Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain (Arabic: حمد بن عيسى آل خليفة) (born January 28, 1950 in Riffa, Bahrain) is the current King of Bahrain (since 2002), having previously been its Emir (from 1999). He is the son of Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa, the previous emir. The position of king of Bahrain was created in February 2002 when the then emir of Bahrain Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifah gave himself the title of king. ... Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifah (born January 28, 1950 in Ar-Rifa, Bahrain) (Arabic: حمد بن عيسى آل خليفة) is the current King of Bahrain (from 2002), having previously been its Emir (since 1999). ... In Bahrain, the Prime Minister is the head of government of the country. ... ‎Khalifa ibn Salman Al Khalifa (خليفة بن سلمان آل خليفة) (born 22 November 1936) is the Prime Minister of Bahrain. ... The National Assembly is the name of both chambers of the Bahraini parliament when sitting in joint session, as laid out in the Constitution of 2002. ... The Consultative Council (majlis al-shura) is the name given to the upper house of the National Assembly, the main legislative body of Bahrain. ... The Council of Representatives (majlis an-nuwab), sometimes translated as the Chamber of Deputies, is the name given to the lower house of the Bahraini National Assembly, the main legislative body of Bahrain. ... Political parties from the former Communist Left to the Islamist Right sit in parliament in Bahrain, but are known technically as Political Associations or Blocs. ... The National Assembly is bicameral with the lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, having 40 members elected in single-seat constituencies for a four year term. ... Bahrain will hold parliamentary elections on 25 November 2006 for the 40-seat lower house of parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, as well as municipal elections, and is currently in the midst of an election campaign. ... The Kingdom of Bahrain, or Bahrain, is a borderless country in the Persian Gulf (Southwest Asia/Middle East, Asia). ... // The Penal Code of 1976, still active today, has been widely criticized by local and international human rights bodies for granting the regime widespread powers to suppress dissent. ... Women’s political rights have been a cornerstone of the political reforms initiated by King Hamad with for the first time women being given the right to vote and stand as candidates in national elections after the constitution was amended in 2002. ... Bahrain plays a modest, moderating role in regional politics and adheres to the views of the Arab League on Middle East peace and Palestinian rights. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... “Arabic” redirects here. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Riffa is an area in the Kingdom of Bahrain. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... This article is about the year. ... His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, Amir of the State of Bahrain, passed away suddenly on March 6, 1999 . ...

For his secondary schooling, he attended the Leys School in Cambridge, England, and later at military colleges in the United Kingdom (including Sandhurst) and United States (including Fort Leavenworth).^[1] Secondary school is a term used to describe an institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling, known as secondary education, takes place. ... A Methodist boarding and day school founded on The Leys Estate, a twenty acre (81,000 m²) estate in Cambridge, England. ... This article is about the city in England. ... New College, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst New Colours are presented to RMAS, June 2005. ... In 1827, Colonel Henry Leavenworth established a post on the bluffs overlooking the western bank of the Missouri River to protect the fur trade, safeguard commerce on the Santa Fe Trail and maintain the peace among the inhabitants. ...

The King has great interest in preserving heritage and continues to indulge in a number of sports activities and hobbies including flying aircraft, falconry, golf, fishing, tennis and football. His keen interest in Arabian horses caused him to establish the Amiri stables in June 1977 which was registered in the World Arabian Horses Organization in September 1978. Flying a Saker Falcon Falconry or hawking is an art or sport which involves the use of trained raptors (birds of prey) to hunt or pursue game for humans. ... This article is about the sport. ... Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish by hooking, trapping, or gathering. ... For other uses, see Tennis (disambiguation). ... Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ...

Reign

Upon succeeding his father, King Hamad brought in sweeping political reforms to the Kingdom which included the release of all political prisoners, granting women the right to vote, and holding elections for parliament. The reforms were described by Amnesty International as representing an "historic period of human rights."^[2] The country was declared a kingdom in 2002. It formerly was considered an emirate and officially called a "state." In 2002 he took a stance opposing any 'unilateral' military action by the United States against Iraq. Women’s political rights have been a cornerstone of the political reforms initiated by King Hamad with for the first time women being given the right to vote and stand as candidates in national elections after the constitution was amended in 2002. ... The National Assembly is bicameral with the lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, having 40 members elected in single-seat constituencies for a four year term. ... Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a pressure group that promotes human rights. ...

Family

He and his wife, Sheikha Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, have four living children: Sheikha Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa is the first wife of Bahrains King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the mother of the crown prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa. ...

• His Royal Highness Sheikh Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain on October 21, 1969
• His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdullah on June 30, 1975
• His Royal Highness Sheikh Khalifa on June 4, 1977
• Her Royal Highness Sheikha Najla on May 20, 1981.

The king's son, 15 year old Prince Faisal ibn Hamad Al Khalifah, died in a car accident on January 13, 2006. Crown Prince of Bahrain Shaikh Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (born 21 October 1969) is the Crown Prince and the Undersecretary of Defence of the Kingdom of Bahrain. ... is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 155th day of the year (156th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... is the 140th day of the year (141st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Shaikh Faisal bin Hamad Al Khalifa (Arabic: ) (1991-January 12, 2006) was the sixth son of Shaikh Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifa, the king of Bahrain. ... January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

See also

• List of national leaders
• Al Khalifa

This is a List of national leaders, showing heads of state and heads of government where different, mainly in parliamentary systems; it should be noted that often a leader is both in presidential systems or dictatorships. ... The Al-Khalifa dynasty is the ruling family of Bahrain. ...

External links

• Bahrain Embassy
• The New Amir of Bahrain: Marching Sideways, Abdulhadi Khalaf, Civil Society, Volume 9, Issue 100, April 2000
• The King’s Dilemma: Obstacles to Political Reforms In BahrainPDF (227 KiB), Abdulhadi Khalaf, Fourth Mediterranean Social and Political Research Meeting, European University Institute, March 2003
• Generational change and elite-driven reforms in the Kingdom of Bahrain. (Sir William Luce Fellowship Paper No. 7) Dr. Steven Wright (2006) Institute for Middle East and Islamic Studies, University of Durham, (PDF Format)
• Hamad seeks openness to tackle woes of society, Gulf News, 2 April 2006
• Bahrian: The Royals rule, Le Monde Diplomatique, March 2005
• An Arab exception: Reform in Bahrain The Economist, 29 July 2004 (requires subscription)