"Sooner or later, I think, the dam is going to burst," he warned.
He said the international community would have to offer more help if it wanted Jordan to keep taking refugees.
The UN is seeking $7.7bn (£5.4bn) to fund aid operations for 22.5 million people in Syria and neighbouring countries next year. However, only 43% of its 2015 appeal for $2.9bn was funded.
For decades Jordan welcomed people escaping wars on its borders - Palestinians, Iraqis, and now so many Syrian refugees they make up nearly 20% of the population.
"For the first time," King Abdullah says, "we can`t do it any more."
Schools, hospitals, jobs are under pressure. The king is going to London to drive a hard bargain. If Europe`s leaders expect him to create jobs for Syrians so they stay in the region, he expects them to provide long-term assistance to also provide jobs for Jordanians. That`s what the London Conference is promising Syria`s neighbours.
In Jordan, only 1% of Syrian refugees now have work permits. The king knows opening up the job market would be deeply unpopular unless he can also offer opportunities for his own people.
Years ago, he famously said Jordan was stuck between "Iraq and a hard place". It`s far harder now, with thousands of Syrians still arriving at his border.
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