Her Royal Highness Princess Basma bint Talal was born in Amman, Jordan, on May 11, 1951, to His Majesty King Talal bin Abdullah and Her Majesty Queen  Zein Al Sharaf.

Her Royal Highness is the only sister of His Majesty the late King Hussein, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed and His Royal Highness Prince Al Hassan.

Princess Basma is married to Mr. Walid Al Kurdi.

Princess Basma has four children; her eldest daughter Farah (born March 25, 1971) her son Ghazi (born July 21st, 1974), her son Saad (born November 8, 1982) and her youngest daughter Zein al Sharaf (born June 1st, 1986).

Her Royal Highness now has four granddaughters and one grandson, Fatima al Zahra (October 11, 2005) Aysha (June 1, 2007), Zein al Sharaf (October 5, 2007), Iman (February 22, 2009) and Abdulaziz (June 18, 2010) .

Princess Basma received her primary education at the Ahliyyah School in Amman, and her secondary schooling at Benenden School in England.
She went on to specialize in languages at Oxford University. In addition to Arabic, she is fluent in English, speaks French and has studied Spanish.
In May 2001, Princess Basma was awarded a D.Phil. degree from Oxford University. Her thesis entitled, "Contextualising development in Jordan: the arena of donors, state and NGOs," examines the evolution of Jordan′s development process as shaped by political and economic factors.

The thesis traces the growth of civil society entities, particularly those working in social development, as they respond to conditions at the local, national and international levels.

The book, which also draws on her personal experience working in development, serves as an insight into her own professional life.

For nearly thirty years Her Royal Highness has worked nationally, regionally and internationally to promote a range of global issues, most notably in the areas of human development, gender equity and women′s empowerment, and the well-being and development of children.

Princess Basma plays an active advocacy role through various forums such as the United Nations, contributing to global strategies on health, education, population, the environment, and the advancement of women.

Her Royal Highness is particularly involved with supporting the implementation of sustainable development programmes that address the social and economic needs of marginalized groups.

On the international level, Princess Basma is Honorary Human Development Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).
She is also a Global Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA),as well as Special Envoy for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

As a recognized spokesperson in Jordan and for the Arab and Islamic worlds, the Princess is frequently invited to take part in international meetings.

Her Royal Highness also serves as a member of the Council of the United Nations University for Peace and a member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World, jointly established by the Universities of Edinburgh, Manchester, and Durham.
In Jordan, she is an active patron of the Women′s Police, the Jordanian Young Women′s Christian Association, The Private Schools Council, The Inner Wheel Club, the Home and Garden Club, Arab Alliance of Women in Music and Arab Women′s Media Centre as well as member of the Board of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Jordan.

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