Princess Sumaya bint Hassan was born on May 14, 1971, in Amman, Jordan. She is the daughter of Prince Hassan bin Talal and Princess Sarvath al-Hassan. Her mother has Pakistani-Bengali descent. Sumaya received her primary education at the Amman Baptist School in Jordan and later attended the International Community School. She then went on to study at Sherborne School for Girls in Dorset, England. Sumaya pursued her passion for art and graduated from the Courtauld Institute of Art at the University of London with a Bachelor of Arts in History of Art. She specialized in Early Sources of Islamic Art and Architecture.
Public service and education have been at the forefront of Princess Sumaya’s endeavors. In 1991, she founded the Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT) and currently serves as the Chairman of its board of trustees. Her vision was to establish a regional hub for IT research and development, and PSUT has become the leading science and technology institution in Jordan and the MENA region.
In October 2006, Princess Sumaya was appointed President of the Royal Scientific Society (RSS) by her father, Hassan Bin Talal, who founded the organization. She had previously served on its board of trustees. As the President of RSS, Sumaya also sits on the Higher Council for Science and Technology (HCST), a government body that advises the state on public policy issues related to science and technology.
Princess Sumaya is also the founder of the Queen Rania Centre for Entrepreneurship (QRCE), Jordan’s first and only university-based center for Entrepreneurship. She established the Queen Rania National Business Plan Competition to support aspiring student entrepreneurs.
Her dedication to science and technology extends beyond Jordan. As the Chair of the Board of Governors of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA) Technology Centre, based on the RSS campus, she plays a crucial role in promoting scientific advancements in the region. Princess Sumaya has been a strong supporter of SESAME, a synchrotron-light facility established to promote scientific research and development in the Middle East. She has raised awareness about SESAME at numerous global high-level fora.
In May 2017, Princess Sumaya was invited by the King of Jordan to head the Jordan Delegation at SESAME’s official opening. She also chaired the 8th World Science Forum held in Jordan in 2017, under the theme of Science for Peace. This marked the first time the World Science Forum took place in the Middle East.
Princess Sumaya took on the role of President of the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organization (WAITRO) in 2019. She is also actively involved in several educational institutions, serving as the Deputy Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Amman Baccalaureate School since 2005 and a member of the Board of Directors of the Hashemite Society for Education. Additionally, she is part of the Board at the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board (RAEB).
In her personal life, Princess Sumaya married Nasser Judeh, Jordan’s former Deputy Prime Minister, in August 1992. Together, they have been dedicated to promoting education and scientific research in Jordan and beyond.