Lisa Najeeb Halaby is also known as Queen Noor of Jordan. She was born on 23rd August 1951. Her father Najeeb Halaby was of Syrian descent and mother Doris Halaby was of Swedish descent. She was born in a family where public service was honored. Her father was a US-Navy test pilot. Then he became the head of Federal Aviation Administration and the CEO of Pan America World Airways.
Don't Miss: Polly Tsai
She went to National Cathedral School then joined The Captain School in New York City, but she was not satisfied with the both the schools and hence she moved to Concord Academy In Massachusetts. She enrolled in Princeton University in 1969 but after took a break from her academics to pursue her other interests. During this time, she pursued her other interests then came back to Princeton to complete her education. She graduated in the year 1973 and went to Australia to work for an architectural company. During this time, she ultimately developed her interest in Arabic culture and when she got an offer of re-planning the city of Teheran she immediately accepted it.
In the year 1976, she returned to the United States. She wanted to pursue her career in journalism, but her father offered her a job as the Director of Facilities Planning and Design. She provided her assistant to design Arab Air University and to build Jordan city. During this time of her, she was socially active and attended most of the events and functions of the city. She was working for Royal Jordanian Airlines when he met Hussein of Jordan in a social meeting in 1977. The King and Lisa offered their hand of friendship when they met for the first time, but by 1978 their friendship evolved into love.
The King and Lisa married on 15th June 1978. She became the first American-born queen of Arab with the name Noor al-Hussein. They married at Zahara palace following all the traditional Islamic culture. The countrymen of Arab did not favor the King’s decision of marrying a non-Arabic bride, but Queen Noor won the heart of the people by her sincere interest in Jordan.
Immediately after her marriage, her political career was filled with challenges and hardships. She took control of royal household and took care of the three children of the King from his former wife. She received the full benefits of her political duties and improved the educational system of Jordan. She also opens “Jubilee School” for talented students and formed Arab Children’s Congress and annual program for all Arab children before their nationalities.
As an activist, she addressed the issue of women rights focusing on the women empowerment. She focused on educating and creating employment opportunities for women. She did all her development works from Noor Ai Hussein Foundation (NHL). She had to relinquish her American citizenship after marrying to King Hussein.
In the year 1992, King Hussein was diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgery at Mayo Clinic, but in 1998 he again landed in Mayo due lymphatic cancer. The King died on 7th February 1999 due to the treatment of cancer. He appointed his eldest son Abdullah to the throne before he died. In the year 1999, she founded King Hussein Foundation (KHF) and King Hussein Foundation International (KHFI) in the memories of her beloved husband. The foundation mostly focused on the promoting peace throughout Jordan and Middle East.
She continued working as a public servant and supports cross-culture understanding. She is the member of International Commission on Missing Persons and is also supports anti-nuclear weapons proliferation campaign Global Zero. She is the president of United World Colleges movement. She was awarded Woodrow Wilson Award for her work. The net worth is Queen is revealed to the public.
Last Modified: Mar 11, 2020
Related Biographies
