First Lady Pool Reports of June 1, 2023

FLOTUS Pool #1 Middle East trip June 1 - Amman

Good Morning from Amman Jordan where the city is getting ready for the Royal wedding, the biggest celebration since the nineties when King Abdullah II and Queen Rania got married . Crown Prince Al Hussein and Miss Rajwa Alseif will tie the knot in a lavish ceremony attended by Royalties, politicians and movie stars .

We are loaded in vans and the motorcade is rolling now soon towards the US embassy in Amman where FLOTUS meets the families and staff at the embassy

From FLOTUS office :

Amman, Jordan: Visit to U.S. Embassy Amman

In the afternoon, the First Lady will greet families and staff of the U.S. Embassy Amman and meet with U.S. military service members. The First Lady will be joined by U.S. Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Henry Wooster and Dr. Laura Dallman. This visit will be closed press.

The First Lady will then meet with Jordanian women business leaders, including entrepreneurs who are connected to U.S. government programming. This engagement at U.S. Embassy Amman will be covered by the traveling print pooler.

Participants will include:

· Tamara Abdel-Jaber, Partner, Amam Ventures

· Reem Hamdan, Director General for the Jordan Electricity Distribution Company (EDCO)

· Sondos Samara, Partner and Quality Manager at the Environmental Laboratory for Microbiological and Chemical Analysis

· Malak Al Akiely, Founder and Managing Director of Golden Wheat for Grain Trading, Ltd.

· Shireen Muhaisen, Co-Founder of Bunni Coffee

· Lubna Kayed, Founder of Sarrh International

· Abeer Qumsieh, Founder and Chairwomen of Better Business

· Dr. Rasha Al Eid, Founder and Owner of Juman Pharmaceutical & Cosmetics

· Shatha Jayyousi, Entrepreneurship Manager at Orange Telecom

· Thana'a Khasawneh, Executive Director for the Jordan Business and Professional Women Association

Amman, Jordan: Wedding of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II and Miss Rajwa Khalid Al Seif

In the afternoon, the First Lady will arrive at the wedding of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II and Miss Rajwa Khalid Al Seif at Zahran Palace in Amman, Jordan. This event will be open to pre-credentialed media managed by the Royal Hashemite Court. Photos will be released by the Royal Hashemite Court via Flickr HERE. The event will also be livestreamed by the Royal Hashemite Court.

In the evening, the First Lady will attend the wedding reception of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II and Miss Rajwa Khalid Al Seif at Al Husseiniya Palace in Amman, Jordan. This event will be closed press and covered by the Royal Hashemite Court's official photographers.

FLOTUS -Pool #2 Middle East trip-June 1 -Amman

Round table with women business leaders :

The First Lady walked into the room around 1 pm local time where Jordanian business women leaders were standing against a backdrop of USAID banner and both US and Jordanian flags, sitting next to her was US ambassador to Jordan Henry Wooster, next to him was Rebecca Acuna Deputy Director, Economic Development and Energy office, USAID.

She greeted the 10 women individually shaking hands and introducing herself as Jill, "call me Jill" she said.

FLOTUS talked about the challenges both as a working woman, and as an educator, "I am trying to balance both jobs as a First Lady and as an educator, I want to hear your stories, the challenges you face, the mentoring you did." she added.

She listened to each woman's narrative; she was engaging with follow up questions about the funds, assistance from USAID and labour force.

Each woman leader has her own story of how she made it against the challenges, they narrated them individually for few minutes each.

FLOTUS asked about women labour force market, she listened to very inspiring stories and let the women ask questions. The background of the women's companies varied from banking to cosmetics, to pharmacy.

One of the ladies wished her an early happy birthday.

She ended on a note that "we need to spread the message, build the confidence for young women not only in Jordan but in the Arab world. "

She took a group photo with the women; she hugged them as she departed and had small chats . Event ended at 1:34 pm. Next is the Media filing centre at Zahran Palace.

Participants will include:
· Tamara Abdel-Jaber, Partner, Amam Ventures
· Reem Hamdan, Director General for the Jordan Electricity Distribution Company (EDCO)
· Sondos Samara, Partner and Quality Manager at the Environmental Laboratory for Microbiological and Chemical Analysis
· Malak Al Akiely, Founder and Managing Director of Golden Wheat for Grain Trading, Ltd.
· Shireen Muhaisen, Co-Founder of Bunni Coffee
· Lubna Kayed, Founder of Sarrh International
· Abeer Qumsieh, Founder and Chairwomen of Better Business
· Dr. Rasha Al Eid, Founder and Owner of Juman Pharmaceutical & Cosmetics
· Shatha Jayyousi, Entrepreneurship Manager at Orange Telecom
· Thana'a Khasawneh, Executive Director for the Jordan Business and Professional Women Associatio

FLOTUS POOL #3 Middle East trip June 1- Amman

FLOTUS arrived at 4:53 pm at Zahran Palace with her daughter Ashely, your pooler saw her car pulling to the driveway, Zahran palace used mainly for ceremonies, the royal guards stood in their traditional dark green uniform and checkered red and white Shmagh, (the Arabic name for the head dress) on the steps of the palace greeting guests.

FLOTUS emerged from the motorcade wearing a long light pink dress with her daughter Ashley in a black dress , she was one of around 150 guests who witnessed the marriage ceremony before joining the actual wedding party at the Al Husseiniya palace . The First lady chatted with King Abdullah II and Queen Rania before walking to the garden to take her seat at the ceremony , she was the last to arrive, both the King and the Queen walked behind her.

The ceremony was officiated at the Zahran palace by the official Imam Ahmad AL-Khalaila of Royal Hashemite Dewan.

The First Lady and her daughter sat in the second row, she sat next to Sheikha Moza of Qatar and former king and Queen of Spain. The ceremony was conducted in Arabic.

The event ended at 5:29 pm . FLOTUS walked out with the mother of the bride, they were seen chatting . She was the first guest to shake hands with the Crown Prince Al Hussein II and his wife now Princess Rajwa Alseif, she kissed both of them on the cheeks and congradualted them.

The Dinner is closed media event, next report is from Cairo.

You can watch the wedding ceremony here:

https://www.youtube.com/live/eszlP_jAvAg?feature=share

FLOUS Pool #4 Middle East trip -Amman

Here are few pictures from the ceremony.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/5dhats7muefbv48b1po3x/h

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/5dhats7muefbv48b1po3x/h?dl=0&rlkey=dm1hfwv4hr58hq3hsg64dcjw8

The dress is actually more of a mauve color by Lebansese designer Reem Acra .

It's the same dress she wore for the South Korea President's official dinner at the White House.