He has been backing a strongly liberal economic policy, which has annoyed the old tribal conservatives on whom the Hashemite monarchy has depended since it was installed by the British 80-plus years ago.

ECONOMIST: Caught in the middle, as usual

This, they argued, would continue to marginalise Jordanians of Palestinian origin in favour of those descended from Jordan's original Bedouin inhabitants, whose tribes dominate the government and security forces and are the bedrock of the Hashemite monarchy.

BBC: Jordan sets date for early parliamentary elections