Al Khalifa
Encyclopedia
The Al Khalifa family is the ruling family of Bahrain
. The Al Khalifa profess Sunni Islam
and belong to the Anizah tribe that migrated from Najd
to Kuwait
in the early 18th century. They are also from the Utub tribe. 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, 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.
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
, the then 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.
The Ruling Family Council is currently chaired by King Hamad, its Deputy Chairman is Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and the Director General is Ibrahim bin Khalid bin Mohammed Al Khalifa.
The King appoints the members of the board of the Ruling Family Council as recognised representatives of various kinship lines and factional alliances within the Al Khalifa family.
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-
.
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
. The Al Khalifa profess Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
and belong to the Anizah tribe that migrated from Najd
Najd
Najd or Nejd , literally Highland, is the central region of the Arabian Peninsula.-Boundaries :The Arabic word nejd literally means "upland" and was once applied to a variety of regions within the Arabian Peninsula...
to Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
in the early 18th century. They are also from the Utub tribe. 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
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
have been selected from the Al Khalifa royal family, while the country's only Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Bahrain
In Bahrain, the Prime Minister is the head of government of the country. According to the Constitution of Bahrain, the Prime Minister is appointed directly by the King, and needs not be an elected member of the Council of Representatives....
, 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 . 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..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
Bahraini parliamentary election, 1973
Parliamentary elections were held for the first time in Bahrain on 12 December 1973, under the Constitution of 1973. Thirty members were elected to the National Assembly of Bahrain, by a franchise restricted to male citizens. An additional 14 ministers of the royally-appointed government became...
, the then 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.
The Ruling Family Council is currently chaired by King Hamad, its Deputy Chairman is Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and the Director General is Ibrahim bin Khalid bin Mohammed Al Khalifa.
The King appoints the members of the board of the Ruling Family Council as recognised representatives of various kinship lines and factional alliances within the Al Khalifa family.
Members of the Ruling Family Council since 1974
| Name | Year appointed |
|---|---|
| Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa | 1974 |
| Khalifa bin Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa | 1974 |
| Abdullah bin Khalid Al Khalifa | 1974 |
| Khalid bin Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa | 1974 |
| Mohammed bin Mubarak bin Hamad Al Khalifa Muhammad ibn Mubarak ibn Hamad Al Khalifah Shaikh Mohammad bin Mubarak Al Khalifa is a member of the royal family of Bahrain and was Foreign Minister of Bahrain for nearly 35 years, from the time that it gained complete independence in 1971 until a cabinet reshuffle on September 29, 2005, when he was replaced by Khalid ibn Ahmad Al Khalifah... |
1974 |
| Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Hamad Al Khalifa | 1974 |
| Abdul Rahman bin Ibrahim bin Hamad Al Khalifa | 1974 |
| Duaij bin Khalifa bin Mohammed Al Khalifa | 1974 |
| Khalid Bin Abdullah Bin Khalid Al Khalifa | 1981 |
| Isa bin Ibrahim bin Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa | 1993 |
| Abdullah bin Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa | 1997 |
| Khalifa bin Ahmed bin Salman Al Khalifa | 2006 |
| Khalifa bin Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa | 2006 |
| Fawaz bin Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa | 2006 |
| Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Hamad Al Khalifa | 2006 |
| Rashid bin Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa | 2008 |
| Rashid bin Sabah bin Hamoud bin Sabah Al Khalifa | 2010 |
In public office
Public offices in Bahrain currently occupied by Al Khalifa family members:| Office | Name |
|---|---|
| Prime Minister Prime Minister of Bahrain In Bahrain, the Prime Minister is the head of government of the country. According to the Constitution of Bahrain, the Prime Minister is appointed directly by the King, and needs not be an elected member of the Council of Representatives.... |
Khalifa ibn Salman Al Khalifa (Uncle of King Hamad) |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bahrain) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the Bahraini government ministry which oversees the international relations of Bahrain.- External links :* , ministry's official website... |
Khalid ibn Ahmad Al Khalifah Khalid ibn Ahmad Al Khalifah Sheikh Khalid ibn Ahmad Al Khalifa is the Foreign Minister of Bahrain. Sheikh Khaled was appointed in a cabinet reshuffle in September 2005, having previously been the ambassador to the United Kingdom, serving there from 2001.... |
| Minister of Defence | Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa |
| Minister of Interior Ministry of the Interior (Bahrain) The Ministry of the Interior is the Interior ministry of Bahrain. It is responsible for law enforcement and public safety in Bahrain. The headquarter of the ministry is at the Diwan Fort in Manama, coloquially referred to as "al-gal'aa".The current interior minister Lieutenant-General Shaikh... |
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 Ahmed bin Ateyatalla Al Khalifa Shaikh Ahmed bin Ateyatalla Al Khalifa is the former Minister of Cabinet Affairs in Bahrain and the head of the Central Informatics Organization... |
| Minister of Royal Court Affairs | Ali bin Isa Al Khalifa |
| Deputy Prime Minister for Ministerial Committees | Muhammad ibn Mubarak ibn Hamad Al Khalifah Muhammad ibn Mubarak ibn Hamad Al Khalifah Shaikh Mohammad bin Mubarak Al Khalifa is a member of the royal family of Bahrain and was Foreign Minister of Bahrain for nearly 35 years, from the time that it gained complete independence in 1971 until a cabinet reshuffle on September 29, 2005, when he was replaced by Khalid ibn Ahmad 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 Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain is the heir apparent of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and is deputy supreme commander of the Bahrain defence force... (Crown Prince) |
| Chief of Staff of Bahrain Defence Force | Duaij bin Salman 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 Judiciary of Bahrain The Judiciary of Bahrain is the court system of Bahrain. It is divided in to two branches: the Civil Law Courts and the Shari'a Law Courts. The Civil Law Courts deal with all commercial, civil, and criminal cases, as well disputes related to the personal status of non-Muslims... (President of the Court of Cassation) |
