House of Khalifa
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| Country | Bahrain |
|---|---|
| Ancestral house | `Anizzah → Bani Utbah |
| Titles | King of Bahrain |
| Founder | Khalifa bin Mohammed[1] |
| Current head | Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa |
| Founding | 1766[2] |
The House of Khalifa (Arabic: آل خليفة Āl Khalīfah) is the ruling family of Bahrain. The Al Khalifas profess Sunni Islam and belong to the Utub tribe that migrated from Najd to Kuwait in the early 18th century. The Utub tribe is part of the larger Anizah tribal confederation. The current head of the family is Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who became the Emir of Bahrain in 1999 and proclaimed himself King of Bahrain in 2002.
As of 2010, roughly half of the serving cabinet ministers of Bahrain have been selected from the Al Khalifa royal family,[3] while the country's only Prime Minister, Khalifah bin Salman al-Khalifah, (serving since independence in 1971) is also from the Al Khalifa family and is the uncle of the current King.
List of monarchs of Bahrain of the Al Khalifa family
| Name | Years as ruler | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Ahmed bin Muhammad bin Khalifa | 1783–1796 | Hakim |
| Abdullah bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa, ruling jointly with Salman bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa Khalifah bin Sulman Al-Khalifa |
1796–1843 1796–1825 1825–1834 |
Hakim Hakim Hakim |
| Muhammad bin Khalifah Al-Khalifa | 1834–1842 1849–1868 1869-1869 |
Hakim |
| Ali bin Khalifah Al-Khalifa | 1868–1869 | Hakim |
| Muhammad bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa | 1869-1869 | Hakim |
| Isa bin Ali Al-Khalifa | 1869–1932 | Hakim |
| Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa | 1932–1942 | Hakim |
| Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa | 1942–1961 | Hakim |
| Isa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa | 1961–1971 1971–1999 |
Hakim Amir |
| Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa | 1999–2002 2002 - |
Amir King |
Ruling Family Council
Decisions pertaining to the Al Khalifa family, as well as disputes between family members are arbitrated by the Ruling Family Council (Arabic: مجلس العائلة الحاكمة).[4][5][6] The council attends to internal family disputes particularly those related to appropriation of land, sale of real estate and other properties. Members of the ruling family are not allowed to refer these or other disputes to ordinary law courts.[4]
Relations between the political leadership and the rest of the "rank and file" members of the Al Khalifa ruling family have been formally managed by the council since 1932. However, on the eve of the 1973 parliamentary elections, then the Amir Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa issued a decree restructuring the Ruling Family Council to become a formal organ of the state, and giving the administrative head of the council the rank of minister.[4]
The Ruling Family Council is currently chaired by King Hamad,[7] its Deputy Chairman is Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Hamad Al Khalifa,[8] and the Director General is Ibrahim bin Khalid bin Mohammed Al Khalifa.[9]
The King appoints the members of the board of the Ruling Family Council as recognised representatives of various kingship lines and factional alliances within the Al Khalifa family.[4]
Members of the Ruling Family Council since 1974
| Name | Year appointed |
|---|---|
| Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa | 1974[10] |
| Khalifa bin Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa | 1974[10] |
| Abdullah bin Khalid Al Khalifa | 1974[10] |
| Khalid bin Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa | 1974[10] |
| Mohammed bin Mubarak bin Hamad Al Khalifa | 1974[10] |
| Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Hamad Al Khalifa | 1974[10] |
| Abdul Rahman bin Ibrahim bin Hamad Al Khalifa | 1974[10] |
| Duaij bin Khalifa bin Mohammed Al Khalifa | 1974[10] |
| Khalid Bin Abdullah Bin Khalid Al Khalifa | 1981[11] |
| Isa bin Ibrahim bin Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa | 1993[12] |
| Abdullah bin Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa | 1997[13] |
| Khalifa bin Ahmed bin Salman Al Khalifa | 2006[14] |
| Khalifa bin Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa | 2006[14] |
| Fawaz bin Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa | 2006[14] |
| Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Hamad Al Khalifa | 2006[14] |
| Rashid bin Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa | 2008[15] |
| Rashid bin Sabah bin Hamoud bin Sabah Al Khalifa | 2010[16] |
In public office
Public offices in Bahrain currently occupied by Al Khalifa family members:
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This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
| Office | Name |
|---|---|
| Prime Minister | Khalifa ibn Salman Al Khalifa (Uncle of King Hamad) |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Khalid ibn Ahmad Al Khalifah |
| Minister of Defence | Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa |
| Minister of Interior | Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa |
