Queen Rania's Closet ستايل الملكة رانيا: Manolo Blahnik

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Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah met with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on Monday at the UNHCR offices in New York to discuss the plight of Syrian and Sudanese refugees and local communities in host countries, amid dwindling global donor support at a time when increased urgent international cooperation is required.

Her Majesty and Grandi discussed the ongoing Syrian refugee issue, which has been critically underfunded in recent years, during their discussion. Despite being overshadowed by other global crises, the Queen stated that "the Syrian refugee crisis is still very much a crisis" for Jordan.

Due to dwindling international help, Jordan, which hosts over 1.3 million Syrian refugees - 12% of its population - 655,000 of whom are registered with UNHCR, is being obliged to shoulder more of the burden alone. The refugee response is woefully underfunded, with serious ramifications for refugees' lives. Reduced global support has caused the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to cut aid to over 100,000 Syrian refugees in camps and completely withdraw aid to 50,000 others living outside camps.

Her Majesty emphasised the huge consequences of this decision for Syrian refugees in Jordan, reiterating Grandi's emphasis on joint strategic action to solve the issue of global migrants.

The High Commissioner and the UNHCR team also briefed Her Majesty on the gravity of the situation in Sudan, which has resulted in the forced displacement of over 5 million Sudanese, 4 million of whom are internally displaced, with the remainder seeking refuge and asylum in neighbouring countries, according to UNHCR.

Refugees have been crossing Sudan's borders into five neighbouring countries since the crisis began in April: the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia. The High Commissioner said that 90% of those coming in Chad, where he recently visited, are women and children, emphasising the magnitude of the Sudanese refugee situation.

Grandi notified Her Majesty of the UNHCR's Sudan Emergency Regional Refugee Response Plan's insufficient financing, drawing her attention to the urgent need for more financial support. The plan, which is seeking a little more than $1 billion in funding to offer needed help and protection to over 1.8 million Sudanese estimated to arrive in the five neighbouring countries by the end of 2023, has only gotten 27% of its required money to date.

Her Majesty also addressed the issue of increased intolerance towards refugees, stating that "feelings towards refugees and migrants have become polarised and politicised, eliciting so many passions on all sides," and adding that this polarisation of attitudes can be an impediment to UNHCR's work.

Her Majesty praised UNHCR's efforts, saying, "Your team, with their equal parts compassion and professionalism, are probably the only ray of light for displaced people." They come to you in their most desperate hour, having nothing and needing everything, and your assistance is truly the difference between life and death."

"I am grateful to the Kingdom of Jordan and Her Majesty for their steadfast and extraordinary support of refugees from Syria and throughout the region over the decades," Grandi said. The hospitality is exceptional, yet it should not be taken for granted. It is vital that the international community continues to provide robust support not only to refugees, but also to Jordanian hosts who continue to bear the international community's burden for so many refugees

UNHCR New York Office Director Ruven Menikdiwela, Special Assistant to the High Commissioner Dustin Okazaki, and UNHCR New York Office Senior Policy Advisor Blanche Tax joined Her Majesty and Grandi for the meeting.

Following the briefing, Her Majesty congratulated UNHCR workers and thanked them, as well as Grandi, for their relentless efforts to safeguard and enhance the lives of refugees and displaced people around the world.

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For the events, Her Majesty wore her dark red GABRIELA HEARST Angela wool blazer with her GABRIELA HEARST Vesta high-rise wool-blend pants. Paired with her Delvaux Brillant Mini Leather Bag and Manolo Blahnik Metallic Woven Pumps

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Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah attended the first meeting of the World Economic Forum's Giving to Amplify Earth Action (GAEA) initiative on Monday September 18th, which aims to establish public, private, and philanthropic partnerships (PPPPs) to tackle climate change and environmental damage.

Queen Rania will serve as a Global Co-Chair of GAEA, where she will help steer the organization's strategic priorities alongside Forum Founder and Executive Chairman Professor Klaus Schwab, who stated that Her Majesty's involvement in the initiative "will be instrumental in driving impactful climate action with partners."

