Official visit by the King and Queen of Jordan
At the invitation of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, Their Majesties King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein and Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan will pay an official visit to the Netherlands on Tuesday 20 March and Wednesday 21 March 2018. This official visit is in place of the state visit that had earlier been planned for November 2017.
The official visit underlines the excellent bilateral relations between the Netherlands and Jordan. The two countries work together to enhance development and economic prosperity in Jordan and stability surrounding region, with a particular focus on the reception of Syrian refugees in Jordan. The Netherlands and Jordan work together closely on a range of issues, including employment, education and the reception of refugees in Jordan. The countries are also partners in the anti-ISIS coalition. In addition, the visit will provide a welcome opportunity to broaden and deepen economic ties.
King Abdullah will be accompanied by several members of the government and representatives of Jordan’s business community.
Tuesday 20 March
Following the welcome ceremony at Noordeinde Palace, King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, King Abdullah and Queen Rania will meet with World Class students at the Diligentia theatre in The Hague. King Abdullah will give a speech and talk with students enrolled at World Class The Hague. This programme, set up by The Hague municipality, aims to strengthen the ties between the City of Peace and Justice and local students.
Queen Máxima and Queen Rania will visit the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague, where they will be given a guided tour of the work of Piet Mondrian, one of the founders of the innovative and abstract artistic movement De Stijl. In the ‘Wonderkamers’ – an interactive and educational art experience for all ages – they will look on as secondary school pupils tackle a range of assignments. Three of the rooms filled with art, stories, games and entertainment are dedicated to Mondrian and De Stijl.
King Willem-Alexander and King Abdullah will attend a roundtable meeting on counterterrorism. They will speak with experts from Dutch security sector organisations including the National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV) and the police. After the meeting an agreement will be signed to help forge a closer partnership between Jordan and the Netherlands on counterterrorism.
Wednesday 21 March
King Abdullah II will begin the second day of his visit at the Dutch parliament, where he will speak with President of the Senate Ankie Broekers-Knol, President of the House of Representatives Khadija Arib and several members of parliamentary committees. King Abdullah will then meet with Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Following delegation talks, King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima and Queen Rania will join King Abdullah for the lunch with the Prime Minister. Over lunch the Jordanian delegation will hear about innovative Dutch solutions developed by government, businesses and knowledge institutions that can help Jordan meet the challenges it faces in the fields of water, food and energy.
Before lunch, Queen Máxima and Queen Rania will visit the Technology & IT Campus of the Mondriaan Regional Training Centre (ROC) in The Hague. Their visit will focus on the dual nature of vocational education and training in the Netherlands and how combining learning and working boosts students’ chances on the labour market. At the ROC’s Technological Innovation Centre students will showcase projects they are carrying out for businesses. Queen Máxima and Queen Rania will speak with students, teachers and business people about their experiences, and will subsequently tour the workshops used by the School of Building and Infrastructure and the School of Automotive Engineering and Mobility.
After lunch King Willem-Alexander and King Abdullah II will visit the headquarters of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW) for a Business Round Table with representatives of the Dutch and Jordanian businesses. Foreign trade and development minister Sigrid Kaag will also participate in the meeting. This will be followed by an opportunity for exchanges between representatives of Dutch and Jordanian businesses.
King Abdullah II will then visit the Joint Inspection Centre (JIC) at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, where various enforcement and inspection agencies carry out joint checks of air cargo. During the visit King Abdullah will be shown how this partnership between public and private parties facilitates the swift and safe processing of air cargo.
The visit to the Joint Inspection Centre will mark the end of the official visit to the Netherlands by King Abdullah II and Queen Rania.