Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa

Prince Salman
Crown Prince of Bahrain
Deputy Supreme Commander
First Deputy Prime Minister
Born (1969-10-21) 21 October 1969
Riffa, Bahrain
Spouse Hala bint D'aij Al Khalifa
Issue Isa
Mohammed
Fatima
Al Joud
House Al Khalifa
Father Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Mother Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa
Religion Sunni Islam

Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain (Arabic: سلمان بن حمد آل خليفة‎, born 21 October 1969) is the heir apparent and First Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain. He is also the deputy Supreme Commander of the Bahrain Defense Force.

Early life and education

Prince Salman is the eldest son of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain and his first wife, Sabika bint Ibrahim.[1]

Salman 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 MPhil degree in History and philosophy of science from the Queens' College, University of Cambridge, England (1994).[2]

Salman established the Crown Prince’s International Scholarship Programme[3][4] to guide Bahrain’s young people into the 21st century. Under the programme, the most able high school students from Bahrain are awarded scholarships to continue their higher education overseas, and return to productively contribute to the building of the country’s economy. By allowing the country’s brightest pupils to benefit from foreign expertise and to broaden their experience abroad, it is hoped to prepare young Bahrainis for the challenges of the modern job market, and in particular for employment in fields such as information technology, finance and law.

Career

Salman Al-Khalifa and Donald Rumsfeld

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, 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, Salman was installed to the post of 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 to Bahrain. Salman has played a major role in promoting national dialogue regarding economic and labor market reforms. Salman is also chairman of the housing and urban development committee and the gas committee.

On 6 January 2008, his father, the king, issued a royal decree installing Salman to the post of 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, he was appointed first deputy prime minister.[1]

Bahraini Uprising

Protesters at the Pearl Roundabout

After the protests in Bahrain in 2011, Salman, as the deputy commander of the defence forces, claimed in a statement to the BBC to have ordered the army off the streets and called for calm "for all parties to be able to present their opinions".[5] As events transpired, however, Salman either directly ordered or was unable to prevent the army from taking over a hospital,[6] destroying the symbolic Pearl Roundabout, and implementing a crackdown on rioters.

The Crown Prince is regarded as a reformer in contrast to prime minister Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.[7]

The Crown Prince declined his invitation to the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton, due to the ensuing protests in Bahrain.[8]

Around a 100 scholarships awarded by Salman's Crown Prince’s International Scholarship Program were revoked for Bahraini students participating in the anti-government protests in the UK.[9] However, after public outcry, the Crown Prince Scholarships were later reinstated.[10]

Marriage and children

Prince Salman is married to Sheikha Hala bint D'aij Al Khalifa, who is the youngest daughter of Sheikh Duaij bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, the assistant undersecretary of the ministry of finance and national economy. Hala is honorary president of the information centre for women and children, and chair of the Bahrain society for mental retardation. They have two sons and two daughters:

Titles, styles and honors

Styles of
The Crown Prince of Bahrain
Reference style His Royal Highness
Spoken style Your Royal Highness
Alternative style Prince

Titles and styles

Prince Salman was appointed as Heir Apparent and invested with the title of Crown Prince of Bahrain (with the style of "His Highness"), at the Rifa’a Palace, on 9 March 1999. He was raised to the personal title of Prince, with the style of "His Royal Highness", on 21 October 2009.

Honours and awards

Salman has been awarded a number of tokenistic decorations and orders related to his status as a presumptive future monarch and head of state.[12] He was awarded an honorary doctorate in conjunction with the Order of the Eagle Exemplar by the United States Sports Academy (USSA).[13] The presentation was made by T. J. Rosandich, vice-president and chief operating officer of the USSA on 28 September 2003 in a ceremony held at the Court of the Crown Prince in Bahrain.

Salman has also been awarded:

Ancestry

References

  1. 1 2 Kerr, Simeon (11 March 2013). "Bahrain crown prince given political role". Financial Times (Dubai). Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  2. ↑ Government: The Crown Prince – website of the Embassy of Bahrain to the US
  3. ↑ Crown Prince's International Scholarship Program (CPISP)
  4. ↑ Spotlight on the future – The official magazine of CPIS P
  5. ↑ Kevin Connolly (20 February 2011). "Bahrain unrest: Protesters reoccupy Pearl Square". BBC. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  6. ↑ Leigh, Karen (17 March 2011). "Crackdown: Why Bahrain's Military Has Taken Over a Hospital". TIME. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  7. ↑ Law, Bill (16 March 2011). "Splits inside Bahrain's ruling al-Khalifah family". BBC. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  8. ↑ "Bahrain crown prince declines royal wedding invite". Reuters News. 24 April 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  9. ↑ al-Bahraini, Suliman. "If you're a Bahraini, protesting in the UK can have 'grave consequences'". Guardian. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  10. ↑ "Bahrain's decision to reinstate scholarships wades into controversy". Gulf News. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  11. ↑ "Local News » Crown Prince's son graduates from Sandhurst". Gulf Daily News. 16 April 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  12. ↑ Royal Ark
  13. ↑ Events & News: USBBC Host The Crown Prince of Bahrain – official website of the US-Bahrain Business Councel

External links

Media related to Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa at Wikimedia Commons

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