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Israel and Bahrain do not have diplomatic relations, and two years ago, MPs in Manama tried to push through a law outlawing any contact with the Jewish state, which would have seen offenders slapped with a $27,000 fine and up to seven years in jail.<ref>http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g5XWdbp3DmLdK-3cL1-AlZjbI-rg?docId=CNG.df8b4b9dbec22272702ca1de92279174.8f1</ref>
Israel and Bahrain do not have diplomatic relations, and two years ago, MPs in Manama tried to push through a law outlawing any contact with the Jewish state, which would have seen offenders slapped with a $27,000 fine and up to seven years in jail.<ref>http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g5XWdbp3DmLdK-3cL1-AlZjbI-rg?docId=CNG.df8b4b9dbec22272702ca1de92279174.8f1</ref>


==Family==
King Hamad has four wives and in total twelve children, seven sons and five daughters:
King Hamad has four wives and in total twelve children, seven sons and five daughters:
*He married his first wife, [[Queen Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa]], at Rifa’a on 9 October 1968. Together they have three sons and one daughter:
*He married his first wife, [[Queen Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa]], at Rifa’a on 9 October 1968. Together they have three sons and one daughter:

Revision as of 12:53, 12 June 2011

Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
حمد بن عيسى آل خليفة
King of Bahrain
Reign6 March 1999 – present
(25 years, 164 days)
Coronation14 February 2002
PredecessorIsa bin Salman Al Khalifa
Born (1950-01-28) 28 January 1950 (age 74)[1]
Riffa, Bahrain
IssueSee Marriages and children
HouseAl Khalifa
HouseAl-Khalifa
FatherIsa bin Salman Al Khalifa
MotherHessa bint Salman Al Khalifa
ReligionSunni Islam

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (Arabic: حمد بن عيسى آل خليفة; born 28 January 1950, Riffa, Bahrain) is the King of Bahrain (since 14 February 2002), having previously been its emir (from 6 March 1999).[2] He is the son of Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the previous emir.

Early life and education

Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa was born on 28 January 1950 in Riffa, Bahrain. His parents were Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa who in 1950 was the Crown Prince and Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa. After attending Manama Secondary School in Bahrain, Hamad was sent to England complete the remainder of his education. He attended Applegarth College in Godalming, Surrey before taking a place at The Leys School in Cambridge. Hamad then underwent military training, first with the British Army at Mons Officer Cadet School at Aldershot in Hampshire, graduating in September 1968.[1] Four years later in June 1972 Hamad attended the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, graduating the following June with a degree in leadership.[3][4]

Reign

King Hamad with Donald H. Rumsfeld

On the death of his father Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Hamad became Emir of Bahrain on 6 March 1999.[2] As Emir, Hamad brought several political reforms to Bahrain. These included the release of all political prisoners, the dissolution of the State Security Court and the abolition of the 1974 Decree on State Security Measures. Additionally, many Bahraini citizens were permitted to return after several years in exile overseas.[5] In 2002 he declared himself king.

Crown prince

Hamad was designated as heir apparent by his father on 27 June 1964. In 1968 Hamad was appointed as the Chairman of the Irrigation Council and Manama Municipal Council. He was commissioned into the Bahrain National Guard on 16 February 1968 and appointed as its commander the same year, remaining in that post until 1969 when he was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Bahrain Defence Force. In 1970 Hamad became the head of the Bahraini Department of Defence and the Vice-Chairman of the Administrative Council, remaining in both offices until 1971. From 1971 to 1988 he was the Minister of State for Defence.[4]

In October 1977, Hamad started learning to fly helicopters, successfully completing the training in January 1978. He then worked to establish the Bahrain Amiri Air Force[3] which came into being in 1987 when the Defence Force air wing was reconstituted as an air force.

