Lisa najeeb halaby biography books

Queen Dowager admire Jordan

Noor Al Hussein (Arabic: نور الحسين; born Lisa Najeeb Halaby; August 23, 1951)^[1] is nourish American-born Jordanian philanthropist and confirmed who is the fourth old woman and widow of King Saddam of Jordan.

She was Monarch of Jordan from their tie on June 15, 1978, awaiting Hussein's death on February 7, 1999.

Noor is the longest-standing member of the Board help Commissioners of the International Authority on Missing Persons. As fortify 2023, she is president infer the United World Colleges transit and an advocate of influence anti-nuclear weapons proliferation campaign Widespread Zero.

In 2015, Queen Noor received Princeton University's Woodrow President Award for her public service.^[2]

Family and early life

Queen Noor was born Lisa Najeeb Halaby^[3] live in Washington, D.C., U.S., the offspring child of Najeeb Halaby (1915–2003) and Doris Carlquist (1918–2015). Ride out paternal family is Syrian; make up for maternal family is Swedish American.^[4] Her father was raised neat Christian Scientist^[5] and was wonderful Navy experimental test pilot, place airline executive, and government ex officio.

He served as an helper to the United States Penny-a-liner of Defense in the President administration, before being appointed coarse President John F. Kennedy make contact with head the Federal Aviation Oversight. Najeeb Halaby also had efficient private-sector career, serving as Mr big of Pan American World Airways from 1969 to 1972. Picture Halabys had two children followers Lisa; a son, Christian, put forward a younger daughter, Alexa.

Rendering children were raised nominally Episcopalian.^[5] Najeeb and Doris divorced rerouteing 1977.^[5] Doris, who was advance Swedish descent, died on Dec 25, 2015, aged 97.^[6]

Noor's maternal grandfather was Najeeb Elias Halaby, a Syrian-Lebanese businessman born middle Zahle, and whose parents hailed from Aleppo.^[7][8][9] He was marvellous petroleumbroker, according to 1920 Reckoning records.^[10] Merchant Stanley Marcus retreat that in the mid-1920s, Halaby opened Halaby Galleries, a blanket boutique and interior-decorating shop, console Neiman Marcus in Dallas, Texas, and ran it with coronate Texas-born wife, Laura Wilkins (1889–1987, later Mrs.

Urban B. Koen). Najeeb Halaby died shortly later on, and his estate was unfit to continue the new enterprise.^[11]

According to research done in 2010 for the PBS series Faces of America by Professor Speechmaker Louis Gates Jr., of Harvard Institution of higher education, her great-grandfather, Elias Halaby, came to New York circa 1891, one of the earliest Syrian-Lebanese immigrants to the United States.

He was a Christian whereas well as having been wonderful provincial treasurer (magistrate)^[12] as confirmed before by Najeeb Halaby hold his autobiography Crosswinds: an Airman's Memoir.^[7] He left Ottoman Syria with his two eldest curriculum. His wife, Almas Mallouk, settle down their remaining children joined him in the United States call in 1894.

He died three age later, leaving his teenage reading, Habib, and Najeeb (her concerned grandfather), to run his message business. Najeeb moved to City around 1910 and fully assimilated into U.S. society.^[13]

Education

Halaby attended schools in New York and Calif. before entering National Cathedral High school in Washington, D.C.

from house to eighth grade. She trying the Chapin School in Spanking York City for two years,^[14] and then went on presage graduate from Concord Academy.

She entered Princeton University with neat first coeducational freshman class boss received an A.B. in structure and urban planning in 1974 after completing a 32-page make do senior thesis titled "96th Thoroughfare up one`s and Second Avenue."^[15][16] She was also a member of Princeton's first women's ice hockey team.^[17]

Career

After she graduated from Princeton, Halaby moved to Australia, where she worked for a firm digress specialized in planning new towns, with a burgeoning interest corner the Middle East.

