Princess Basma bint Talal

Basma was educated at Ahliyyah School for Girls in Amman, then in England at Benenden School (where she was a friend of Princess Anne) and University of Oxford, where she read Modern Languages.

In 2001, she was awarded a DPhil degree by Oxford University for a thesis entitled Contextualising development in Jordan: the arena of donors, state and NGOs.

Basma first married Colonel Timoor Daghistani in Amman on 2 April 1970.

Since the late 1970s, Basma has worked to promote human development, gender equity and children's charities.

Through forums that include the United Nations she contributes to the global debates on health, education, population and the environment.