View source for King of Bahrain

{{Short description|Head of state of Bahrain}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}}
{{Infobox monarchy
| royal_title        = King
| realm              = the Kingdom of Bahrain
| native_name        = {{lang|ar| ملك مملكة البحرين}}<br/>{{Transliteration|ar|DIN|Malik Mamlakat al-Bahrayn}}
| coatofarms         = Royal Standard of Bahrain.svg{{!}}border
| coatofarms_article = Royal Standard of Bahrain
| type               = Sheikh
| his/her            = His
| image              = Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa April 2016.jpg
| incumbent          = [[Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa]]
| incumbentsince     = 6 March 1999 as Emir<br/>since 14 February 2002 as King
| heir_apparent      = [[Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa]]
| first_monarch      = [[Ahmed bin Muhammad bin Khalifa]] ([[Hakim (title)|Hakim]])<br/>Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah (King)
| date               = 1783 (Hakimmiyah)<br/>16 August 1971 (Emirate)<br/>14 February 2002 (Kingdom)
| residence          = Riffa Palace
| website            = 
}}
{{Politics of Bahrain}}
The '''King of the Kingdom of Bahrain''' ({{langx|ar|ملك مملكة البحرين}} {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|Malik Mamlakat al-Baḥrayn}}) is the [[monarch]] and [[head of state]] of the [[Bahrain|Kingdom of Bahrain]]. The [[House of Khalifa]] has been the ruling family of the country since the [[Bani Utbah invasion of Bahrain|1783 Arab invasion]] that led to the end of [[Zand dynasty|Persia]]n rule in Bahrain. Between 1783 and 1971, the Bahraini monarch held the title of [[Hakim (title)|hakim]], and, from 1971 until 2002, the title of [[emir]]. On 14 February 2002, the emir of Bahrain, [[Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa]], declared Bahrain a kingdom and proclaimed himself the first king.<ref name=kingdom>{{cite news|last=|first=|title=Bahrain becomes kingdom with voter democracy|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/bahrain-becomes-kingdom-with-voter-democracy/article4131465/|access-date=17 March 2021|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=15 February 2002}}</ref> The king enjoys wide-ranging powers, which include appointing the [[Prime Minister of Bahrain|prime minister]] and the [[Cabinet of Bahrain|cabinet]], holding supreme command over the [[Bahrain Defence Force|Defence Force]], chairing the [[Judiciary of Bahrain|Higher Judicial Council]], appointing the [[National Assembly (Bahrain)|parliament]]'s [[Consultative Council (Bahrain)|upper house]] and dissolving its elected [[Council of Representatives (Bahrain)|lower house]].<ref name="Fr 15.2.2011">{{cite news|url=http://files.bici.org.bh/BICIreportEN.pdf|title=(Report). Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry. 23 November 2011|publisher=[[Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry|BICI]]|date=23 November 2011|access-date=13 November 2018}}</ref>

==List of rulers==
===Hakims of Bahrain (1783–1971)===
{{Further|Bahrain and its Dependencies}}
The [[Arabic]] title of the [[Hakim (title)|Hakim]], as [[Romanization of Arabic|transliterated]], was ''Hakim al-Bahrayn'' ({{langx|en|Caretaker/Ruler of Bahrain}}). The Hakim also held the [[honorific]] title of [[sheikh]].

