< Previous120 HarpersBazaarArabia.com March 2019 Her Majesty Queen Rania wears Bouguessa blouse and trousers Fashion director: Belen Antolin. Hair: Alain Pichon. Make- up: Valeria Ferreira. Photography team: Diego Bendezu, Maximilian Hoell and Jeremy O’Donnell. Producer: Neha Mishra121 HarpersBazaarArabia.com March 2019 The INTERVIEW then you just need to remind them that’s what is happening so they can be conscious of it and try to keep that balance.” In addition to balancing time on- and off-line, the digital sphere can be a double-edged sword, Queen Rania explains. “The internet has unleashed a lot of potential for a lot of kids and sometimes when I look at YouTube channels or websites that are run by children they’re incredibly inspiring. But it is also a dangerous space where kids can be exposed to unsuitable content and negativity, to bullying, to content that makes them doubt themselves, or their self-image,” she says. “Increasingly, I try to guide my kids to look at the marvels of the internet and really steer them away from the dark corners.” The two-dimensional nature of platforms such as Instagram can be a battering ram in the face of wavering self-esteem, something that Queen Rania is also acutely aware of. “One thing that I’m very conscious of is that it’s become a very visual world and you really have to guard against your kids either becoming too superfi cial or unaccepting of who they are and becoming critical of themselves. Physically, emotionally; people start to think that other people’s lives are better than their own. I see that all the time, how people become incredibly insecure.” And it’s not only children who are susceptible, she warns. “Sometimes it really surprises me when I see people whose characters online are so different from their characters offl ine. And it makes me wonder, ‘Why do you feel you have to wear that mask? Why do you feel you have to project a certain image to the rest of the world? Why can’t you just be comfortable with who you are?’ Because ultimately your authentic self is what matters. And the closer you remain to the trueness of who you are, the happier you will be at the end of the day.” Despite what Snapchat fi lters would have us believe, “You don’t deceive anybody by trying to portray some kind of image on social media,” she counsels. “The number of likes that you get ultimately doesn’t matter. The validation that really matters comes from a sense of self-acceptance, achievement, doing something, developing your own skills.” For these portraits taken for Harper’s Bazaar Arabia by photographer Alexi Lubomirski, Her Majesty was keen to stay true to her own sense of style, a style that is always secondary to substance. “I am very passionate about my work, and the clothes I wear don’t have any bearing on that. I am also very mindful that I have a duty to represent my country well. So, rather than follow the latest trends, I aim to dress in a way that refl ects who I am,” she says. “I fi nd that I’m most comfortable in modest wear – partly because of my position, but mostly because it feels right for me, as a woman.” Her Majesty just wishes that the emphasis would be on what she says, rather than what she wears. “Of course, one of the downsides of being a woman in the public eye is that there will always be comments about my outfi ts and appearance. Sometimes, there is a lot of exaggeration as well. I suppose it comes with the territory,” she says, “But at the end of the day, I hope it is my work that defi nes me, not my wardrobe.” Chief among her work achievements is Her Majesty’s focus on education across the Arab world. Away from the images we see of starving children, displaced families and people in desperate need of medical aid, Queen Rania believes there is another less visible crisis unfolding in the Middle East, one that doesn’t make front page news. “Across the Arab world there are millions and millions of children who are receiving education that is inadequate, it’s outdated, it doesn’t prepare them for today’s job market, let alone tomorrow’s. So they really don’t stand a chance,” she says. “People don’t see it as a crisis. I see it as an emergency.” The slowly unfolding repercussions of failing to educate the region’s youth could decimate a generation. “What will become of them? Will they become vulnerable to extremist ideology, will they be a burden on society? What kind of impact will they have on our collective future?” She has seen fi rst-hand how Jordan’s own education reform efforts have been strained by the pressure of accommodating Syrian refugee children in the country’s schools. “There isn’t anything more urgent for us in the Arab world than education because at the end of the day it’s about the individual being able to have the skills to participate in today’s economy, to feel competitive. There shouldn’t be a confl ict between the sense of, ‘I’m an Arab, I’m a Muslim but I’m able to compete on the international stage’ and you can only achieve that through a quality education.” She urges a communal effort to revolutionise education across the Arab world. “If we put our hands together we can all muster up the resources that we need for our kids. Obviously some countries have more resources than others, but ultimately when it