Her Majesty stated during the conference that the globe has seen a number of climate disasters since the Forum declared its decision to begin GAEA during its annual meeting in January, with July being dubbed the hottest month in Earth's recorded history.

"My region is warming twice as fast as the global average, and experts predict that extreme heat will render large areas uninhabitable before the end of the century."

The Queen remarked that climate and nature receive less than 2% of worldwide philanthropic funding, adding, "If the end goal of philanthropy is to create impact, then there is no better place to start than with our planet."

"That is why I am delighted to join GAEA as Global Co-Chair," Her Majesty remarked. "Because we have a collective responsibility - and the collective capability - to meet our climate ambitions."

Professor Schwab stated during the meeting that "multiple global crises continue to threaten efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, with the climate crisis front and centre."

"Through the GAEA initiative," he said, "the World Economic Forum, with its commitment to improving the state of the world through multistakeholder collaboration, is convening leaders from philanthropy, governments, and the private sector to mobilise and accelerate action for the highest-impact interventions for climate and nature."

GAEA, a first-of-its-kind worldwide project, seeks to expand new and current governmental, corporate, and charitable partnerships in order to unlock the money required to achieve net-zero emissions, reverse nature loss, and restore biodiversity by 2050.

The meeting, held on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly as part of the Forum's Sustainable Development Impact Meetings, brought together more than 30 leaders from government, business, and civil society to discuss how to leverage philanthropy to drive climate-related partnerships.

GAEA has identified a number of major industries where philanthropic funds would have the most impact using a new methodology created in cooperation with McKinsey Sustainability. This approach intends to enable governments and corporations to achieve climate action more quickly and efficiently.

During the session, a number of environmental projects were presented, each with the potential to be scaled up. These included initiatives to encourage green energy transitions in poor countries, expedite market adoption of plant-rich diets, scale clean electricity, and save coastal forests.

GAEA will engage with important partners in the coming months to incubate a new generation of public-private-philanthropic collaborations, with the Forum assisting in identifying significant corporates and governments eager to match philanthropic promises and action for climate mitigation and nature preservation.

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On Monday, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah joined Her Majesty Queen Letizia of Spain for a visit to Patrimonio Nacional employment workshops at the Royal Palace of Madrid, while accompanying His Majesty King Abdullah II and His Royal Highness Prince Hashem bin Abdullah on an official visit to Spain.

Patrimonio Nacional, a historical-cultural agency managed by the Spanish government, is in charge of the preservation of a large collection of assets representing Spain's rich national heritage. It also organises cultural, educational, and scientific events, like as training and accreditation possibilities through the Patrimonio Nacional School and Employment Workshops Programme.

Their Majesties were welcomed by Ana de la Cueva, President of Patrimonio Nacional, and began their visit at a woodworks workshop, where they were briefed on the Patrimonio Nacional School and Employment Workshops Programme. The program's goal is to give students with career possibilities and training in a variety of historical-artistic trades that are in great demand in the local labour market.

Their Majesties also visited a bookbinding workshop, where students and teachers were reproducing manuscripts and restoring book covers and artwork, before visiting a saddlery workshop, where they learned about saddle maintenance and restoration.

Over 5,000 students have been educated by Patrimonio Nacional in 20 various skills, including gardening, carpentry, stonework, upholstery, gilding, saddlery, artistic bookbinding, watchmaking, and historical tailoring.

24 buildings and over 160,000 historical-artistic works, including paintings, sculptures, tapestries, gold and silver artefacts, archives, musical instruments, and furniture, are among the institution's current conservation initiatives and projects.

Patrimonio Nacional is also in charge of preserving Spain's natural legacy, which includes 22,000 hectares of historical gardens, woodlands, and other natural places, as well as a vast number of wild species.

