Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa
  • سَلمَان بن حَمَد بن عِيْسى آل خَلِيْفَة
Crown Prince of Bahrain
Salman bin Hamad in 2023
Prime Minister of Bahrain
Assumed office
11 November 2020 – present
Monarch
PredecessorKhalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa
Born (1969-10-21) 21 October 1969
Riffa, Bahrain
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1989; div. 2005)​
Issue
  • Isa bin Salman
  • Mohammed bin Salman
  • Fatima bint Salman
  • Al Joud bint Salman
HouseKhalifa
FatherHamad bin Isa, King of Bahrain
MotherSabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa
ReligionSunni Islam
Styles of
The Crown Prince of Bahrain
Reference styleHis Royal Highness
Spoken styleYour Royal Highness

Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (Arabic: سَلمَان بن حَمَد بن عِيْسى آل خَلِيْفَة; born 21 October 1969)[1] is Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain. He is also the deputy supreme commander of the Bahrain Defence Force.[2]

Early life and education

Prince Salman is the eldest son of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain[3] and his first wife, Princess Sabika bint Ebrahim Al Khalifa.[4]

The Prince completed his high school education at Bahrain School, and then went on to earn a BA degree in political science from the American University in Washington D.C. (1992), followed by a M.Phil. degree in history and philosophy of science from Queens' College, Cambridge, England (1994).[5]

Prince Salman established the Crown Prince’s International Scholarship Program in 1999[6][7] to guide Bahrain's young people into the 21st century. Under the program, the most able high school students from Bahrain are awarded scholarships to continue their higher education overseas, and return to productively contribute to the development of Bahrain. More than 240 students from across Bahrain's society have been awarded the scholarship, and have had the opportunity to study abroad – including the UK, the USA and France.

Career

Salman Al-Khalifa and U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague in 2013
Salman Al-Khalifa and U.S. President Donald Trump in 2019
Salman Al-Khalifa and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on September 13, 2023

Prior to assuming the duties of crown prince, Salman was vice-chairman of the Bahrain Centre for Studies and Research (BCSR) (1992–1995), Undersecretary of Defence at the Ministry of Defence (1995–1999), and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the BCSR (1995–1999).

Salman was sworn in as Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Bahrain on 9 March 1999 and held the post of commander-in-chief of the Bahrain Defence Force from 22 March 1999 to 6 January 2008.

On 24 February 2001, Prince Salman was appointed as chairman of the committee for the implementation of the National Action Charter. The Charter was approved by over 98% in a referendum held in February 2001 and provided a comprehensive blueprint for Bahrain's future development based on transparency, cooperation and popular participation. The committee proposed a number of laws to implement the National Charter, including laws on government procurements and freedom of the press.

On 3 March 2002, Prince Salman was appointed chairman of the Economic Development Board, which is responsible for formulating and overseeing the Bahrain's economic development strategy, and aims to attract foreign direct investment into Bahrain. He also chairs the following committees:

  • Government Executive Committee
  • Natural Resources and Economic Security Committee
  • Higher Urban Planning Committee

On 6 January 2008, King Hamad issued a royal decree appointing Salman as deputy supreme commander of the Bahrain Defence Force to oversee the management and implementation of public policy as well as military, administrative, economic and financial plans of the Bahrain defence force and the national guard.

In March 2013, Prince Salman was appointed by the King as first deputy prime minister, charged with overseeing the ongoing development of executive agencies and government institutions in the kingdom.

On 11 November 2020, Prince Salman was appointed as Prime Minister after the death of his great uncle, Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman, who had held the position for more than fifty years.[8][9]

On 19 September 2022, he attended the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey, London.[10]

Marriage and children

Prince Salman was married to Sheikha Hala bint Duaij Al Khalifa until 2005. Sheikha Hala was the youngest daughter of Sheikh Duaij bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, the Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance and National Economy. Hala was honorary president of the Information Centre for Women and Children, and Chair of the Bahrain Society for Mental Retardation. She died in June 2018.[11] They have two sons and two daughters:

  • Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (born 7 March 1990), attended American University in Washington DC, and graduated in 2012. He is second in the line of succession to the Bahraini throne. Married, has three sons named Hamad, Abdullah and Salman.
  • Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa (born 11 November 1992), educated at Bahrain School (Class of 2009). He graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2011[12] and later went on to graduate from King's College London in 2015.[13] He is sixth in the line of succession to the Bahraini throne. Married, has a son Ahmad and a daughter Basma.
  • Fatima – Al Dana bint Salman Al Khalifa
  • Al Jude bint Salman Al Khalifa

Honours and awards

Salman has been awarded a number of honors, including:

See also

References

  1. ↑ "HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa | Kingdom of Bahrain | About His Royal Highness the Crown Prince". crownprince.bh. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  2. ↑ "Bahrain, Lockheed Martin celebrate ongoing defence cooperation". crownprince.bh. 15 November 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  3. ↑ "Bahrain's Royal Family Adjusts for the Future". The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  4. ↑ "Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa". UN Women. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  5. ↑ Government: The Crown Prince – website of the Embassy of Bahrain to the US
  6. ↑ "CROWN PRINCE'S INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM". cpisp.bh. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  7. ↑ Spotlight on the future Archived 8 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine – The official magazine of CPIS P
  8. ↑ Nereim, Vivian (15 November 2020). "Once-Reformist Crown Prince Takes the Helm as PM in Bahrain". msn.com. Bloomberg. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  9. ↑ "Bahrain appoints crown prince as new prime minister". Al-Monitor. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  10. ↑ "Queen Elizabeth II's Funeral: Arab Royals Pay Their Respects Ahead of The Ceremony". Harper's Bazaar. 19 September 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  11. ↑ "Sheikha Hala, former wife of Bahrain Crown Prince, passes away". Khaleej Times. 11 June 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  12. ↑ "Local News » Crown Prince's son graduates from Sandhurst". Gulf Daily News. 16 April 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  13. ↑ "HRH Crown Prince attends graduation ceremony of his son". crownprince.bh. 20 July 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  14. ↑ Events & News: USBBC Host The Crown Prince of Bahrain Archived 20 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine – official website of the US-Bahrain Business Council
  15. ↑ "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". American Academy of Achievement. Retrieved 3 June 2022.

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