In pictures: Jordanian royal wedding takes place in lavish ceremony

Jordan’s highly anticipated royal wedding between Crown Prince Hussein, 28, and his Saudi fiancee Rajwa al-Saif, 29, gripped the country on Thursday, with much fanfare surrounding the event. The crown prince is the eldest son of King Abdullah II and the lead-up to the wedding featured a number of events, including a public parade and a concert. Many streets and buildings in the country have been covered with photos of the royal couple, who arrived at the wedding venue in a convoy of cars decorated with white floral arrangements. (AFP)

The wedding celebrations started early, and on Monday this week a free public concert was held in the capital, featuring stars such as Egyptian singer Tamer Hosny and Lebanese singer Ragheb Alama. (AFP)

Among those invited to the royal wedding were the king and queen of the Netherlands, Britain’s Prince William and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, as well as royals from Spain, Norway, Denmark and other countries. The couple had their engagement party last year and have since been spotted together on numerous occasions. The crown prince attended Sandhurst military college in the UK and went on to study history at Washington’s Georgetown University. Saif was raised in Saudi Arabia but studied architecture in New York. (AP)

Jordanians lined up in the streets to see the royal couple arrive at the ceremony, with many people waving flags and cheering. Photos of Saif’s henna party, a celebratory event typically held for women just before the wedding, circulated online, with many praising her choice of traditional dress. The celebration included traditional dancing, chanting and a speech by Queen Rania. (AP)

The kingdom declared the wedding day a public holiday, allowing people to join in the celebrations and gather in public spaces to witness the festivities, as well as the motorcade. Huge screens were set up around Jordan so that people outside of Amman were able to tune in to the wedding.(AP)

Around 1,700 people are said to have been invited to the wedding. The royal family also introduced an official logo to mark the occasion, featuring the couple’s initials, as well as a hashtag shared online. (AP)

Some see the wedding as a strategic alliance between the two families, particularly as Jordan has in recent years sought closer ties with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. (AP)

This article is available in French on Middle East Eye French edition.