Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa ( ar, سلمان بن حمد آل خليفة; born 21 October 1969) is the

Crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the w ...

and the

Prime Minister of Bahrain In Bahrain, the Prime Minister is the head of government of the country. According to the Constitution of Bahrain, the Prime Minister is appointed directly by the King of Bahrain, King, and needs not to be an elected member of the Council of Rep ...

. He is also the deputy supreme commander of the

Bahrain Defence Force The Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) is the military force of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Bahrain Defence Force is under direct command and leadership of a commander-in-chief who holds the rank of field marshal. The Government has a Minister of De ...

Early life and education

Prince Salman is the eldest son of King

Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa ( ar, حمد بن عيسى بن سلمان آل خليفة '; 28 January 1950) is King of Bahrain since 14 February 2002, after ruling as Emir of Bahrain from 6 March 1999. He is the son of Isa bin Salm ...

of Bahrain and his first wife, Princess Sabika bint Ebrahim Al Khalifa. The Prince completed his

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

education at

Bahrain School Bahrain School is a Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) school located in Juffair, Manama, Bahrain. Overview The school is operated by the Bahrain International School Association (BISA) with the United States Department of Defense E ...

, and then went on to earn a BA degree in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and ...

from the

American University The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was cha ...

Washington D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

(1992), followed by a

M.Phil. The Master of Philosophy (MPhil; Latin ' or ') is a postgraduate degree. In the United States, an MPhil typically includes a taught portion and a significant research portion, during which a thesis project is conducted under supervision. An MPhil ...

degree in

history and philosophy of science The history and philosophy of science (HPS) is an academic discipline that encompasses the philosophy of science and the history of science. Although many scholars in the field are trained primarily as either historians or as philosophers, there ...

from

Queens' College, Cambridge Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. The college spans the River Cam, colloquially referred to as the "light s ...

, England (1994). Prince Salman established the ''Crown Prince’s International Scholarship Programme in 1999'' to guide Bahrain's young people into the 21st century. Under the programme, the most able high school students from Bahrain are awarded

scholarships A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholarsh ...

to continue their higher education overseas, and return to productively contribute to the development of Bahrain. More than 140 students from across Bahrain's society have been awarded the scholarship, and have had the opportunity to study abroad – including the UK, US and France.

Career

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 {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...

(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

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 Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic media, especially published materials, should be considered a right to be exerc ...

. 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 A foreign direct investment (FDI) is an investment in the form of a controlling ownership in a business in one country by an entity based in another country. It is thus distinguished from a foreign portfolio investment by a notion of direct c ...

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 A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used for ...

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. On 19 September 2022, he attended the

state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II On 8 September 2022, at 15:10 BST, Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, and the longest-reigning British monarch, died of old age at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, at the age of 96. The Queen's death wa ...

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

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. They have two sons and two daughters: *Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (born 7 March 1990), attended

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 The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial officer training centre. It is located in the town o ...

in 2011 and later went on to graduate from

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

in 2015. 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: * An

honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

in conjunction with the Order of the Eagle Exemplar by the

United States Sports Academy The United States Sports Academy is a private university focused on sports and located in Daphne, Alabama. It offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs as well as certificate programs. Founded in 1972, the academy has provided its ...

(USSA). * Bahrain:

Order of Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa The Order of Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa ( ar, وسام الشيخ عيسى بن سلمان آل خليفة) is a Bahraini order of merit. It is the highest decoration in the Kingdom of Bahrain and is named after Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, t ...

(Wisam al-Shaikh 'Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa), First Class * Bahrain: Order of Ahmad the Conqueror (Wisam Ahmad al-Fateh), First Class * Bahrain: King Hamad Order of the Renaissance, First Class * Bahrain: Order of Bahrain (Wisam al-Bahrein), First Class * Bahrain: Hawar Medal (Wisam al-Hawar), First Class * Jordan: Grand Cordon of the

Supreme Order of the Renaissance The Supreme Order of the Renaissance (, "Medal of the Nahda") is the second knighthood order of the Kingdom of Jordan. History The order was instituted in 1917 by Emir Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca. According to correspondence between the ...

(Wisam al-Nahda) * Kuwait: Order of the Liberation (Wisam al-Tahrir), First Class * UAE: Collar of the Order of Etihad * USA: Golden Plate Award,

American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet ...

Ancestry

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khalifa, Salman Hamad 1969 births Living people American University School of Public Affairs alumni Salman Salman Salman Salman Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge Heirs apparent Sons of kings