Only three years after he ascended to Jordan's throne, King Abdullah has emerged as one of the key players in the quest for a solution to the deepening crisis in the Middle East.

Geography alone - his country is squeezed between Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Egypt - would make Abdullah an essential piece in the complex Middle Eastern jugsaw puzzle. But thanks to his upbringing, half-British Abdullah is also a bridge between the Middle East and the West.

As at home on the back of a Harley Davidson as a camel, the son of the widely admired late King Hussein is also hugely popular at home, partly because of his disguised forays onto the streets of Jordan to discover the day-to-day concerns of his subjects.

To find out more about the 40-year-old king, his glamorous wife and their position on the world stage, buy this week's HELLO!, on sale now.