Princess Raiyah received her undergraduate degree and Masters degree in Japanese Studies, and as part of her studies took a year abroad studying at Ritsumeikan University in Japan. In 2014, she received a further MA in Japanese Literature from Columbia University in New York, after which she began her PhD in Premodern Japanese Literature at the University of California, Los Angeles in the fall of 2014.
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Her Royal Highness Princess Raiyah bint Al Hussein was born in Amman on the 9th of February 1986 to His Majesty King Hussein bin Talal and Her Majesty Queen Noor Al-Hussein.
Princess Raiyah began her schooling in Amman, Jordan, and went on to receive her International Baccalaureate Diploma from the United World College of the Atlantic, Wales. In July 2009, Princess Raiyah graduated from Edinburgh University in Scotland with a BA and MA (Honours) in Japanese Studies, including a Distinction in Oral Japanese. As part of her course for the academic year 2007-8, Her Royal Highness was seconded to Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan where she took courses in Japanese, International Relations, and International Peace Studies.
In 2014, Princess Raiyah received a further MA in Japanese Literature from Columbia University in New York. She then began her PhD in Premodern Japanese Literature at the University of California, Los Angeles in the fall of 2014 and is currently a PhD Candidate working towards the completion of her dissertation. She received several fellowships during her time at UCLA as well as an award for Excellence in Teaching in June 2017.
In 1997, His Late Majesty King Hussein bestowed the Al-Hussein Medal of Merit of the First Degree (Gold) on Princess Raiyah. In 2006, His Majesty King Abdullah II awarded Her Royal Highness the Grand Cordon of the Order of Al-Nahda.
On the 26th December 2006, the Cabinet issued a directive for Princess Raiyah to be appointed as a Diplomatic Attaché with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2011 she was promoted to the rank of Third Secretary, in 2014 to the rank of Second Secretary, and in 2017 to the rank of First Secretary.
In July of 2007, the Jordanian National Center for Culture and Arts, under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Raiyah, participated in the Okinawa International Festival for Young Audiences– the first time an Arab organization was represented at the Festival. Princess Raiyah held a press conference and gave several speeches in Japanese in order to help promote the event and Jordan’s participation in it.
Princess Raiyah has accompanied His Majesty King Abdullah II on working trips to Japan in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2010. She also accompanied His Majesty on a working visit to South Korea in 2008.
From 2010 to 2011 Princess Raiyah served as volunteer translator for the NGO Hunger Free World. From 2011 to 2012, she worked in the Middle East Department of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), where she assisted with projects related to Jordan, and the larger region, and also participated in various workshops held by JICA on subjects including eco-tourism, mother and child health, and barrier-free tourism. She also met with victims of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami as well as with various NGOs active in its reconstruction and gave presentations on Jordan at various middle and elementary schools in Tokyo and Tohoku.
Her Royal Highness enjoys reading, martial arts, water sports, snowboarding, volleyball, and writing and has won several prizes for horseback riding.
Princess Raiyah is fluent in Arabic, English, and Japanese. She also reads Classical and Medieval Japanese as well as Classical and Modern Chinese.
THE JAPAN SOCIETY OF BOSTON