Crown Prince drives PM Modi to Jordan Museum in special gesture

AMMAN: Jordanian Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II on Tuesday personally drove Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Jordan Museum here, in a special gesture reflecting the warmth of ties between India and the Arab nation.

The Crown Prince is a 42nd-generation direct descendant of Prophet Mohammad.

In a social media post, Modi said he is "grateful" to Al-Hussein for showing him different aspects of Jordan's history and culture at the museum.

The Prime Minister said he has "interacted extensively" with the Crown Prince and "his passion towards Jordan’s progress is clearly visible".

"His contributions to areas such as youth development, sports, space, innovation and furthering the welfare of persons with disabilities are truly remarkable," Modi said, wishing Al-Hussein in his pursuits to strengthen Jordan's growth trajectory.

Modi arrived in Jordan's capital, Amman, on Monday on a two-day visit at the invitation of King Abdullah II.

Jordan is the first leg of the Prime Minister's four-day, three-nation tour, which will also take him to Ethiopia and Oman.

The Jordan Museum, located in the Ras al-Ein district of Amman, is the country’s largest museum and showcases some of its most significant archaeological and historical artefacts.

Built in 2014, the museum traces the civilisational journey of the region from prehistoric times to the present day.

The museum's collection includes animal bones dating back 1.5 million years and the 9,000-year-old Ain Ghazal lime plaster statues, considered among the world's oldest ever made.