| Minister of Information | Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa |
| Minister of Finance | Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa |
| Minister of Justice & Islamic Affairs | Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa |
| Minister of Culture | Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa |
| Minister of Transport (also Deputy Prime Minister) | Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa |
| Minister of the Royal Court | Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa |
| Minister of the Royal Court for Followup Affairs | Ahmed bin Ateyatalla Al Khalifa |
| Minister of Royal Court Affairs | Ali bin Isa Al Khalifa |
| Deputy Prime Minister for Ministerial Committees | Muhammad ibn Mubarak ibn Hamad Al Khalifah |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa |
| Minister of State for Defence Affairs | Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa |
| Supreme Commander of Armed Forces | Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (King) |
| Deputy Supreme Commander of Armed Forces | Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (Crown Prince) |
| Chief of Staff of Bahrain Defence Force | Khalifa bin Ahmad Al Khalifa |
| Advisor to Prime Minister for Security Affairs | Abdulaziz bin Ateyatallah Al Khalifa |
| Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council | Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (King) |
| Chief Justice of Bahrain (President of the Court of Cassation) | Khalifa bin Rashid Al Khalifa |
| Commander of the National Guard | Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa (brother of King Hamad) |
| National Guard Staff Director | Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khalifa |
| Commander of the Royal Bahraini Air Force | Hamad bin Abdullah Al Khalifa |
| Director of the National Security Agency | Khalifa bin Abdullah Al Khalifa |
| Chief of the Information Affairs Authority | Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa (2010–present)[17] |
| Ambassador to London | Khalifa bin Ali bin Rashid Al Khalifa |
| Commander of the Royal Guard | Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa (son of King Hamad) |
| Advisor to the Prime Minister | Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa (son of Prime Minister) |
| Chairman of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs | Abdullah bin Khalid Al Khalifa |
| Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sport | Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa (son of King Hamad) |
| First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sport | Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa (son of King Hamad) |
| Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sport | Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa |
| President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee | Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa (son of King Hamad) |
| Secretary General of the Bahrain Olympic Committee | Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalifa (son of King Hamad) |
| CEO of the Bahrain Olympic Committee | Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa |
| First Vice President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee | Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa |
| President Bahrain Football Association | Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa |
| President of the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation | Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa (son of King Hamad) |
| President Bahrain Tennis Federation | Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa |
| President Bahrain Table Tennis Association | Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalifa (son of King Hamad) |
| Chairman of Bahrain Volleyball Association | Ali bin Mohammed Al Khalifa |
| President of Bahrain Motor Federation | Abdullah bin Isa Al Khalifa |
| President of Bahrain Cycling Association | Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa |
| President of Bahrain Swimming Association | Hashim bin Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa |
| Chairman of Bahrain Shooting Sports Association | Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa |
| Deputy Chairman of Bahrain Shooting Sports Association | Hamad bin Mohammed Al Khalifa |
| Head of Women's Sports Committee | Hayat bint Abdulaziz Al Khalifa |
| President of the Supreme Council for Women | Queen Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa (wife of King Hamad) |
| Deputy President of the Supreme Council for Women | Mariam bint Hassan Al Khalifa |
| Director-General of Women Empowerment Programmes at Supreme Council for Women | Azza bint Abdul Rahman Al Khalifa |
| Head of Survey and Land Registration Bureau | Salman bin Abdullah Al Khalifa |
| Undersecretary for Port Affairs | Daij bin Salman bin Daij Al Khalifa |
| CEO of Bahrain International Circuit | Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa |
| Head of Investor Relations at Bahrain Economic Development Board | Saqer bin Salman Al Khalifa |
| President of Juvenile Public Prosecution | Noora bint Abdullah Al Khalifa |
| Media counsellor to the Bahraini Embassy in London | Fahad bin Ahmed Al Khalifa |
