Latest news with #Amman
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos's royal wedding guests! Jordan's Queen Rania oozes glamour in a Fendi couture gown in Venice (and she's joined by her cute baby granddaughter Princess Iman)
Queen Rania of Jordan had all eyes on her as she stepped out in a stunning ballgown while celebrating Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos 's wedding. The royal, 54, appeared to be in high spirits as she was helped onto a water taxi in Venice with the other star-studded guests for Bezos' lavish wedding bash. She stepped out in a regal Fendi frock that was seen on the fashion house's Autumn/Winter 2018 Couture Collection catwalk. The shimmery sleeveless taupe dress certainly turned heads as the mesh tulle layer was embroidered with diamantes, which glistened in the warm Italian sun. Rania - who is married to King Abdullah - wrapped a cream coloured shawl around it which covered her shoulders as she paired her ensemble with blush pink pointed heels. In a bid not to draw attention away from the extraordinary gown, she paired it with a plain ream clutch bag and accessorised with a simple silver jewellery bangle and hoops. Rania's relationship with Bezos has spanned almost a decade after she met with the Amazon founder alongside her husband at the Al Husseiniya Palace in Amman in 2016. Rania was also present at Lauren and Jeff's engagement party onboard their $500 million yacht Koru. The Queen was the picture of elegance as she wore her caramel brown hair in a low ponytail, with two curled strands sitting along her cheeks and opted for glamorous makeup, donning smoky eye shadow, blush and pale pink lipstick. Her son Crown Prince Hussein, 30, was also in attendance alongside his wife Princess Rajwa and their baby daughter, Princess Iman, who is less than a year old. The family made a rare and unexpected appearance in Italy for Lauren and Jeff 's big day and were snapped heading from the quay into a water taxi after flying into Venice's Marco Polo airport. Crown Prince Hussein held Princess Iman - who was wearing a Tartine Et Chocolat daisy embroidered dress - in his arms as the pair waited for their transport. Princess Rajwa, 31, opted for a casual and unassuming outfit consisting of a Kayla chocolate shrunken linen shirt paired with a Citizens of Humanity 'Brynn' brown drawstring linen trousers. She also donned a Bottega Veneta 'Hop' large intrecciato-weave brown suede shoulder bag, Alexander McQueen logo trainers. To accessorise, donned a Rajwa Khaite x Oliver Peoples 1983C Cat-Eye sunglasses in Bordeaux Bark and 0.50ct heart shaped ruby and blackened gold single 'Gypset' hoop earring, which she paired with the 0.20ct diamond and gold version. The pair have joined A-listers such as Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Orlando Bloom, Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey for the extravagant three-day gathering, which will come to a close on Saturday. Lauren and Jeff were pictured at one of their many wedding events held at the Madonna dell Orto cloisters. But the couple and their famous guests were forced to take cover on Thursday as their pre-wedding party was hit by a huge freak thunderstorm. Crown Prince Hussein was also in attendance alongside his wife Princess Rajwa and their baby daughter, Princess Iman, who is less than a year old. Guests dived for cover under the vaulted cloisters as lightning bolts flashed across the sky and thunder rumbled overhead at the end of what was a torridly humid day with temperatures nudging 36° Celsius. Torrential downpours and a strong wind left guests soaked as they then dashed for water taxis which had been scrambled a good 45 minutes ahead of the midnight finish time. The strong gusts of winds whipped table cloths away and sent waiters scurrying for umbrellas to protect the VIP attendees. One onlooker said: 'It just goes to show you can have all the money in the world but you can't control the weather - although an Italian saying says a wet bride is a happy and lucky bride.' Kim, 44, and her younger sister Khloe, 40, struggled to stay dry in their couture gowns as their security team guided them to their designated water taxi. Kylie, who is the younger half-sister of Kim and Khloe, reacted to the weather by sharing a photo of her rain-soaked water taxi to her Instagram Story. Bride-to-be Lauren was surrounded by tuxedo-clad gentleman carrying blue umbrellas over her as she carefully stepped on to her awaiting boat. The TV personality, 55, had on a striking off-the-shoulder dress with a dramatic gold corset cinching in her already tiny waist. The royal, 54, appeared to be in high spirits as she helped onto a water taxi in Venice with the other star-studded guests for Bezos' lavish wedding bash Bezos, 61 - who popped the question in 2023 with a $3 million engagement ring - was seen following closely behind Lauren with an umbrella over his head. In footage obtained by Lauren appeared to be in high spirits despite the rain ending their soiree early. Once inside the water taxi, she was seen sharing a laugh with Bezos as the downpour intensified. The Amazon billionaire and his bride-to-be are said to have invited 200 people to their three-day Italian wedding. Along with Ellie Goulding, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ivanka Trump, the star-studded guest list includes Mick Jagger and Tom Brady. Earlier this week, a copy of the couple's invite was leaked with one very specific request made on behalf of the couple. They've asked guests not to buy them any presents and told them they'll be making donations to multiple charities working to stop Venice from sinking on attendees' behalf instead. Bezos is thought to be spending roughly $15 to $20 million on his and Lauren's Italian nuptials.
