Keyword: Hashemite

Hashemite

The official name of Jordan is the ‘Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.’

But, what does ‘Hashemite ’mean? The term refers to one of the most famous and influential families -- or tribes -- in the Arab world. Jordan’s current king, King Abdullah II, is a Hashemite, just like his father and his father’s father. Hashemites trace their ancestry all the way back to Arabia during the 7th century CE.

For centuries, the Hashemite family has played an important part in the political and religious life of the Middle East -- not just in Jordan, but also in Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Jordan’s former king, King Hussein, once said of the Hashemite family,“ we are the oldest tribe in the Arab world.”