| International media adviser to the Information Affairs Authority | Abdul Aziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa |
| Board member of Telecom Regulations Authority | Hamad bin Mohammed bin Hamad Al Khalifa |
| General Director of Urban Planning at Ministry of Municipality Affairs & Urban Planning | Hamad bin Mohammed bin Hamad Al Khalifa |
| Director of Finance & Administration at Telecom Regulations Authority | Nasser bin Mohammed Al Khalifa |
| Director of Bahrain Royal Medical Services | Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa |
| Head of IT department at Bahrain Royal Medical Services | Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa |
| Chairman of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company | Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa |
| Chairman of Hawar Islands Development Committee | Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa |
| Deputy Head of Civil Service Bureau | Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa |
| Chairman of Ministerial Committee for Services and Infrastructure | Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa |
| Chairman of Committee for Studying, Building Materials Supply | Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa |
| Chairman of Committee for Organizing Tourism | Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa |
| Chairman of Tamkeen (Labour Fund) | Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa |
| Chairman of Bahrain Polytechnic | Hisham bin Abdul Aziz Al Khalifa |
| Chairman of Bahrain Development Bank | Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa |
| Undersecretary at Ministry of Education | Hisham bin Abdul Aziz Al Khalifa |
| Assistant Undersecretary at Ministry of Education | Lulwa bint Khalifa Isa Al Khalifa |
| Assistant Undersecretary at Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Rana bint Isa Al Khalifa |
| First Secretary at Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Aisha bint Ahmed bin Saqr Al Khalifa |
| President of Bahrain Children & Mothers Welfare Society | Lulwa bint Mohammed Al Khalifa |
| Diplomatic Attaché at Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa |
| President of Customs Affairs (Ministry of Interior) | Mohammed bin Ali Al Khalifa |
| Undersecretary for Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs at Ministry of Interior | Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa |
| Undersecretary at Ministry of Housing | Nawaf bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa[18] |
| Chief Executive of Bahrain National Gas Company | Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa |
| President of the Bahrain Athletics Association | Talal bin Mohammed Al Khalifa |
| Executive Director at Central Bank of Bahrain | Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa |
| Undersecretary at Ministry of Transportation | Bader bin Khalifa Al Khalifa |
| Chief Prosecutor for Juveniles | Noura Abdulla Al-Khalifa[19][20] |
| Social Media Editor at Information Affairs Authority | Maryam H. Al-Khalifa |
| Ambassador to Saudi Arabia | Humood bin Abdulla Al Khalifa |
| Governor of the Southern Governorate | Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa |
| Governor of the Capital Governorate | Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa [21] |
| Chairman of Batelco | Hamad bin Abdullah Al Khalifa |
| CEO of Batelco Group | Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa |
| General Manager of Manager Human Resources & Development at Batelco Group | Ahmed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa |
| Chairman of Bahrain International Airshow | Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa |
| Board member of National Oil and Gas Authority | Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa |
| Board member of Aluminum Bahrain | Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa |
| Chairman of Bahrain Ardha Society | Salman bin Mohammed bin Ali Al Khalifa [22] |
| Chairman of Bahrain Internet Exchange | Salman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa [23] |
Other notable members
- Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, crown prince and chief of the Bahrain Defence Force.
- Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, prime minister of Bahrain (16 December 1971 - ), son of Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (Emir, 1941–1961) and brother of Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (Hakim, 1961–1971; Emir, 1971–1999). The current King, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, is his nephew.
- Shaikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, prominent Bahraini artist and patron of the arts.
- Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa, brother of Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (Hakim, 1961–1971; Emir, 1971–1999) and Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa (prime minister since 1971).
- Mai Al Khalifa, culture minister.
- Meriam Al-Khalifa, a relative of the King, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa; married Jason Johnson, a United States Marine and a Mormon, against her family's wishes and moved to the United States. They subsequently filed for a divorce on 11-17-2004, one day after their fifth wedding anniversary.