comes to the education of our kids we all have the same vested interest. If I’m in Jordan, it’s in my best interest that kids in Syria get a great education because if they don’t, that’s going to become a problem for me in the future.” While the challenge is huge, there is also great potential. Just imagine what strides a well-educated workforce could make. “A large percentage of our population are young and therefore with the right interventions, what we see as a challenge could become an opportunity for very quick change,” she says. The digital world also makes it easier to reach students, train teachers and modernise learning. In 2014 Queen Rania launched Edraak as an Arabic online educational platform for adult learners, who were starving for engaging digital content in their native language. Since then, Edraak has reached more than 2.2 million registered users. Last September, the platform was expanded to schoolchildren too, with the Edraak K-12 platform, which will offer e-curricula in all major subjects to Arab children everywhere. “We’ve already rolled out mathematics, and there is much more to come. The platform will eventually include thousands of Arabic instructional videos, quizzes, and practice exercises covering everything our children learn in schools, all available free of charge to anyone with an internet connection,” Her Majesty says. The aim is to provide all Arab school-aged children with free access to quality education by 2020, whether they are in urban centres, refugee camps or confl ict zones. “It is a tremendous undertaking, but it is one that our region cannot afford to put off,” she says. “A child denied an education is not a tragedy for just that child – it sets us all back. So we owe it to them, and to ourselves, to give them a fi ghting chance.” By taking on as mammoth a responsibility as education reform in the Arab world, Queen Rania is setting herself a gargantuan task. “Sitting still is not who I am. You can ask my team, you can ask my mum,” she smiles. “The easy life is not something that I ever aspired to. And I think the easy way is never really the right way.” The education crisis can’t be solved overnight, and reform is fraught with resistance and cynicism, she says. “I could feel discouraged when those who are resisting the change have got the upper hand, but then there are days where I feel that we’ve really moved the dial, even if it’s for an inch. Where I see teachers who have just taken a course and are feeling empowered with their new skills and I see how their students are becoming inspired by this new atmosphere in the classroom.” With the dreams and ambitions of a generation in her reach, Her Majesty Queen Rania’s lasting infl uence over the Arab world has the potential to be prodigious. “I don’t believe in legacy; you’re not there to see your legacy,” she muses. “What I do believe is that you need to leave good deeds behind. Do whatever you can to positively impact other people’s lives.” We may not all be queens, but as Her Majesty says, the end game is the same for all. “Really, we’re all here to leave a decent mark behind.” ■ “T H E G R EA T E S T SU P P O R T T H AT A W O M A N C A N G E T I S F R O M AN O T H E R SUC C E S S F U L WO M A N WH O L I F T S H E R U P A N D T E L L S H E R , ‘Y O U C A N D R E A M , Y O U C A N S U C C EED ’” He r Ma j e s t y Qu een Ran i alog on HARPE RS B A Z A A R A R A B IA .C O M @ B A ZA ARARABIA H A RP ERSBAZAAR A R A B IA @HA RP E R S B A Z A A R A R A B IAOLD HOLLYWOOD IS NEW AGAIN. THE ICONIC MODELS OF TODAY WEAR DESIGNS (AND DIAMONDS) BEFITTING A MONROE OR BACALL OR HEPBURN. WITH A 2019 TWIST, OF COURSE. STARDUST BY CARINE ROITFELD PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARIO SORRENTI CREATIVE DIRECTION BY DENNIS FREEDMAN ANOK YAI (LEFT): CARDIGAN, DHS3,130; SKIRT,DHS5,152; BELT, DHS718, ALL MARC JACOBS. HYUNJI SHI (RIGHT): CARDI- GAN, DHS3,295; BANDEAU TOP, DHS1,820; TROUSERS,DHS4,420; NECKTIE, DHS1,085; GLOVES, DHS2,025; BELT, DHS550, ALL MARC JACOBS. ESTÉE LAUDER PERFECTIONIST SET + HIGHLIGHT POWDER DUO, DHS173. COVERGIRL SCULPT EXPERT MULTI-USE CHEEK PALETTE IN ROSE RUSH, DHS37 MARC JACOBSEMIL Y RA T AJK OWSKI. GO WN , DHS28,450 ,V ALENTINO . W A TCH, C A R TIER. MARC J A COBS BEA UTY FEA THER NOIR UL TRA-SKINNY LASH DISCO VERING MASC ARA, DHS90 V ALENTINOANOK Y AI. JA CKET , DHS46,200; SKIR T , DHS10,990, BO TH FENDI. EARRINGS , HARR Y WINST ON . ESTÉE LA UDER DOUBLE WEAR ST A Y -IN-PLA CE MAKEUP , DHS155 FENDIANOK. JUMPSUIT , DHS9,405; TIGHTS , DHS565; SHOES , DHS5,810, ALL B ALENCIA GA. EARRINGS , HARR Y WINST ON . ESTÉE LA UDER PURE COLOUR DESIRE ROUGE EXCESS LIPSTICK IN LET GO , DHS162 B ALENCIA GACARA T A YLOR. JA CKET , DHS20,000; DRESS , DHS65,557, BO TH T OM FORD . LA URA MERCIER F A CE ILLUMIN A T OR IN INSPIRA TION , DHS212 T OM FORDHAILEY BIEBER. JA CKET , DHS11,350; T O P, DHS7,750; TIGHTS , DHS900; B A G , DHS4,050, ALL GUCCI. BRIEFS , DHS125, COMMANDO . NECKLA CE, DHS71,000, TIFF ANY & CO . SHOES , DHS3,100, GIANVIT O ROSSI A T F ARFETCH. B AREMINERALS B AREPRO HIGHLIGHTER IN FREE, DHS104 GUCCIT A YLOR HILL. DRESS , DHS3,010; BEL T , DHS2,550, BO TH MAX MARA. BROOCH, HARR Y WINST ON . GLO VES , DHS300, C AROLIN A AMA T O . LANCÔME BRO W DEFINE PENCIL, DHS130 MAX MARANext >