Prince William wedding decline

King Hamad was invited to the royal wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton. He declined amidst protests by human rights activists who had pledged to disrupt his stay in Britain because of his violent response to demonstrators.[6] Earlier in 2005, he was the only sovereign head of state to attend the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Camilla Parker Bowles.

Marriages and children

King Hamad with commanders.

Views on Israel

According to wikileaks, Bahrain's King Hamad boasted of his ties with Israel's intelligence services and told his government to stop referring to the Jewish state as the "Zionist enemy," a leaked US cable from 2005 showed.

The cable, which was given exclusively to Israel's Haaretz newspaper by the whistleblower website WikiLeaks, was written after talks between the king and Washington's ambassador to Bahrain, William Monroe, in February of that year.

"He revealed that Bahrain already has contacts with Israel at the intelligence/security level (i.e. with Mossad) and indicated that Bahrain will be willing to move forward in other areas," Monroe wrote, referring to Israel's spy agency.

The cable also indicated King Hamad had ordered his public information minister to stop referring to Israel as the "Zionist entity" or "enemy" in official statements, Haaretz quoted the cable as saying.

But the king reportedly baulked at the idea of establishing trade ties with Israel, saying it would have to wait until the establishment of a Palestinian state, it said.

The cable was leaked as the Gulf kingdom struggles with a wave of protests led by the Shiite majority against the ruling Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty.

Israel and Bahrain do not have diplomatic relations, and two years ago, MPs in Manama tried to push through a law outlawing any contact with the Jewish state, which would have seen offenders slapped with a $27,000 fine and up to seven years in jail.[7]

Family

King Hamad has four wives and in total twelve children, seven sons and five daughters:

  • He also has a third wife, a lady from Qatar, with whom he has two sons and four daughters:
    • HH Sheikh Faisal bin Hamad Al Khalifa (12 February 1992 - 12 January 2006), died in a fatal car accident
    • HH Sheikh Sultan bin Hamad Al Khalifa
    • HH Sheikha Hessa bint Hamad Al Khalifa
    • HH Sheikha Nura bint Hamad Al Khalifa
    • HH Sheikha Munira bint Hamad Al Khalifa
    • HH Sheikha Reema bint Hamad Al Khalifa
  • He does not have any children with his fourth wife, a lady from Qatar.

Titles and styles

Styles of
The King of Bahrain
Reference styleHis Majesty
Spoken styleYour Majesty
Alternative styleSheikh
  • 28 January 1950 - 16 December 1961: Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
  • 16 December 1961 - 27 June 1964: His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
  • 27 June 1964 - 6 March 1999: His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Heir Apparent of Bahrain
  • 6 March 1999 - 14 February 2002: His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Emir of Bahrain
  • 14 February 2002 – present: His Majesty Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain[2]

Honours and awards

Hamad has received numerous honours, for example:

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United States". Bahrainembassy.org. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
  2. ^ a b c "Country Profiles Bahrain" The Arab Center for the Development of the Rule of Law and Integrity Retrieved 2010-12-01
  3. ^ a b "HM the King". Kingdom of Bahrain Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Government of Bahrain. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "The Royal Ark - The Al-Khalifa Dynasty". Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  5. ^ "Bahrain: Promising human rights reform must continue" (Document). Amnesty International. 2001-03-13. {{cite document}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |coauthors= and |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessdate= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |archivedate= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |archiveurl= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |format= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |url= ignored (help)
  6. ^ http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/hindu-jain-sikh-muslim-leaders-invited-to-royal-wedding/articleshow/8088464.cms
  7. ^ http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g5XWdbp3DmLdK-3cL1-AlZjbI-rg?docId=CNG.df8b4b9dbec22272702ca1de92279174.8f1
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah.
Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Born: 28 January 1950
Regnal titles
Preceded by Emir of Bahrain
1999–2002 		Succeeded by
Himself
As King of Bahrain
Preceded by
Himself
As Emir of Bahrain
 King of Bahrain
2002 – present 		Incumbent
Heir apparent:
Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa

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