-
- Note: contrary to the standard transcription of the name Al Khalifa, Meriam Al-Khalifa's surname constitutes a primary transcription and should be rendered Al-Khalifa.
Transcription
Al Khalifa is commonly mistranscribed al-Khalifa. The Al (آل) particle here (written with the long (madda) alif and unconnected to the following word) means house, in the sense of family or dynasty, and is not the definite article particle al-.
References
- ^ History of the Ruling Family of Bahrain
- ^ The year the family settled in Zubarah
- ^ Bahrain Shia demand cabinet change, Aljazeera.net, 5 March 2010
- ^ a b c d Khalaf, Abdulhadi. "Contentious Politics in Bahrain, From Ethnic to National and Vice Versa". The Fourth Nordic Conference on Middle Eastern Studies: The Middle East in a Globalizing World, Oslo, 13–16 August 1998. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
- ^ Moran, Dominic (7 February 2007). "Sectarian tensions simmer in Bahrain". International Relations and Security Network. "The trio's relationship to their primary political support base, the wider royal family, is managed by the Family Council."
- ^ Radhi, Hassan Ali (2003). Judiciary and Arbitration in Bahrain: A Historical and Analytical Study. BRILL. p. 130. ISBN 978-90-411-2217-9.
- ^ "HM King Hamad Chairs Ruling Family Council". Bahrain News Agency. 30 March 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
- ^ "Royal Order No. 23 of the Year 2004 on the Appointment of the Deputy Chairman of the Ruling Family Council". Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Bahrain. 22 May 2004.
- ^ "Amiri Order No. 46 of the Year 2000 on the Appointment of the Director General of the Ruling Family Council". Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Bahrain. 20 December 2000.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Amiri Order No. 4 of the Year 1974 on the Formation of the Ruling Family Council". Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Bahrain. 26 June 1974.
- ^ "Amiri Order No. 2 of the Year 1981 on the Appointment of a Member of the Ruling Family Council". Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Bahrain. 2 March 1981.
- ^ "Amiri Order No. 8 of the Year 1993 on the Appointment of a Member of the Ruling Family Council". Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Bahrain. 11 December 1993.
- ^ "Amiri Order No. 10 of the Year 1997 on the Appointment of a Member of the Ruling Family Council". Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Bahrain. 4 May 1997.
- ^ a b c d "Royal Order No. 12 of the Year 2006 on the Appointment of Members of the Ruling Family Council". Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Bahrain. 29 March 2006.
- ^ "Royal Order No. 9 of the Year 2008 on the Appointment of a Member of the Ruling Family Council". Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Bahrain. 16 March 2008.
- ^ "Royal Order No. 3 of the Year 2010 on the Appointment of a Member of the Ruling Family Council". Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Bahrain. 2 February 2010.
- ^ Singh, Ranjit. "Ghostwriter for the Arab Leader" The Islamic Monthly (Winter/Spring 2012). pp. 86-91. http://onlinedigeditions.com/article/International%3A+Ghostwriter+for+the+Arab+Leader/1006305/0/article.html
- ^ "Housing undersecretary meets Tunisian businessmen delegation". Bahrain News Agency. 29 January 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
- ^ "Child freed in Bahrain after weeks in jail". Al Jazeera English. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
- ^ (Arabic)"البحرين: إخلاء سبيل الطفل علي حسن ومحاكمته في العشرين من هذا الشهر". BBC Arabic. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
- ^ "Shaikh Hisham bin Abdul-Rahman Al Khalifa appointed governor for Capital governorate". Bahrain News Agency. 24 October 2011 Retrieved 18 June 2012.
- ^ "Son of HRH Crown Prince Patronises Ardha Festival". Bahrain News Agency. 17 December 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
- ^ "HRH the Prime Minister issues a number of resolutions". Bahrain News Agency. 27 December 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
External links
- Bahrain: The Ruling Family of Al Khalifah, A. de L. Rush, Archive Editions, 1991
- History and genealogy of the Al Khalifa
- Genealogy of the Al Khalifa
- Rulers.org — Bahrain List of rulers for Bahrain
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