Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
| Abdullah | |
|---|---|
| Prince of Bahrain | |
| Born |
30 June 1975 Riffa, Bahrain |
| Spouse | Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa |
| Issue Issue |
Isa Salman Noora Hessa |
| House | Al Khalifa |
| Father | Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa |
| Mother | Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa |
| Religion | Islam |
Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (born 30 June 1975) is the second son of the present King of Bahrain, Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah and his first wife, Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa.
Like all members of the royal family, Abdullah sits as a senior member of the civil judiciary.[1]
Abdullah has homes in Kensington, London, and a cottage in Devon, England. He has a strong interest in music, and has fitted his palace in the Kingdom with a recording studio. He particularly enjoys Led Zeppelin and Bob Marley, owns a vintage Gibson electric guitar, and rides a Harley Davidson.[2]
In addition to his government positions, Abdullah is chairman of the Bahrain Motor Federation and the Commission Internationale de Karting.[3]
Friendship with Michael Jackson
A long-time friend of American pop legend Michael Jackson, Abdullah loaned Jackson £2.2 million to pay legal fees after the singer was tried for child molestation in California in 2005. After a successful defence and the dismissal of all charges, Abdullah invited Jackson, his children, and his personal staff to stay in Bahrain; Jackson took him up on the invitation on 30 June 2005.[4][5]
As part of a plan to revive Jackson's career with the release of a new album,[6] after Hurricane Katrina Sheikh Abdullah suggested that Jackson record a song Abdullah had written as a charity single at a recording studio in London, "I Have This Dream".[7] Jackson undertook the recording session in London, but the single was never released through the co-owned record label 2 Seas Group. Jackson left Bahrain in May 2006 for Ireland.
In November 2008, after trying to recover from Jackson £4.7 million in costs that the singer had said were gifts, Abdullah sued the singer through the mutually agreed High Court in London.[8] Abdullah claims that despite having paid the $2.2 million (£1.5 million) cost for Jackson to record a song intended to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina, the singer failed to show up at the studio for the final recording and the song was never released. Bankim Thanki QC, representing Abdullah, told the High Court that the day after Jackson's criminal trial ended in California, he recorded one of the songs that Abdullah had wanted released as a charity single to help victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami,[9] and that Abdullah felt "a strong sense of personal betrayal" after forming "a close personal relationship" with the singer.[8]
Marriage and children
Sheikh Abdullah is married to Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa. From 2001 to 2004, she was a member of the Supreme Council for Women, and has been a permanent member of the Board since 2004. Since 2005 she has been the Executive Director of Injaz Bahrain, a Member of Suzanne Mubarak Women's International Peace Movement, and a member of the Young Arab Leaders of Bahrain. Together they have four children, two sons and two daughters:[10]
- Sheikh Isa bin Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa (born 1999)
- Sheikh Salman bin Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa
- Sheikha Noora bint Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa (born 2000)
- Sheikha Hessa bint Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa
Titles, styles and awards
| Styles of Abdullah bin Hamad | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | His Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Highness |
| Alternative style | Sheikh |
Titles and styles
- 30 June 1975 – 14 February 2002: His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
- 14 February 2002 – present: His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
Ancestry
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References
- ↑ "History of the Judiciary". Kingdom of Bahrain, Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
- ↑ Foster, Patrick (18 November 2008). "Sheikh 'wanted Michael Jackson to sing his songs'". The Times. London. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
- ↑ "BMF's Chairman participates in regional meeting". Bahrain News Agency. 4 March 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
- ↑ "Michael Jackson 'in Bahrain trip'". BBC News. 30 June 2005. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
- ↑ "Jackson settles down to his new life in the Persian Gulf". Gulf News. 28 January 2006. Archived from the original on 19 October 2006. Retrieved 11 November 2006.
- ↑ "Jackson to make album in Bahrain". BBC News. 19 April 2006. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
- ↑ "Sheikh 'planned Jackson revival'". BBC News. 17 November 2008. Archived from the original on 11 January 2009. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
- 1 2 "Jackson 'too sick' for court case". BBC News. 18 November 2008. Archived from the original on 11 January 2009. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
- ↑ "Michael Jackson failed to keep £4.6million music deal, says Bahraini prince". Daily Mail. 18 November 2008. Archived from the original on 12 December 2008. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
- ↑ Genealogy of the Al-Khalifa Dynasty, Page 10 – website The Royal Ark
