Wijdan Ali

Who is Wijdan Ali?

Princess Wijdan Ali was born in Baghdad, Iraq. She is the ex-wife of Prince 'Ali bin Naif of Jordan.

She received her B.A. in history from Beirut University College in 1961, while studying art privately. She received a Ph.D. in Islamic art from the University of London in 1993.

In her art she develops the traditions of Arabic calligraphy in a modern format and forms part of the contemporary school of Arabic calligraphic painting. Her work, which has won awards in Belgium and France, is found in museums and private collections internationally. She has participated in the cross cultural cooperation " the Dance of Visions" in Gothenburg Sweden, invited by the Swedish artist Ragnhild Lundén.

Princess Wijdan Ali is founder of the Royal Society of Fine Arts and of the Jordan National Gallery. She is also founder and dean of the newly established Faculty of Arts and Design at the University of Jordan.

She was the first woman to enter the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jordan and also the first woman delegate to represent Jordan at United Nations meetings and the first woman diplomat at the United Nations General Assembly.

Princess Wijdan Bint Fawwaz Muhana took the oath of office as Jordan's new ambassador to Italy before King Abdullah II on October 3, 2006.