King tasks Hassan with forming new Cabinet

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday entrusted Jafar Hassan with forming a new Cabinet, succeeding that of Prime Minister Bishr Khasawneh.

A longtime diplomat and politician, Hassan has held several key positions in Jordan’s government and represented the Kingdom in various international forums.

Hassan has been honoured with the Order of the Jordanian Star (First Class) and the Order of Independence (Third Class), as well as international awards from Portugal, Belgium, Italy, and Japan.

Born in 1968, Hassan holds a PhD and a master’s degrees in political science and international economics from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies at the University of Geneva.

He also earned a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University, a master’s in international relations from Boston University, and a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the American University of Paris.

Throughout his career, Hassan has held various prominent diplomatic and government roles, including attaché at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1991. 

He also held key positions at the Royal Hashemite Court from 1993 to 1995, director of the Department of International Affairs from 2006 to 2009 and director of His Majesty’s Office during two separate terms, from 2014 to 2018 and again from 2021 to 2024.

He was also a member of Jordan’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva from 1995 to 1999 and served as deputy ambassador in Washington from 2001 to 2006.

Hassan also served as minister of planning and international cooperation and represented Jordan at international institutions such as the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Islamic Development Bank.

He was appointed deputy prime minister and minister of state for economic affairs in 2018. 

His most recent role was as director of His Majesty’s Office, which he was tasked with forming a new Cabinet.