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For the trip, Her Majesty wore Dior (Resort 2024 Collection) Coral-Colored Beaded Top paired with Dior (Resort 2024 Collection) Butterfly Motif Embellished Skirt. She accessorized it with FENDI 3BAGUETTE LEATHER SHOULDER BAG in Light Rose , Manolo Blahnik Sugata Bordeaux & Pink Striped Suede Pumps, Saint Laurent SL 276 MICA 029 Sunglasses in Transparent Pink

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His Majesty King Abdullah emphasised Jordan's desire to collaborate with Spain during its next European Union presidency to assist develop a political vision that would safeguard the possibilities of just and lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis.

"Our joint commitment to peace is evident in supporting the two-state solution as the path forward in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," King Abdullah stated during a meeting with King Felipe VI of Spain in Madrid, attended by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah and Her Majesty Queen Letizia.

His Majesty stated at the meeting, which was also attended by His Royal Highness Prince Hashem bin Abdullah II, that peace based on the two-state solution is critical to securing peace and prosperity in the area and beyond.

"We will continue to work with Spain to resolve the crises confronting our larger Euro-Mediterranean region, because we all believe that dialogue and cooperation are the only ways forward for mutual progress," the King concluded.

Furthermore, His Majesty stated that Jordan and Spain are taking a vital step ahead in developing ties, realising that "the only way forward is together." We cannot handle the numerous difficulties confronting our globe on our own."

The King added that much has changed in the world in the eight years since his last visit to Spain, and that despite crises, conflicts, and the pandemic, the relationship and warm friendships "between our families, our peoples, and our countries have remained true, and have continued to grow from strength to strength."

"It is such collaborations that lay the groundwork for global stability, which is desperately needed in our regions and around the world." "And today, this visit is yet another stepping stone in cementing this relationship, which has grown over the last seven decades," His Majesty stated.

The King emphasised the fruitful discussions he had with King Felipe VI and President of the Government of Spain Pedro Sánchez, and stated that he is looking forward to the two countries starting a strategic alliance.

His Majesty stated that raising Jordan-Spain relations to a strategic level will allow both nations to engage more closely on topics that are important to both peoples and the world.

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On Wednesday April 26th, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah paid a visit to the Jordanian offices of Flat6Labs, where she chatted with a number of local entrepreneurs and startup owners about the potential and obstacles that their developing firms face.

When Queen Rania arrived at Flat6Labs' headquarters in the King Hussein Business Park, she met with General Manager Rasha Manna, Founder Hany Al Sonbaty, and other members of the firm's management team to discuss the company's operations, services, and future goals.

Flat6Labs, a regional startup accelerator and seed fund management organisation, works directly with talented entrepreneurs as a corporate partner, assisting them in expanding their businesses and target markets across the Middle East and North Africa, according to Sonbaty.

Since its inception in Cairo in 2011, the company has spread to six additional locations and hopes to penetrate further emerging markets in the future.

According to Manna, the firm's Amman chapter, which will open in 2021, will provide early stage finance and support services to bright Jordanian entrepreneurs, with a special emphasis on technology and innovation. Flat6Labs Jordan intends to invest in more than 90 early-stage firms in technology-driven industries including as education, healthcare, gaming, electronics, renewable energy, manufacturing, agriculture, and finance throughout the first five years.

Manna also informed Her Majesty about Flat6Labs' training and support programmes, which offer non-financial services to help entrepreneurs expand faster. The company connects participating entrepreneurs with a network of hundreds of business mentors, investors, and corporations, facilitating business and learning opportunities to help them progress.

The Queen met with a number of entrepreneurs and startup owners who have previously benefited from Flat6Labs programmes during her visit to learn about their experiences as business owners in the kingdom. She also observed a training session for the firm's current batch of entrepreneurs.

Flat6Labs has offices in Jeddah, Abu Dhabi, Beirut, Tunis, and Bahrain, in addition to Cairo and Amman. To date, the firm has assisted over 370 startups and 1,000 entrepreneurs across the region while managing a number of seed funds totaling $85 million USD.

Flat6Labs has over 25 institutional investors in the Middle East, allowing them to provide companies with money ranging from 50,000 USD to 500,000 USD to help them through the early phases of their businesses.