Lebanese-Jordanian Princess Ghida Talal, the chairperson of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF), was awarded the prestigious Lebanese Order of Merit, during a ceremony held in the Grand Serail in Beirut.
The Beirut-born, Amman-based Princess Ghida was honored for her work in supporting cancer patients in the region and securing much-needed cancer medication for patients in Lebanon after the economic crisis began.
The 58-year-old Princess appreciated the gesture, saying, “It is a great pride to be honored by my beloved country Lebanon, with the first-class Lebanese Order of Merit. My message will always be to support cancer patients throughout our Arab world”.
The mother-of-three Princess was born in Beirut, into the Salaam family. After finishing her baccalaureate in Lebanon, she moved to the United States to pursue her education at Georgetown University, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, in Washington, D.C.
She earned a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in International Politics and Economics, graduating with honors.
Upon graduation, she began her career in journalism in London, working for the American Broadcasting Company News. She then moved to Argentina to work as a correspondent for the Sunday Times newspaper.
After years of working abroad, she came back to Beirut, to focus on her country’s politics, working with Reuters.
In 1991, she moved to Jordan and married Prince Talal Bin Muhammad, the nephew of King Hussein Bin Talal.
In 2001, King Abdullah II appointed her as full-time chairperson of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF) and Centre (KHCC).
The foundation then entered into agreements with major institutions, including the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the Lomabardi Cancer Center of Georgetown University.
In addition to focusing on fighting cancer, the Lebanese-Jordanian princess has worked on rescuing many scholars persecuted in Iraq, partnering with the Iraq Scholar Rescue Project.
In 2008, Princess Ghida Talal was honored with the Humanitarian Award for International Cooperation by the Institute of International Education (IIE), as a way to ensure her legacy in the humanitarian field.
