| 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 Al Khalifa family (Arabic: آل خليفة / ALA-LC: Āl Khalīfah / English: The house of Khalifa) is the ruling royal 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,[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.
Contents |
| 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 |
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, 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.[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 kinship lines and factional alliances within the Al Khalifa family.[4]
| 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] |
Public offices in Bahrain currently occupied by Al Khalifa family members:
| 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 | 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 (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 |
| 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) |
| 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 |
| President of the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation | Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa (son of King Hamad) |
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-.