House of Khalifa
Ruling family of Bahrain
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Through Authoritarianism
The family currently heads an authoritarian regime where political and civil freedoms are substantially curtailed. The current head of the family is King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who became the Emir of Bahrain in 1999 and proclaimed himself King of Bahrain in 2002, in fact becoming a constitutional monarch.
As of 2025, roughly half of the serving cabinet ministers of Bahrain were members of the Al Khalifa royal family, while the country's Prime Minister, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, is also from the Al Khalifa family and is the son of the current King.
History
Bahrain fell under the control of Ahmed bin Muhammad bin Khalifa in 1783, following the defeat of Nasr Al-Madhkur who ruled the archipelago as a dependency of Persia (see Bani Utbah invasion of Bahrain). Ahmed ruled Bahrain as hakim until 1796, but was based in Zubarah (in modern-day Qatar) and spent summers in Bahrain. Ahmed was the first hakim of Bahrain and the progenitor of the ruling Al Khalifa family of Bahrain. All of the Al Khalifa rulers of Bahrain are his descendants.
Ahmed had four children. Following his death in 1796, two of his sons, Salman and Abdulla, moved to Bahrain, and co-ruled it as feudal estates and imposed taxes on the indigenous Baharnah population. Salman settled in Bahrain Island and Abdulla in Muharraq Island, each ruling independently. The Al Khalifa soon became split into two branches, Al-Abdulla and Al-Salman that engaged in open conflict between 1842 and 1846. The Al-Salman branch was victorious and enjoyed complete rule of Bahrain.
In 1861, the Al Khalifa family entered into an agreement with Britain whereby Bahrain would become a British protectorate. In exchange, the Al Khalifa family were recognized by the British as the ruling tribe of Bahrain.
Until 1869, Bahrain was under threat of occupation by various external powers including the Wahhabis, Omanis, Ottomans, Egyptians and Persians, yet the Al Khalifa managed to keep it under their control. The Al-Abdulla branch continued to be a rival until 1895. Today, Abdulla ibn Ahmad Al Khalifa's descendants live in Qatar, while Salman ibn Ahmad Al Khalifa's descendants live in Bahrain.
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List of Al Khalifa rulers of Bahrain
Since 1783, the Al Khalifa have been rulers of Bahrain.
Hakims of Bahrain (1783–1971)
The Arabic title of the Hakim, as transliterated, was Hakim al-Bahrayn (English: Caretaker/Ruler of Bahrain). The Hakim also held the honorific title of sheikh.
Emirs of Bahrain (1971–2002)
The Arabic title of the Emir, as transliterated, was Amir dawlat al-Bahrayn (English: Chief of the State of Bahrain). The Emir also held the honorific title of sheikh.
King of Bahrain (2002–present)
The Arabic title of the King, as transliterated, is Malik al-Bahrayn (English: King of Bahrain). The King also holds the honorific title of sheikh.
Family tree
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). 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, the then Emir 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 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 recognized representatives of various kingship lines and factional alliances within the Al Khalifa family.
Cabinet ministers
As of 2024, 4 out of 25 serving cabinet ministers of Bahrain were members of the Al Khalifa royal family.
- Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Prime Minister, The Crown Prince, and Deputy Supreme Commander
- Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister
- Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior
- Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Finance and National Economy
Notable people
- Sheikha Dheya bint Ebrahim Al Khalifa, royal family member and President of the Riyada Group of Companies
Controversies
The King of Bahrain, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa was responsible for attacks on protesters during the Arab Spring. The king and the government were condemned both locally and overseas. They later enlisted the help of nearby Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.