Princess Ghida Talal

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Princess Ghida Talal
BornGhida Salaam
(1963-07-11) 11 July 1963 (age 61)
Beirut, Lebanon
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1991)​
Issue
  • Prince Hussein
  • Princess Raja'a
  • Prince Muhammad
HouseHashemite (by marriage)
FatherHany Sala'am
MotherRaja'a Arab
Jordanian royal family
List
Extended royal family
Noor and others
Queen Noor
Haya and others
Muna and others
Princess Muna
Alia
Firyal and others
Hassan and others
Basma
Nayef and others

Princess Ghida Talal[1] (née Ghida Salaam; born 11 July 1963) is the chairperson of the board of trustees of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation and Center (KHCF) and (KHCC),[2] based in Amman, Jordan. Born into a politically prominent family in Lebanon, Ghida is married to Prince Talal bin Muhammad of Jordan, the nephew of King Hussein bin Talal and 41st-generation direct descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Personal life and education

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Ghida was born 11 July 1963 in Beirut, Lebanon, to Hany Salam and Raja'a Arab. She is the eldest of five children. The Salam family is a politically prominent family in Lebanon. Her great-grandfather, Salim Ali Salam, was a leading political figure in Beirut at the turn of the 20th century and held numerous public positions, including deputy from Beirut to the Ottoman Parliament. Her great-uncle Saeb Salam served as Prime Minister of Lebanon several times.

Ghida attended school in Beirut at the College Protestant Francais[3] and graduated with the French and Lebanese baccalaureates. After finishing high school in Beirut, she began her college education in the United States. She graduated with a joint bachelor's and master's degree and magna cum laude honors in international politics and economics from Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C.[4]

Ghida married Prince Talal bin Muhammad in 1991. The couple live in Jordan with their three children: Prince Hussein (born 1999) and twins Princess Raja'a and Prince Muhammad (born 2001).

Career

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After university, she began a career in journalism, starting with a job as a researcher for the American Broadcasting Company (ABC)[5] News in London. She then moved to Argentina as a correspondent for the London-based Sunday Times newspaper.[6] She then moved back to Beirut, where she covered Lebanese politics for Reuters.[7] Her last work as a journalist was with the Financial Times of London.[8]

Ghida moved to Jordan when she married Prince Talal Bin Muhammad in 1991. The late King Hussein asked her to establish the international press office of the Royal Hashemite Court, and she became the King's press secretary. In that capacity, she oversaw all press activities for the King and led a team of writers and press officers who covered the King's official activities. Ghida also directed research projects and produced many political and economic publications about Jordan. She served as press secretary until King Hussein's death in 1999.

In 2001, King Abdullah II appointed Ghida as full-time chairperson of the board of trustees of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF).[9][10]

Under Ghida's leadership, KHCF entered into agreements and partnerships with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center,[11] National Cancer Institute (NCI)[12] of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital,[13] Georgetown University's Lombardi Cancer Center[14] and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.[15][16]

In 2007, she played a vital role in the Iraq Scholar Rescue Project,[17] an Institute of International Education (IIE), which aimed to rescue scholars from Iraq who were being persecuted. Ghida helped find them safe havens at host universities across Europe, the U.S. and the Middle East, in particular Jordan, until they were able to safely return to their home country. She was awarded the IIE's Humanitarian Award for International Cooperation in 2008.

In 2011 King Abdullah II appointed Ghida to represent Jordan as his special envoy at the United Nations General Assembly's meeting on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in New York.[18]

Board memberships

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  • From 1997: National Swimming Federation, Jordan[19] honorary chairperson
  • 2003–2009: Georgetown University, board of regents
  • From 2005: National Gallery of Fine Arts, Jordan[20]
  • From 2007: Institute of International Education, Scholar Rescue Fund
  • From 2011: Georgetown University, board of directors
  • From 2013: Institute of International Education, board member

Honours

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National

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  • 1995: Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of Independence
  • 2006: Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Star of Jordan
  • 2007: CCBF Breakthrough Spirit Award, presented by the Children's Cancer and Blood Foundation, N.Y.[21]
  • 2008: Humanitarian Award, presented by the Institute of International Education
  • 2012: Independence Medal of the First Order, presented by HM King Abdullah II in recognition of the work accomplished by the King Hussein Cancer Foundation and Center
  • 2022: Grand Cordon of the Order of the State Centennial

Foreign

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Academic awards

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  • 1967–1981: Prix d’Excellence, College Protestant Francais, Beirut
  • 1981–1986: Award for Academic Excellence. Five years on Dean's honors list, Georgetown University

References

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  1. ^ "Statement from the Royal Hashemite Court". The Royal Hashemite Court. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Message from Chairperson". King Hussein Cancer Foundation. Archived from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  3. ^ "College Protestant Francais".[failed verification]
  4. ^ "Georgetown University website". Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2013.[failed verification]
  5. ^ "American Broadcasting Company (ABC)".[failed verification]
  6. ^ "Sunday Times Newspaper". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 5 June 2010.[failed verification]
  7. ^ "Reuters".[failed verification]
  8. ^ "Financial Times of London".[failed verification]
  9. ^ "HRH Princess Ghida Talal". King Hussein Cancer Foundation. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  10. ^ "About the Center". King Hussein Cancer Center. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  11. ^ "MD Anderson and King Hussein Cancer Center Sign Sister Institution Agreement" (Press release). University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. 4 November 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  12. ^ "National Cancer Institute (NCI)".[failed verification]
  13. ^ "International Outreach Partners". St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  14. ^ "Lombardi Cancer Center".[failed verification]
  15. ^ "Supporting Breast Cancer Outreach in Egypt, Israel, Jordan and More". Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  16. ^ "KHCF – Global Work". KHCF. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  17. ^ "About: Overview". Institute of International Education. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  18. ^ "Princess Ghida calls on world leaders to take immediate action against NCDs". The Jordan Times. 21 September 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  19. ^ "Board of Directors". National Swimming Federation. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  20. ^ "Board of Trustees". National Gallery of Fine Arts. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  21. ^ "Children's Cancer & Blood Foundation Breakthrough Ball Gala Honoring Leyla Aliyeva, Muffie Potter Aston, and Buddy Valastro" (Press release). Children's Cancer and Blood Foundation. 12 October 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  22. ^ Princess Ghida Talal
  23. ^ Princess Ghida Talal
  24. ^ "Real Decreto 2329/1994" [Royal Decree 2329/1994] (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish). 6 December 1994. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  25. ^ "State visit to Jordan".