It was not a secret that Jordan's King Abdullah owns properties abroad but the information was not disclosed for reasons of privacy and security, the royal palace said on Monday after the leak of the “Pandora Papers.”
"It is no secret that His Majesty owns a number of apartments and residences in the United States and the United Kingdom. This is not unusual nor improper," Jordan's royal palace said in a statement.
It said the king had personally purchased the properties and no funds from the state budget or treasury had been used. The king uses the properties during official visits and sometimes while on private visits, the palace added.
"These properties are not publicized out of security and privacy concerns, and not out of secrecy or an attempt to hide them, as these reports have claimed. Measures to maintain privacy are crucial for a head of state of His Majesty’s position," the English language statement.