Zawya
a day ago
- Business
- Zawya
Jordan: IMF Executive Board approves 3rd review of Jordan's EFF Programme
AMMAN — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed the third review of Jordan's four-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF), enabling the Kingdom to draw an additional $134 million, the Fund announced on Wednesday. The latest disbursement brings total financing under the EFF arrangement to nearly $595 million since its approval in January 2024. The programme aims to support Jordan's economic reform efforts and help maintain macroeconomic stability amid ongoing regional challenges. In a significant show of support, the IMF also announced a separate $700 million programme under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), aimed at helping Jordan tackle long-term challenges in the energy, water, and health sectors. Following the IMF Board's meeting, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair Kenji Okamura praised Jordan for holding steady despite tough regional conditions. 'Growth in 2024 and so far in 2025 has exceeded expectations. Inflation is low, reserve buffers are strong, and the authorities are pursuing sound fiscal and monetary policies,' Okamura said. According to the IMF, Jordan's international reserves topped $20 billion by the end of 2024, and the country's external position remains stable, with the current account deficit projected to stay near 6 per cent of GDP. The Fund attributed the stable inflation and strong reserve position to the Central Bank for helping keep inflation in check and maintaining investor confidence through its commitment to the exchange rate peg. The Fund also welcomed the government's gradual steps to reduce public debt while maintaining essential spending on social support and public investment. Jordan recorded a 2.5 per cent growth rate in 2024, and economic activity is expected to gradually strengthen going forward. The new $700 million in RSF support will go toward reforms to strengthen the electricity and water sectors and boost Jordan's ability to respond to future health crises. 'These reforms are critical to strengthening Jordan's long-term economic resilience,' Okamura said. The IMF reaffirmed its backing for Jordan's broader reform plans, which focus on encouraging private-sector growth, improving the business environment, and creating more opportunities, especially for youth and women. The IMF emphasized the need for continued international support, noting that Jordan continues to feel the pressure of regional instability and the responsibility of hosting large numbers of refugees. © Copyright The Jordan Times. All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
The National
a day ago
- Business
- The National
IMF approves $700 million to address Jordan's long-term vulnerabilities
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved roughly $700 million to Jordan on Wednesday to address its long-term vulnerabilities. The funds will be part of the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) to assist with vulnerabilities in the water and electricity sectors, and to help the country take on public health emergencies. The 30-month arrangement under the RSF will provide Amman with access to about $700 million. The IMF disburses funds through special drawing rights, an international reserve asset the value of which is based on a basket of five currencies. Separately, the IMF said Jordan will be given immediate access to special drawing rights of about $134 million upon the third completion of its External Fund Facility (EFF) to support Amman's economic programme. The fund said Jordan has consistently met the targets under its EFF programme, with economic growth reported at 2.5 per cent last year. The fund said growth this year was so far stronger than previously expected. The IMF approved the $1.2 billion EFF programme with Jordan last year. 'Jordan continues to maintain macroeconomic stability despite external headwinds from regional conflicts and heightened global economic uncertainty, owing to the authorities' steadfast pursuit of sound policies and continued strong international support,' said Kenji Okamura, IMF deputy managing director and acting chairman. In its most recently published Regional Economic Outlook, the fund said it expects economic activity to pick up this year after being affected by the Gaza war. The IMF projected in the outlook for Jordan's economy to expand by 2.6 per cent this year before accelerating further to 2.9 per cent in 2026. Both projections were lower than previous forecasts, mirroring a broader downwards trend because of tariff uncertainty. Jordan is also expected to be impacted by reduced foreign assistance following the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development, one of several countries in the region that had relied on the agency for assistance. The IMF said reforms have helped strengthen Jordan's fiscal sustainability, while further efforts should be made to enhance mobilising revenue and take measures to continue lowering its public debt. 