Crisis for Jordan's Monarchy

King Abdullah II of Jordan and his son, Crown Prince Hussein, recently traveled to the country's northern Badia region to meet with leaders of the Bani Khalid, Fawa'reh, Shammar, Enezah, Zbeid, Sarhan, Naeem and Berri tribes. King Abdullah rarely visits the tribes, and such visits are often unsuccessful. The visit came days before the April 26 resignation of Prime Minister Awn al-Khasawneh, who had been appointed to the post only six months earlier.

The Jordanian monarchy is surrounded by challenges. In addition to al-Khasawneh's resignation and mounting calls for reform, the monarchy has lost tribal support, the key pillar of its legitimacy and power. King Abdullah is now scrambling to reaffirm tribal ties, but with limited resources and the loss of confidence, he will be forced to renegotiate the power structure with the tribal East Bankers and the Palestinian-Jordanians.