Maryland Gov. Wes Moore rolled out a red carpet for King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of Jordan at the State House on Wednesday, a rare visit from a head of state to the state capital.
The two leaders shared brief remarks ahead of a roundtable discussion with business and university leaders, expressing mutual admiration and a broad desire to find “synergies” between Jordan and Maryland.
Journalists were allowed to observe only the first few minutes of the meeting and neither the governor nor king was made available for questions.
Business executives, university leaders and Jordanian government officials were seated in the Governor’s Reception Room at long tables dressed with cream-colored brocade tablecloths and floral centerpieces with white roses. A series of U.S., Maryland and Jordanian flags stood behind the two leaders.
Moore said that the meeting with the king marked the first time that a foreign head of state has visited the State House on official business. And he noted that the king’s father had been to Annapolis about 30 years earlier for a dinner with a “U.S. official” that he did not name.
The two men professed a shared love for Maryland cuisine. The king noted that when he attended boarding school in Massachusetts, his mother lived in “this area” and he’d visited Maryland before.
The king also referenced their shared military background. “We are instantly good friends,” the king said. “He’s a fellow paratrooper.”
Beyond the pleasantries about cuisine and military service, the leaders spoke little of the purpose or goals of the meeting. Moore, a Democrat, said he hoped for “a very vibrant discussion about our people and our economies, and also our future.”
Abdullah mentioned his hope for the “opportunity to look at some synergies, which I know definitely we have.”
The governor’s office did not offer much information about the visit, including how it came about or how long it had been in the works.
Afterwards, the governor’s office issued a statement saying Moore “facilitated a roundtable discussion for attendees to learn more about potential trade, investment, and partnership opportunities between the State of Maryland and Jordan.”
The attendance list provides a glimpse into the possibility of economic development or higher education agreements, with executives from Lockheed Martin, Marriott, T. Rowe Price, Aerotek and McCormick among those in attendance. Also in the room were Valerie Sheares Ashby, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and Jay Perman, chancellor of the University System of Maryland.
The king had been in the United States for this week’s meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he spoke Tuesday about the need for world leaders to ensure humanitarian aid reaches people in Gaza. Jordan is situated directly east of Israel.
“Humanitarian aid should never be a tool of war,” Abdullah said in his U.N. address.
Over the years, many foreign dignitaries, including ambassadors and lawmakers, have visited Annapolis, occasionally stopping by the State House and more often at the nearby U.S. Naval Academy, according to the Maryland State Archives. But it’s rare for a foreign head of state to pay a visit to the State House.
In 2010, then-Gov. Martin O’Malley met at the State House with Milo Đukanović, who was then the prime minister of Montenegro, a nation on the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe, according to the state archives.
And in 2007, O’Malley met at the governor’s mansion with then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel, who also was given a tour of the State House, including a visit to the dome. The visit coincided with a Middle East peace conference that was being held at the Naval Academy, according to the state archives.
The king’s visit led to only minor disruptions in Annapolis, with a few streets surrounding the State House blocked off by law enforcement.
Ahead of the king’s arrival, Maryland Capitol Police stood in wait in front of the State House’s ornate doors, which were closed to display their decoration. A red carpet lined the stretch of sidewalk bordering State Circle, and another red carpet lined the main level of the State House inside.
Scaffolding that had shrouded the grand steps of the State House for ongoing construction work had been removed ahead of the king’s visit, and green plants were placed along the steps.
A motorcade of motorcycles and SUVs that could be heard blocks away rolled up to the State House, where the king was greeted by Moore and his wife, Dawn Flythe Moore.
The king shook the Moores’ hands and exchanged words before Moore invited the king to lead the couple up the steps.
Nearly two hours later, Moore and the king descended those same steps engaged in animated conversation.
Before getting into his black SUV, Abdullah extended a handshake to Moore and the two embraced in a back-slapping hug. Moore waited on the red carpet as the king’s parade of engines and lights led him out of Annapolis.
