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 [[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]]
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