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A king running risks to see his people's conditions

AMMAN: Jordan's youthful King again slipped out of his hilltop Amman palace on Monday, this time disguised in old clothes, to find out about hospital services offered to ordinary Jordanians.

It was the fourth time since his ascension to the Hashemite throne nearly a year ago that King Abdullah II left his palace in disguise to try and find out what life is really like for the ordinary people of his Arab Kingdom.

On the previous occasions, he posed as a television reporter, a taxi driver and an old man.

This time, Abdullah Ñ who celebrates his 38th birthday on January 30, Ñ was dressed in old clothes and a traditional Arab headdress drapped across his face, according to Royal Palace officials speaking on customary condition of anonymity.

His destination was a government hospital in the northeastern city of Zarqa, where he made inquiries about services provided to patients, Jordanians, the officials said.

The king-in-disguise ploy recalls the populist touch of King Hussein, Abdullah's father and predecessor, who often mingled among his subjects. But Hussein's disguises were usually no more elaborate than the end of a headdress drapped across his bearded face.

Abdullah's forays have combined secrecy with a deft touch for publicity. They are also the actions of a man who was never groomed to be king. He became crown prince only days before his father's death in February last year. He replaced his uncle, Prince Hassan, who had been the heir-designate for decades.

The palace officials said they didn't even know Abdullah had gone out until he returned and told them about his day. He offered few details of what exactly he posed as, saying he wanted to keep it secret because he may use the same disguise again.

"He got first hand information on the services provided at the Zarqa Government Hospital," one official said. "His finding is that the hospital is poorly managed and its services are unsatisfactory."

He said he spent two hours watching patients standing in long queues to see doctors, many of whom had not shown up for work.