistance to Jordan since it signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994.
It sent more than $1.5 billion in 2020, including $425 million in military assistance.
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Gradual fasting and golden points - For children under the age of 10, follow a step-by-step approach to fasting and don't push them beyond their limits. Start with a few hours fasting a day and increase it to a half fast and full fast when the child is ready. Every individual's ability varies as per the age and personal readiness. You could introduce a points system that awards the child and offers them encouragement when they make progress with the amount of hours they fast
Why fast? - Explain to your child why they are fasting. By shedding light on the importance of abstaining from food and drink, children may feel more encouraged to give it there all during the observance period. It is also a good opportunity to teach children about controlling urges, doing good for others and instilling healthy food habits
Sleep and suhoor - A child needs adequate sleep every night - at least eight hours. Make sure to set a routine early bedtime so he/she has sufficient time to wake up for suhoor, which is an essential meal at the beginning of the day
Good diet - Nutritious food is crucial to ensuring a healthy Ramadan for children. They must refrain from eating too much junk food as well as canned goods and snacks and drinks high in sugar. Foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and proteins, like fruits, fresh meats and vegetables, make for a good balanced diet
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Key facilities
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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