The King of the Kingdom of Bahrain ( ) is the monarch and head of state of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The House of Khalifa has been the ruling family of the country since the 1783 Arab invasion that led to the end of Persian rule in Bahrain. Between 1783 and 1971, the Bahraini monarch held the title of 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. The king enjoys wide-ranging powers, which include appointing the prime minister and the cabinet, holding supreme command over the Defence Force, chairing the Higher Judicial Council, appointing the parliament's upper house and dissolving its elected lower house.
List of rulers Hakims of Bahrain (1783–1971)
The Arabic title of the Hakim, as transliterated, was Hakim al-Bahrayn (). The Hakim also held the honorific title of sheikh.
Portrait Name Reign Notes SheikhAhmed bin Muhammad bin Khalifa 1783 – 18 July 1795 Leader of the 1783 Arab invasion SheikhSalman bin Ahmad Al Khalifa 1795–1825 As co-regent SheikhAbdullah bin Ahmad Al Khalifa 1795–1843 As co-regent SheikhKhalifa bin Sulman Al Khalifa 1825–1834 As co-regent with Abdullah bin Ahmad Al Khalifa SheikhMuhammad bin Khalifa Al Khalifa 1834–1842 First reign as co-regent with Abdullah bin Ahmad Al Khalifa SheikhMuhammad bin Khalifa Al Khalifa 1843–1868 Second reign SheikhAli bin Khalifa Al Khalifa 1868–1869 SheikhMuhammad bin Khalifa Al Khalifa 1869 Third reign SheikhMuhammad bin Abdullah Al Khalifa September – 1 December 1869 Deposed and exiled to India. Confined at Asirgarh Fort, but later removed to Chunar Fort, near Benares, where he died in 1877. SheikhIsa bin Ali Al Khalifa 1 December 1869 – 26 May 1923 Abdicated SheikhHamad bin Isa Al Khalifa 27 May 1923 – 20 February 1942 SheikhSalman bin Hamad Al Khalifa 20 February 1942 – 2 November 1961 SheikhIsa bin Salman Al Khalifa 2 November 1961 – 16 August 1971
Emirs of Bahrain (1971–2002)
The Arabic title of the Emir, as transliterated, was Amir dawlat al-Bahrayn (). 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 (). The King also holds the honorific title of sheikh.
See also House of Khalifa Succession to the Bahraini throne Prime Minister of Bahrain
References