Khalifa bin Rashid Al Khalifa |
| Commander of the National Guard National Guard (Bahrain) The National Guard of Bahrain is a separate military force in Bahrain that serves both as defence force against external threats and as a security force against internal threats... |
Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa (brother of King Hamad) |
| National Guard National Guard (Bahrain) The National Guard of Bahrain is a separate military force in Bahrain that serves both as defence force against external threats and as a security force against internal threats... Staff Director |
Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khalifa |
| Commander of the Royal Bahraini Air Force Royal Bahraini Air Force The Royal Bahraini Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Bahrain Defense Force. The air force had 650 personnel in 1992 and 1,500 in 2009.- History :... |
Hamad bin Abdullah Al Khalifa |
| Director of the National Security Agency National Security Agency (Bahrain) The National Security Agency or National Security Apparatus is an investigating authority in Bahrain that is associated with but not formally part of the Ministry of the Interior. The NSA was formed after King Hamad issued Decree No... |
Khalifa bin Abdullah Al Khalifa |
| Ambassador to London | Khalifa bin Ali bin Rashid Al Khalifa |
| Commander of the Royal Guard | Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa is the president of the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation... (son of King Hamad) |
| 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 Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa is the president of the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation... (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 Bahrain Olympic Committee Bahrain Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee representing Bahrain as a member of the International Olympic Committee. It was formed in 1978 and received official recognition in 1979... |
Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa is the president of the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation... (son of King Hamad) |
| Secretary General of the Bahrain Olympic Committee Bahrain Olympic Committee Bahrain Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee representing Bahrain as a member of the International Olympic Committee. It was formed in 1978 and received official recognition in 1979... |
Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalifa (son of King Hamad) |
| CEO of the Bahrain Olympic Committee Bahrain Olympic Committee Bahrain Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee representing Bahrain as a member of the International Olympic Committee. It was formed in 1978 and received official recognition in 1979... |
Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa |
| President of the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation | Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa (son of King Hamad) |
Other notable members
- Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al KhalifaSalman bin Hamad bin Isa Al KhalifaPrince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain is the heir apparent of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and is deputy supreme commander of the Bahrain defence force...
, crown prince and chief of the Bahrain Defence Force. - Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, prime minister of BahrainPrime Minister of BahrainIn Bahrain, the Prime Minister is the head of government of the country. According to the Constitution of Bahrain, the Prime Minister is appointed directly by the King, and needs not be an elected member of the Council of Representatives....
(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 KhalifaShaikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al KhalifaShaikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa 40 years of painting cover a diverse range of artistic genres. Realism developed to Impressionism, which gradually evolved to Individualism, a notable prelude to his recent work, a dual concept of Abstract and the Colour Field...
, prominent Bahraini artist and patron of the arts. - Mohammed bin Salman Al KhalifaMohammed bin Salman Al KhalifaMohammed ibn Salman Al Khalifa was the youngest of three sons of the former hakim of Bahrain, Salman ibn Hamad Al Khalifa. His eldest brother, Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifa, succeeded as hakim , and his other brother, Khalifa ibn Salman Al Khalifa, is the current prime minister...
, 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-KhalifaMeriam Al-KhalifaSheikha Meriam Al Khalifa is a distant member of the Bahraini royal House of Al-Khalifa. She became famous after she met a US Marine and eloped with him to the United States...
, a relative of the King, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa; married Jason Johnson, a United States MarineUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and a MormonMormonThe term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
, 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 anniversaryWedding anniversary-Official recognition:In the Commonwealth realms, one can receive a message from the monarch for 60th, 65th, and 70th wedding anniversaries, and any wedding anniversary after that...
.
-
- 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) particleGrammatical particle
In grammar, a particle is a function word that does not belong to any of the inflected grammatical word classes . It is a catch-all term for a heterogeneous set of words and terms that lack a precise lexical definition...
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
Definite Article
Definite Article is the title of British comedian Eddie Izzard's 1996 performance released on VHS. It was recorded on different nights at the Shaftesbury Theatre...
particle al-
Al-
is the definite article in the Arabic language; a particle whose function is to render the noun on which it is prefixed definite. For example, the word kitāb 'book' can be made definite by prefixing it with al-, resulting in al-kitāb 'the book'...
.
See also
- King of BahrainKing of BahrainThe King of Bahrain is the monarch and head of state of Bahrain. Between 1783 and 1971, the Bahraini monarch held the title of Hakim, and, from 1971 until 2002, the title of Emir...
- Line of succession to the Bahraini throneLine of succession to the Bahraini throneSuccession to the Bahraini throne is determined by primogeniture amongst the male descendants of Sheikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa . However, the ruling King of Bahrain has the right to appoint any of his other sons as his successor if he wishes to...
- History of BahrainHistory of BahrainBahrain is a island country in the Persian Gulf. Although Bahrain became an independent country in 1971, the history of these islands starts from ancient times...
- 1783 Al Khalifa invasion of Bahrain1783 Al Khalifa invasion of BahrainIn 1783, the Al Khalifa clan led an attack on the islands of Bahrain, from their then base of Zubara, successfully capturing it from Nasr Al-Madhkur. The Al Khalifa family has ruled Bahrain ever since...
- Utub
- List of Sunni Muslim dynasties
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