Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah 392300 222677668 2008-06-30T15:55:29Z 72.183.221.100 /* Family */ {{Infobox Monarch | name = Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa<br>حمد بن عيسى آل خليفة | title = [[King of Bahrain]]<br>[[Emir of Bahrain]] | image = [[Image:Hamad-Bin-Isa-Al-Khalifa.jpg|250px]] | reign = [[06 March]] [[1999]] – present | coronation = | predecessor = [[Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifah]] | successor = | suc-type = Heir-Apparent | heir = [[Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa]] | consort = [[Sheikha Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa]] | issue = [[Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa]]<br>Abdullah<br>Khalifa<br>Najla<br>[[Faisal ibn Hamad Al Khalifah]] | royal house = [[House of Al-Khalifa|Al-Khalifa]] | royal anthem = | father = [[Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifah]] | mother = | birth_date = {{bda|1950|01|28|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Riffa]], [[Bahrain]] | death_date = | death_place = | buried = }} [[Sheikh]]''' Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa''', [[Order of St Michael and St George|KCMG]] ([[Arabic language|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 ibn Salman Al Khalifah]], the previous emir. For his [[secondary school|secondary schooling]], he attended the [[The Leys School|Leys School]] in [[Cambridge|Cambridge, England]], and later at military colleges in the [[United Kingdom]] (including [[Royal Military Academy Sandhurst|Sandhurst]]) and [[United States]] (including [[Fort Leavenworth]]).<ref>[http://www.bahrainembassy.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=section.home&id=38 Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United States<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Al Khalifah 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 [[soccer|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. == Reign == Upon succeeding his father, King Hamad brought in sweeping political reforms to the Kingdom which included the release of all political prisoners, [[women's political rights in Bahrain|granting women the right to vote]], and holding [[Elections in Bahrain|elections for parliament]]. The reforms were described by [[Amnesty International]] as representing a "historic period of human rights."<ref>[http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE110052001?open&of=ENG-BHR Bahrain: Promising Human rights reform must continue | Amnesty International<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> 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]]. == Family == He and his wife, [[Sheikha Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa]], have four living children: *[[Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa|His Royal Highness Sheikh Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain]], born on [[October 21]], [[1969]] *His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdullah, born on [[June 30]], [[1975]] *His Royal Highness Sheikh Khalifa, born on [[June 4]], [[1977]] *Her Royal Highness Sheikha Najla, born on [[May 20]], [[1981]]. The king's youngest son (born [[February 12]], [[1991]]), Sheikh [[Faisal ibn Hamad Al Khalifah]], died at 15 years old, in a car accident on [[January 13]], [[2006]]. == References == {{reflist}} ==See also== *[[List of national leaders]] *[[Al Khalifa]] ==External links== *[http://www.bahrainembassy.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=section.home&id=38 Bahrain Embassy] *[http://www.vob.org/index.php?lang=english&show=news&action=article&id=41 The New Amir of Bahrain: Marching Sideways], Abdulhadi Khalaf, Civil Society, Volume 9, Issue 100, April 2000 *{{PDFlink|[http://www.iue.it/RSCAS/RestrictedPapers/conmed2003free/200303Khalaf05.pdf The King’s Dilemma: Obstacles to Political Reforms In Bahrain]|227&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 233262 bytes -->}}, Abdulhadi Khalaf, Fourth Mediterranean Social and Political Research Meeting, [[European University Institute]], March 2003 * [http://eprints.dur.ac.uk/archive/00000221/ 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) *[http://mondediplo.com/2005/03/09bahrain Bahrian: The Royals rule], Le Monde Diplomatique, March 2005 *[http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_NJSDSTV| An Arab exception: Reform in Bahrain] The Economist, 29 July 2004 (requires subscription) [[Image:Royal Standard of Bahrain.png|left|300px|thumb|right|Royal Standard of the King of Barhain.]] {{start box}} {{s-hou|[[House of Khalifah]]|28 January|1950}} {{s-reg}} {{Succession box | before = [[Isa ibn Salman al-Khalifa]] | title = [[Emir of Bahrain]] | after = Himself<br><small>As [[King of Bahrain]]</small> | years = 1999 – 2002 }} {{Succession box | before = Himself<br><small>As [[Emir of Bahrain]]</small> | title = [[King of Bahrain]] | years = 2002 – present | after = Incumbent<br><small>''Designated heir:''</small><br><small>''[[Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa|Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa]]''</small> }} {{end box}} [[Category:Bahraini monarchs]] [[Category:Arab statesmen]] [[Category:Current national leaders]] [[Category:Reigning monarchs]] [[Category:House of Khalifa]] [[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George]] [[Category:Old Leysians]] [[Category:1950 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[ar:حمد بن عيسى آل خليفة]] [[be-x-old:Хамад ібн Іса Аль Халіфа]] [[de:Hamad ibn Isa Al Chalifa]] [[et:Ḩamad ibn ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah]] [[el:Σεΐχης Χαμάντ μπιν Ισά αλ Χαλίφα]] [[es:Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah]] [[eo:Hamad bin Isa Al Ĥalifa]] [[fr:Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa]] [[gl:Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa]] [[hr:Hamad ibn Isa al-Kalifa]] [[id:Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifah]] [[it:Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa]] [[he:חמד בן עיסא אל ח'ליפה]] [[nl:Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa]] [[no:Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifah av Bahrain]] [[pl:Hamad ibn Isa al-Chalifa]] [[pt:Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa]] [[ru:Хамад ибн-Иса аль-Халифа]] [[fi:Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa]] [[sv:Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifah]]