{| class="wikitable"
! Portrait
! Name<br/>{{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! Reign
! Notes
|-
| 
| Sheikh<br/>[[Ahmed bin Muhammad bin Khalifa]]
| 1783 – 18 July 1795
| Leader of the [[Bani Utbah invasion of Bahrain|1783 Arab invasion]]
|-
| 
| Sheikh<br/>Salman bin Ahmad Al Khalifa
| 1795–1825
| As [[Coregency|co-regent]]
|-
| 
| Sheikh<br/>[[Abdullah bin Ahmad Al Khalifa]]
| 1795–1843
| As co-regent
|-
| 
| Sheikh<br />Khalifa bin Sulman Al Khalifa
| 1825–1834
| As co-regent with Abdullah bin Ahmad Al Khalifa
|-
| 
| Sheikh<br/>[[Muhammad bin Khalifa Al Khalifa]]
| 1834–1842
| First reign as co-regent with Abdullah bin Ahmad Al Khalifa
|-
| 
| Sheikh<br/>[[Muhammad bin Khalifa Al Khalifa]]
| 1843–1868
| Second reign
|-
| 
| Sheikh<br/>Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa
| 1868–1869
|
|-
| 
| Sheikh<br/>[[Muhammad bin Khalifa Al Khalifa]]
| 1869
| Third reign
|-
| 
| Sheikh<br/>Muhammad bin Abdullah Al Khalifa
| September – 1 December 1869
| Deposed and exiled to [[British Raj|India]]. Confined at [[Asirgarh Fort]], but later removed to [[Chunar Fort]], near [[Varanasi|Benares]], where he died in 1877.
|-
| [[File:Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa (1848 – 1932).png|80px]]  
| Sheikh<br/>[[Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa]]<br/>{{small|(1848–1932)}}
| 1 December 1869 – 26 May 1923
| Abdicated
|-
| [[File:Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (1872–1942).png|80px]]  
| Sheikh<br/>[[Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (1872–1942)|Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa]]<br/>{{small|(1872–1942)}}
| 27 May 1923 – 20 February 1942
|
|-
| [[File:Salman bin hamad al khalifa I 2014-06-18 15-33.jpg|80px]] 
| Sheikh<br/>[[Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (born 1894)|Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa]]<br/>{{small|(1894–1961)}}
| 20 February 1942 – 2 November 1961
|
|-
| [[File:Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa 1998.jpg|80px]]  
| Sheikh<br/>[[Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa]]<br/>{{small|(1931–1999)}}
| 2 November 1961 – 16 August 1971
|
|}

===Emirs of Bahrain (1971–2002)===
{{Further|State of Bahrain}}
The Arabic title of the [[Emir (title)|Emir]], as transliterated, was ''Amir dawlat al-Bahrayn'' ({{langx|en|Chief of the State of Bahrain}}). The Emir also held the honorific title of sheikh.

{{Succession table monarch
| name1       = Sheikh<br/>'''[[Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa]]'''
| nickname1   = 
| native1     = {{lang|ar|عيسى بن سلمان آل خليفة}}
| life1       = {{Birth date|1931|6|3|df=y}} – {{Death date and age|1999|3|6|1931|6|3|df=y}}
| reignstart1 = 16 August 1971
| reignend1   = 6 March 1999<ref>{{cite news|last=Jehl|first=Douglas|title=Sheik Isa, 65, Emir of Bahrain Who Built Non-Oil Economy|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/07/world/sheik-isa-65-emir-of-bahrain-who-built-non-oil-economy.html|access-date=13 November 2018|newspaper=The New York Times|date=7 March 1999}}</ref>
| notes1      = Son of [[Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (born 1894)|Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa]] and Mouza bint Hamad Al Khalifa
| family1     = [[House of Khalifa|Khalifa]]
| image1      = Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa 1998.jpg
| alt1        = Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa of Bahrain
| name2       = Sheikh<br/>'''[[Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa]]'''
| nickname2   = 
| native2     = {{lang|ar|حمد بن عيسى آل خليفة}}
| life2       = {{Birth date and age|1950|1|28|df=y}}
| reignstart2 = 6 March 1999
| reignend2   = 14 February 2002<br/>{{small|(''title changed'')}}<ref name=kingdom/>
| notes2      = Son of [[Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa]] and [[Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa]]
| family2     = Khalifa
| image2      = Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa April 2016.jpg
| alt2        = Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain
}}

===King of Bahrain (2002–present)===
The Arabic title of the King, as transliterated, is ''Malik al-Bahrayn'' ({{langx|en|King of Bahrain}}). The King also holds the honorific title of sheikh.

{{Succession table monarch
| name1       = King<br/>'''[[Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa]]'''
| nickname1   = 
| native1     = {{lang|ar|حمد بن عيسى آل خليفة}}
| life1       = {{Birth date and age|1950|1|28|df=y}}
| reignstart1 = 14 February 2002
| reignend1   = Incumbent
| notes1      = Son of [[Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa]] and [[Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa]]
| family1     = [[House of Khalifa|Khalifa]]
| image1      = Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa April 2016.jpg
| alt1        = Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain
}}

==See also==
* [[House of Khalifa]]
* [[Succession to the Bahraini throne]]
* [[Prime Minister of Bahrain]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Monarchs of Bahrain}}
{{Bahrain topics}}
{{Heads of state and government of Asia}}
{{Monarchies}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:King Of Bahrain}}
[[Category:History of Bahrain]]
[[Category:Lists of monarchs|Bahrain]]
[[Category:Bahraini monarchs]]
[[Category:Middle Eastern kings|Bahrain]]
[[Category:1783 establishments in Asia]]