AMMAN - Jordan is gearing up for Crown Prince Hussein's wedding on Thursday, an event already greeted with fireworks, concerts and social media frenzy in the usually quiet desert kingdom.
The eldest son of King Abdullah II will marry Saudi fiancee Rajwa Al Saif at the grand royal wedding with regional monarchs, US First Lady Jill Biden and the king of the Netherlands among the guests.
In the lead-up to the wedding of the next in line to Jordan's throne, the country has been gripped by royal fever.
Photos of Saif's henna bridal party took the internet by storm last week as she donned a white gown with an Arabic poetry verse embroidered in gold: "When I see you, life becomes sweet".
The Royal Hashemite Court published a YouTube video of Prince Hussein's mother Queen Rania and his sisters, Princesses Salma and Iman, singing and dancing with guests at the party.
"Like any mother, I have long dreamt of his wedding day," the queen said in a speech, telling her subjects that "Hussein is your son, and you are his family, and this is your wedding".
After the party, drones hovering over Amman formed the shape of a crown in the sky.
Such highly public displays may be common for Western royals, but they are a rarity in the Arab world where conservative monarchies seldom share any details of their private lives.
"Everyone took pictures and posted them on social media -- this perhaps wouldn't be possible with other royal families," said one bridal party attendee, Lara al-Laty, a 35-year-old travel agency employee.
She shared pictures of the party on her Facebook page, with guests seen wearing traditional abayas embroidered with Arabic inscriptions.
"The atmosphere, the decor, the ululations all had a humble Jordanian character that made you feel like you were at a family party," she said.
The Western-educated crown prince, who officially became heir apparent at the age of 15, has long grown accustomed to the spotlight.
Hussein has amassed four million followers on his Instagram account where he shares eclectic photographs of hiking trips, military training and royal functions.