Amman, Jordan HRH Princess Basma bint Ali served for over 12 years in the Jordanian Armed Forces. She attained the rank of Major and was awarded the King Hussein Gold Medal for Excellence in 1995, as well as the Order of Merit from the Jordanian Armed Forces in 1998.
In 1995 she co-founded the Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan (JREDS) for which she has served as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors till today.
In 2000 Princess Basma bint Ali retired so as to dedicate herself to the environment. In 2005 she founded the Royal Botanic Garden in Tell Ar-Rumman, Jordan.
Princess Basma bint Ali was honored as a Hero for the Planet by Time Magazine in 1998, the first Arab woman to be featured. Also, in 2002 she was elected as a laureate of the Global 500 Roll of Honor for Environmental Achievement (UNEP). Again she was the first Arab female, and in fact the only individual, to be selected, the rest being organizations.
In 2011 she was awarded the Henry Shaw Medal from the Missouri Botanical Garden. She serves on numerous committees and organizations to promote sustainable development and environmental conservation.