'Efforts should also continue to improve the efficiency and viability of the public utilities to preserve the sustainability of public finances, while improving service delivery,' Mr Okamura said. The fund also said Jordan should accelerate structural reforms to improve its business environment and attract private investment. 'Strong and timely donor support remains essential to help Jordan navigate the challenging external environment, host the large number of refugees, and meet Jordan's development objectives,' Mr Okamura said. The fund said reform measures under the RSF will focus on strengthening the financial sustainability for the energy and water sectors, strengthen fiscal and financial sector resilience, and enhance pandemic preparedness.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Saudi Arabia provides $30m in support for Palestinian Authority
LONDON: Saudi Arabia has delivered $30 million to the Palestinian Authority to help alleviate the severe financial crisis it faces, which is blamed on Israeli policies designed to weaken it. The assistance was presented in Amman on Thursday to the Palestinian minister of finance, Omar Al-Bitar, by Mohammed Mounis, the acting chargé d'affaires at the Saudi Embassy in Jordan. Al-Bitar commended the Kingdom for the ongoing financial and political support it provides for Palestinians and their rights to independence and statehood. He thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their leadership, and acknowledged the political, economic and humanitarian support they provide for his country. The minister added that the money given by Saudi Arabia is a significant contribution that is helping the Palestinian Authority cope with a financial crisis that is exacerbated by the policies of a far-right Israeli government. The financial support has been instrumental to the Palestinian Authority's efforts to maintain the health and education sectors, the Palestine News Agency reported. It has helped meet the costs of running hospitals, purchasing medicines and medical equipment, keeping schools open, and paying the salaries of medical staff, teachers and administrative workers. Over the years, support provided by the Kingdom for the Palestinian people has exceeded $5.3 billion for a total of 289 projects, according to figures from Saudi aid agency KSrelief. Mounis said his country remains committed to support for the Palestinian government, to help it fulfill its financial obligations and assist its people during this time of economic and humanitarian hardship, the Saudi Press Agency reported. He reaffirmed the Kingdom's steadfast support for upholding the rights of the Palestinian people.
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 days ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi Arabia Provides $30 Million in Support of Palestine
Palestinian Minister of Finance Omar Al-Bitar received a financial installment from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia amounting to $30 million as part of the Kingdom's continued support for the State of Palestine for 2025. The installment was delivered at the Saudi Embassy in Amman on Thursday during a meeting between Al-Bitar and acting Chargé d'Affaires at the Saudi Embassy in Jordan Mohammed bin Hassan Mounis, SPA reported. Al-Bitar praised the Kingdom's ongoing financial and political support, highlighting the significance of this contribution in alleviating the severe financial crisis faced by Palestine amid recent Israeli policies. He also expressed deep appreciation for the Kingdom's longstanding and unwavering stance in support of Palestine and its people, as well as its support for their legitimate rights and the establishment of their independent state. He conveyed the greetings of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for their enduring political, economic, and humanitarian support. Mounis noted that this installment reflects the Kingdom's commitment to supporting the Palestinian government and enabling it to meet its financial obligations, highlighting the importance of this aid in enhancing the resilience of the Palestinian people and alleviating their economic and humanitarian hardships. He also noted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has provided some $5.3 billion in recent years in humanitarian, relief, and development aid as part of its broader support for the State of Palestine, reaffirming the Kingdom's steadfast commitment to upholding the rights of the Palestinian people.
