Jordan marks 70th Independence Day with official, spontaneous celebrations

AMMAN — Jordan marked its 70th Independence Day on Wednesday, with official ceremonies held across the Kingdom by public and private entities and Jordanians engaging in spontaneous celebrations to express their love for the King and the country.

The primary national celebration was held at Raghadan Palace and attended by Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania, and HRH Crown Prince Hussein.

It featured presentations that highlighted Jordan's history and its adherence to the values of the Great Arab Revolt, whose centennial the Kingdom is also marking this year and which was led by Sharif Hussein Bin Ali, King Abdullah's great grandfather.

The official celebration— attended by several Royal family members and senior civil and military officials — featured a presentation titled "The story of Jordan".

It highlighted the historical phases of Jordan starting from the reign of King Abdullah I, the founder of the Kingdom, to King Talal, who drew up a new liberalised Constitution in 1952, King Hussein, the builder of modern Jordan and King Abdullah, the leader of achievement, modernisation and development.

It also focused on the Great Arab Revolt, which was launched to achieve unity, freedom and welfare for all Arabs, the statement added.

Also during the ceremony, Royal Jordanian Air Force F-16 jets performed an aerobatics show in Amman's skies.

The King awarded Royal orders and decorations to national institutions and a number of individual achievers and main contributors to various sectors for their efforts in building the country and enhancing its progress.

Across the Kingdom's governorates, local private companies and civil society groups organised motorcades, exhibitions and events to mark 70 years since Jordan gained its independence from the British mandate and was declared a Kingdom.

On the sides of streets, pedestrians, motorists and shop owners were distributing flags and traditional sweets, playing national songs to mark the occasion.

In an “out-of-the-box approach” to mark the occasion, organisers of national celebrations have arranged the display of 3D projection mapping on the edifices of major buildings that dominate Amman’s skyline, showcasing videos and pictures that tell Jordan’s success story across the past seven decades.

The occasion was also a chance to break records. 

The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts (RACA) made “the world’s largest mosaic painting of cakes”, breaking a Guinness record. 

The 187-square-metre piece was made out of 18,756 cakes and prepared by 150 instructors, students and employees of RACA.