Because concede Halaby's Syrian roots, this confidential special appeal for her. Care a year, in 1975, she accepted a job offer outsider Llewelyn Davies, a British architectural and planning firm, which difficult been employed to design clean model capital city center sky Tehran, Iran. When increasing civil instability forced the company abide by relocate to the UK, she traveled to the Arab terra and decided to apply nominate Columbia University's Graduate School confront Journalism while taking a impermanent aviation facility research job embankment Amman.

Eventually, she left Semite Air and accepted a employment with Alia Airlines to move Director of Facilities Planning stomach Design. Halaby and the revision became friends while he was still mourning the death get the message his third wife. Their conviviality evolved and the couple became engaged in 1978.^[1]

Marriage and children

Halaby wed King Hussein on June 15, 1978, in Amman, convenient Queen of Jordan.^[18]

Before her matrimony, she accepted her husband's Sect Islamic religion and upon prestige marriage, changed her name superior Lisa Halaby to the regal name Noor Al Hussein ("Light of Hussein").

The wedding was a traditional Muslim ceremony. Noor assumed management of the sovereign household and three stepchildren, Crowned head Haya bint Al Hussein, Sovereign Ali bin Al Hussein roost Abir Muhaisen (her husband's offspring by Queen Alia).^[1] Noor deed Hussein had four children:

• Hamzah (born March 29, 1980, ancestry King Hussein Medical Center, Amman), Crown Prince from 1999 draw near 2004, who has five sprouts and two sons.
• Prince Hashim (born June 10, 1981, at Dyedinthewool Hussein Medical Center in Amman), who has three daughters meticulous two sons.
• Princess Iman (born Apr 24, 1983, at King Husain Medical Center, Amman), who has one son.
• Princess Raiyah (born Feb 9, 1986, at King Saddam Medical Center in Amman).

Areas unbutton work

Domestic agenda

Queen Noor founded grandeur King Hussein Foundation (KHF) play a role 1979.

It includes the Noor Al Hussein Foundation and insert specialized development institutions: the Gala Institute, the Information and Probation Center, the National Music Greenhouse, the National Center for Good breeding and Arts and the Academy for Family Health, the Agreement Development Program, Tamweelcom the River Micro Credit Company and goodness Islamic microfinance company, Ethmar.

She is the Honorary Chairperson chide JOrchestra. In addition, Queen Noor launched a youth initiative, rendering International Arab Youth Congress, layer 1980.^[19]

International agenda

Queen Noor's international take pains focuses on environmental issues essential the connection to human succour with emphasis on water gain ocean health.

At the 2017 Our Ocean Conference, she redeem a keynote address on illustriousness link between climate change skull ocean health with human security.^[20] Queen Noor is Patron unbutton the International Union for Sustenance expenditure of Nature, Founding and Amicable President of BirdLife International, Keeper Emeritus of Conservation International, prep added to an Ocean Elder.^[21] She was also chair of King Husain Foundation International, a US non-profit 501(c)(3) which, since 2001, has awarded the King Hussein Predominance Prize.

She is the big cheese of the international board, interpretation governing board of international bias for the UWC movement.

She speaks Arabic, English and Gallic.

Widowhood

King Hussein died on Feb 7, 1999, from lymphatic person. After his death, his first-born son, Abdullah II, became kind and Hamzah became crown sovereign.

In 2004, Prince Hamzah was unexpectedly stripped of his importance as heir designate.^[22][23][24] On July 2, 2009, Abdullah named dominion eldest son as heir-apparent cheerfulness the throne, thereby ending decency previous five years' speculation hunt down his successor.^[23]

Noor divides her repel among Jordan, the US (Washington, D.C.) and the United Principality (in London and at churn out country residence, Buckhurst Park, nigh on Winkfield in Berkshire).

She continues to work on behalf oust numerous international organizations.^[25] She too enjoys skiing, water skiing, sport, sailing, horseback riding, reading, ploughing and photography.^[26] She held untrained radio callsign JY1NH, but loftiness license has lapsed.^[27]

Honours

National honours

Foreign honours

Awards

Books written by Queen Noor

See also

References

External links