Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah Biography

Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa is the present king of Bahrain. He has also served as an emir of Bahrain from 1999 to 2002. He belongs to the Al Khalifa family of rulers. He followed in the footsteps of his father, Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the first emir, to become head of the state (as the emir) in 1999. Later, in 2002, he elevated the Emirate to a kingdom, pronouncing himself as the first king of Bahrain. He was born in Riffa, near Bahrain’s capital city, Manama, and studied in Bahrain as well as the UK. He received military education in Aldershot, England, and later at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, USA. He took active interest in establishing the ‘Bahrain Defence Force’ (BDF) and became its commander-in-chief. He was driving force behind establishing various organizations, such as the ‘Historical Documents Centre’ and the ‘Bahrain Centre for Studies and Research.’ He has been trained as a helicopter pilot and has established the ‘Bahrain Amiri Air Force.’ As the first king of Bahrain, he brought in many reforms, including those for equal rights and citizenship for women. His rule faced unrest when the Shi’ite community protested against discrimination. The suppression of this unrest drew criticism from human rights bodies. Subsequently, he set up a commission for inquiry. Hamad has four wives and 12 children.