Princess Fadzilah, daughter of Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, married Iraqi young man Abdullah Nabil Mahmoud Al-Hashimi in lavish ceremonies that lasted a week, culminating in a grand celebration on Monday evening at the royal palace. According to the Daily Mail, the wedding festivities began on January 16 with an event where the Sultan of Brunei officially bestowed his blessing on the couple. The bride and groom wore matching embellished outfits adorned with diamonds, complementing a sparkling tiara on the bride's head.
A local newspaper in Brunei described the young Iraqi as a "handsome foreigner" and a mysterious figure. However, media sources from Nineveh province in northern Iraq revealed his identity, stating that he is the son of Dr. Nabil Mahmoud Al-Hashimi, a former academic at Mosul University's College of Engineering, who emigrated to Canada in the early 1990s, obtained Canadian citizenship, and settled in Brunei where he welcomed his son Abdullah, who grew up there and earned an engineering degree from a local university.
The engagement of Princess Fadzilah and Al-Hashimi was announced in a statement released by the royal palace on December 31. The 36-year-old princess is the ninth of the Sultan’s twelve children, leads the national basketball team of Brunei, organizes healthcare campaigns, and participates in charity polo matches, but remains largely out of the public eye. Princess Fadzilah studied at Kingston University, graduating in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in International Studies, and obtained her MBA from the Hult International Business School in 2015.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, 75 years old, has been on the throne since 1967 and is considered one of the richest individuals in the world, with an estimated net worth of $20 billion. Brunei traditionally hosts opulent royal weddings, as seen in the weddings of Prince Abdul Malik and Princesses Hafizah and Majidah. The wedding of Prince Malik was one of the "most luxurious weddings" in recent history.
