Portal:Bahrain

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The Bahrain Portal

Flag of the Kingdom of Bahrain
Flag of the Kingdom of Bahrain
Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Bahrain
Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Bahrain
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Bahrain (/bɑːˈrn/ bah-RAYN, /bæxˈrn/; Arabic: البحرين, romanizedal-Baḥrayn, lit.'Two Seas', locally [æl bɑħˈreːn] ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island which makes up around 83 percent of the country's landmass. Bahrain is situated between Qatar and the northeastern coast of Saudi Arabia, to which it is connected by the King Fahd Causeway. The population of Bahrain is 1,501,635 as of May 14, 2023, based on elaborations of the United Nations data, of whom 712,362 are Bahraini nationals. Bahrain spans some 760 square kilometres (290 sq mi), and is the third-smallest nation in Asia after the Maldives and Singapore. The capital and largest city is Manama.

Bahrain is the site of the ancient Dilmun civilization. It has been famed since antiquity for its pearl fisheries, which were considered the best in the world into the 19th century. Bahrain was one of the earliest areas to be influenced by Islam, during the lifetime of Muhammad in 628 AD. Following a period of Arab rule, Bahrain was ruled by the Portuguese Empire from 1521 until 1602, when they were expelled by Shah Abbas the Great of the Safavid Iran. In 1783, the Bani Utbah and allied tribes captured Bahrain from Nasr Al-Madhkur and it has since been ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family, with Ahmed al Fateh as Bahrain's first hakim.

In the late 1800s, following successive treaties with the British, Bahrain became a protectorate of the United Kingdom. In 1971, it declared independence. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a constitutional monarchy in 2002, and Article 2 of the newly adopted constitution made Sharia a principal source for legislation.

Bahrain developed the first post-oil economy in the Persian Gulf, the result of decades of investing in the banking and tourism sectors; many of the world's largest financial institutions have a presence in the country's capital. It is recognized by the World Bank as a high-income economy. Bahrain is a member of the United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement, Arab League, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Bahrain is a Dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. (Full article...)

The Cabinet of Bahrain is the chief executive body of the Kingdom of Bahrain. According to Article 32 (b) of the 2002 Constitution, "executive authority is vested in the King together with the Council of Ministers and Ministers". The Council of Ministers (Cabinet) is appointed directly by the King (Article 33d). Bahrain has had only two Prime Ministers since the country's independence in 1971, Khalifah ibn Sulman al-Khalifah, the uncle of the reigning King Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifah. Khalifah ibn Sulman al-Khalifah died on 11 November 2020, and was succeeded by the King's son, Crown Prince Salman. As of 2010, roughly half of the cabinet ministers have been selected from the Al Khalifa family, including the Minister of Defence, Minister of Interior, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs.

In February 2011, four ministers were dropped, two added and some portfolios shifted:

The ministers dropped in the cabinet reshuffle included Minister of Health Faisal al-Hamar, Minister of Housing Shaikh Ibrahim bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Electricity and Water Fahmi Al Jowder, and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Shaikh Ahmed bin Attiyatallah Al Khalifa. The Ministry of Housing was given to current Labour Minister, Majeed Al Alwai, while the Ministry of Labour was given to Undersecretary of Labour Jameel Humadan. The Ministry of Health was given to current Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Nazar Al Baharna. Executive Chairman of Operation at the Bahrain Development Board Kamal Ahmed was given the post of Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs. The Ministry of Oil and Gas joined the Electricity and Water Authority and was named the Ministry of Energy under Minister of Oil and Gas Abdulhussain bin Ali Mirza.

(Full article...)

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A photograph of a wind tower in Bahrain
A photograph of a wind tower in Bahrain
A photograph of a wind tower in Bahrain. Originally Persian, they are a traditional element in Bahraini architecture.

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Al Khawalid (Arabic: الخوالد the Khawālid; literally "the Khālids"), also spelled Al Khawaled, is a branch of the House of Khalifa, the ruling family of Bahrain. Al Khawalid is most often used to refer collectively to descendants of Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa, which they are named after. The term also refers to brothers Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the Royal Court Minister and Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa the Commander in Chief of the Bahrain Defence Force. For the purpose of this article, immediate descendants of Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa will be referred to as "the Khalids", the aforementioned two brothers will be referred to as "the Khawalid brothers" and the family branch collectively as "Al Khawalid".

The history of Al Khawalid dates to the 1920s, when the Khalids opposed the British-led administrative reforms and launched a military crackdown on the Shia who supported the reforms. The perpetrators were later put before a court that sentenced them to exile. They gradually returned to Bahrain, where they were kept outside government despite developing personal relations with those in power. They regained some influence since the late 1960s, but remained outside the inner decision-making circle. During this period, senior members of the Khalids were critical of the ruling family, opposed political reforms and held a grudge against the British. (Full article...)

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The following are images from various Bahrain-related articles on Wikipedia.

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Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain

  • ... that the hardline faction Al Khawalid was so empowered during the reign of King Hamad of Bahrain (pictured) that they were considered a "new royal family"?

More Did you know (auto-generated)

  • ... that infectious diseases specialist Jameela Al Salman has supported the development of medical robots and called their use in Bahrain a "pioneering experiment"?
  • ... that the 2021 film West Side Story was banned in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, likely due to the transgender character Anybodys?
  • ... that as part of Bahrainization, the Bahraini government prohibited foreigners from driving taxis?
  • ... that Tala Bashmi played on the Bahrain women's national football team for seven years before opening a restaurant in a Manama hotel?
  • ... that Bahraini businesswoman Yara Salman founded a beauty salon, a medical center, an entertainment complex, and a restaurant in the past decade?

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