The talk of the town all across the region is the royal wedding of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan to Saudi Arabia’s Miss Rajwa Al-Saif. Everyone will be tuning in to witness the major royal celebration that will include a motorcade of red Land Rovers escorting the couple after the wedding ceremony. Knowing the significance of such an event to the region, we are celebrating the occasion by taking a look back at the most significant Arab royal weddings of all time.
King Abdullah II of Jordan & Queen Rania Al-Abdullah
After meeting at a dinner party back in 1992, HM King Abdullah II of Jordan and Queen Rania tied the knot in Zahran palace. It was back in 1995 and the entire ceremony captivated everyone who got to witness the special event. On that day, the bride wore a gold-trimmed, short-sleeved gown designed by British designer Bruce Oldfield. To add a unique touch to her dress, she also paired the look with a jacket and belt.
Beyond the stunning gown, another star of the entire affair was the towering cake that stood tall above the bride and groom. Using a sword, the bride and groom sliced through the massive cake, making for a a truly unique spectacle. Since that day, the Royals have welcomed 4 children, Crown Prince Hussein, Princess Iman, Princess Salma and Prince Hashem.
King Mohamed VI of Morocco & Princess Lalla Salma
There seems to be a trend between royal couples meeting in parties as just like Queen Rania & King Abdullah, King Mohamed and Princess Lalla also met at a party back in 1999. Then came 2002, the year when the two got married during a full-fledged royal celebration at Dar al-Makhzin in Rabat. Streets were packed with colorful performances of entertainers dressed in lavish costumes dancing and singing.
This was not a typical wedding affair as it was the first time ever in Morocco that the wife of a king was made known to the public. Before this wedding, the king’s bride remained private with no photographs taken of her. With this new change, everyone got to meet and see the king’s new bride, princess Lalla Salama looking gorgeous in a thick veiled dress with her signature red locks cascading down around her.
King Farouk I Of Egypt & Queen Farida
Stepping back in time, all the way to the 1930s was an Arab royal wedding ceremony unlike any other. It was the wedding of 17-year old King Farouk of Egypt and 16 year old Safinaz Zulficar who was later renamed Queen Farida. The two tied the knot at Cairo’s Abdeen Palace back in 1938 during a day packed with festivities including a procession of decorated floats.
The day following the prominent wedding ceremony, the celebrations continued with the army marching past the palace and airplanes zapping overhead.
Shaikh Fahad Al-Ahmad & Fay Al Kharafi
For the ultimate lavish wedding that exuded opulence and luxury, Kuwait took the helm. A special royal ceremony was held that saw the Kuwaiti prince’s grandson, Shaikh Fahad bin Nasser bin Sabah Al Ahmad wed Fay Bint Loay bin Jassim Al Kharafi, the granddaughter of the speaker of the National Assembly of Kuwait. It was back in 2015 and at that time, it was the wedding of the season. It went viral across social media because of its extravagant appeal with the entire venue draped in white lavish decor.
Adding an extra touch of luxury, wedding guests were presented with stunning diamond rings as wedding favors. Along with that, the special wedding was attended by elite Arab stars including Myriam Fares and Hussein Al Jasmi.
Princess Iman Of Jordan & Jameel Thermiotis
Now that Queen Rania’s son is soon to be wed, we should also celebrate the recent exciting wedding of her daughter, Princess Iman to Jameel Thermiotis. On that day, the princess was accompanied by her soon-to-wed brother Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II as they made their way to the ceremony.
After exchanging wedding rings and signing the marriage contract, the couple then had a large zaffe, a prominent wedding entrance accompanied by a musical parade of drums and horns. The two were then seen cutting through their 6-tier cake. The special ceremony saw the bride donned in a gown designed by Dior with lace cuffed long sleeves.
Now, we are all gearing up for the next Arab royal wedding that will see Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan wed Saudi Arabia’s Rajwa Al-Saif. Stay tuned to keep up with the latest happenings of the royal wedding.
