His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces (JAF), on Saturday presided over the first military parade in more than thirty years as part of the country's 60th independence celebrations.

The parade marked King Abdullah's ascension to the Throne on June 8, 1999.

The parade also commemorated the Great Arab Revolt, and the 50th year of Arabisation of the JAF.

Throughout the afternoon, the country's 120,000 strong army paraded in front of the review stand where the King, dressed in formal green military attire and red beret, saluted the troops.

Her Majesty Queen Rania also attended the parade.

Crowds lined the roads as soldiers galloped on horseback, reinacting the first Arab army.

Column after column of tanks rumbled past the crowds as masked elite Special Forces clad in black hung onto the sides of armoured vehicles clutching assault rifles.

The event was completed when Royal Air Force fighter planes and helicopters performed a flyby.

Earlier in the day, the King toured the Martyrs' Memorial, where a short ceremony was held and the King bestowed medals on several officers from the JAF, the Public Security Department, the General Intelligence Department and the Civil Defence Department.

The King also inspected the original Great Arab Revolt flag, which was brought to the Kingdom after being kept in a museum in Britain.

King Abdullah was later presented with a model of the flag by the Great Arab Revolt Club.

Their Royal Highnesses Prince Feisal, Prince Ali, Prince Hamzah, Prince Hashem, Princess Aysheh, Princess Iman, Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit, Senate President Zied Rifai, Lower House Speaker Abdul Hadi Majali and several senior officials and officers attended the ceremony.

Also today, King Abdullah held a lunch banquet at the King Hussein Medical Centre in honour of retired military personnel and those who were injured in wars.

HRH Prince Raad Ben Zeid, HRH Prince Mired Ben Raed and other senior officials and officers attended the banquet.

The Jordan Times