King attends Great Arab Revolt ceremony in Aqaba

AMMAN — 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, a Royal Court statement said.

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, according to the statement. 

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

The Monarch 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 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; Prince Hashem; Prince Ghazi, the King’s personal envoy and adviser for religious and cultural affairs; and Prince Rashid, 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. 

Also on Saturday, His Majesty, the Supreme Commander of the JAF, attended a naval exercise in Aqaba, according to the Royal Court. 

King’s Military Adviser and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben and HRH Prince Feisal received the Monarch, who attended a joint exercise performed by the Royal Naval Force and the Joint Special Operations, with the participation of helicopters from the Prince Hashem Bin Abdullah Brigade from the special aviation operations. 

During the drill, attended by Royal family members and senior officials and officers, the King commended the advanced skills of the naval forces and special operations forces. 

Moreover, the King, accompanied by Zaben, opened JAF chalets in Aqaba and toured their facilities.