News

King attends Great Arab Revolt ceremony

23 January 2016

Aqaba -- His Majesty King Abdullah on Saturday attended the ceremony to change and raise the Great Arab Revolt’s flag in Aqaba, marking the beginning of the Kingdom’s celebrations of the Revolt’s centenary.

The celebrations were held in Aqaba as the first centre of command for the Revolt when its armies entered with the help of Jordanian tribes in 1917.

Upon the arrival of King Abdullah, the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) troops played the national anthem and raised the flag.

The King afterwards toured the house of Sharif Hussein bin Ali, which became an archaeological museum in 1973, and he was briefed on the items showcased.

The ceremony was held in the Great Arab Revolt Square, which has the second highest mast in the Kingdom, after the pole at the Royal Hashemite Court, with a height of 127m.

This year, many popular and official activities will be held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Revolt against Ottoman rule, led by Sharif Hussein bin Ali, the fourth ancestor of King Abdullah.

The ceremony was attended by Their Royal Highnesses Prince Feisal bin Al Hussein; Prince Hashem bin Al Hussein; Prince Ghazi bin Muhammed, the King’s personal envoy and adviser for religious and cultural affairs; and Prince Rashid bin El Hassan, along with senior officials and top brass.

Under Royal directives to celebrate the revolt throughout 2016, the Cabinet formed a higher committee to prepare for the centenary’s festivities.