Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan is an international humanitarian activist and an outspoken voice on issues of world peace and justice. She was born Lisa Najeeb Halaby to an Arab-American family distinguished for its public service. After receiving a B.A. in Architecture and Urban Planning from Princeton University in 1974, Queen Noor worked on international urban planning and design projects in Australia, Iran, the United States, and Jordan.

Since her marriage in 1978 to King Hussein, she has initiated, directed, and sponsored projects and activities in Jordan to address specific national development needs in the areas of education, culture, women and children’s welfare, sustainable community development, environmental conservation, human rights and conflict resolution.

Queen Noor is also the founder and chair of the King Hussein Foundation International, a non-profit, non-governmental organization established in 1999 to promote and build on King Hussein’s humanitarian vision and legacy. The Foundation fosters peace and security through programs that promote cross cultural understanding and social, economic and political opportunity in the Muslim and Arab world.

Queen Noor is actively involved in a number of international organizations advancing global peace-building and conflict recovery, and advises the United Nations on these issues. She serves on the Board of Directors of Refugees International which, with support from Ploughshares Fund, works to strengthen international peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts worldwide. She is president of the United World Colleges, advisor to Women Waging Peace and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.

Her autobiography, Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life (Miramax Books, 2003) was a New York Times bestseller published in 15 languages.