The Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development was first created in 1977 by royal decree. Originally named the Queen Alia Fund, the group was created with a broad mandate and substantial levels of official support; the Board of Trustees was made up largely of high-level government officials and was chaired by the Crown Princess, HRH Princess Basma bint Talal. In 1979, the fund was granted special legal status as a non-governmental institution with the right to enjoy a degree of administrative and financial independence.[4]